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| According to Imam Ilgar Ibrahimoglu "it is no secret to anyone that radical Wahhabi groups have been active in Azerbaijan for several years," and that there is no indication of a weakening of that trend because of the lack of democracy, frequent ], and the authorities' repression of less radical but unregistered religious communities.<ref></ref> Sheikh ul Islam Pasha-zade also was quoted as openly branding the congregation of the Abu-Bakr mosque as "Wahhabis" and as implicitly criticizing the Azerbaijani authorities for failing to crack down on them.<ref></ref> | According to Imam Ilgar Ibrahimoglu "it is no secret to anyone that radical Wahhabi groups have been active in Azerbaijan for several years," and that there is no indication of a weakening of that trend because of the lack of democracy, frequent ], and the authorities' repression of less radical but unregistered religious communities.<ref></ref> Sheikh ul Islam Pasha-zade also was quoted as openly branding the congregation of the Abu-Bakr mosque as "Wahhabis" and as implicitly criticizing the Azerbaijani authorities for failing to crack down on them.<ref></ref> | ||
| An ] took place on ], 2008 when a man or men threw a grenade through a window of the Abu Bakr (Abu-Bekir) mosque, used both by Sunni and Wahhabi Muslims, during the evening prayer.<ref></ref><ref></ref> Three people were killed and 13 injured. | An ] took place on ], 2008 when a man or men threw a grenade through a window of the Abu Bakr (Abu-Bekir) mosque, used both by Sunni and Wahhabi Muslims, during the evening prayer.<ref></ref><ref></ref> Three people were killed and 13 injured. 26 were accused of Article 214 (terrorism), 279 (creation of a armed formations or groups, which are not provided by the legislation) and others of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan Republic, and one person, the leader of “Forest brothers” radical group, was killed during a special operation.<ref></ref> | ||
| ===Al-Qaeda=== | ===Al-Qaeda=== | ||
Revision as of 11:59, 14 May 2009
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into Islam in Azerbaijan. (Discuss) Proposed since May 2009. |
Radical Islamism in Azerbaijan is raising stronghold of religious extremism across the country as a result of continued problems like corruption, poverty, and semi-authoritarian government combined with disillusionment with the West and support of religious sects from different countries.
Wahhabists
Today Wahhabi congregation, particularly the radical part of Salafists, are considered one of the dangerous radical Islamic groups in Azerbaijan. Before the November 6, 2005 elections Rafik Aliyev, chairman of the Azerbaijani government's Committee for Work with Religious Formations, warned that the increased activity of "Wahhabis," poses a threat to political stability in Azerbaijan. In October, 2007 the Azerbaijani government reported it thwarted a Wahhabi radical Islamic group’s plot to conduct a “large-scale, horrifying terror attack” against US and British diplomatic missions and government buildings. According to the Azerbaijani National Security Ministry, one suspect was killed and several others were detained in a weekend sweep in village outside the capital. The State Department closed US embassy in Baku for a period, as well as the UK embassy in Azerbaijan also suspended services due to "local security concerns".
The Islamic group included an army lieutenant who stole 20 hand grenades, a machine gun, assault rifles and other military ammunition from his army unit for the planned attack.
According to Imam Ilgar Ibrahimoglu "it is no secret to anyone that radical Wahhabi groups have been active in Azerbaijan for several years," and that there is no indication of a weakening of that trend because of the lack of democracy, frequent human rights violations, and the authorities' repression of less radical but unregistered religious communities. Sheikh ul Islam Pasha-zade also was quoted as openly branding the congregation of the Abu-Bakr mosque as "Wahhabis" and as implicitly criticizing the Azerbaijani authorities for failing to crack down on them.
An Attack on Abu Bakr Mosque of Baku took place on August 17, 2008 when a man or men threw a grenade through a window of the Abu Bakr (Abu-Bekir) mosque, used both by Sunni and Wahhabi Muslims, during the evening prayer. Three people were killed and 13 injured. 26 were accused of Article 214 (terrorism), 279 (creation of a armed formations or groups, which are not provided by the legislation) and others of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan Republic, and one person, the leader of “Forest brothers” radical group, was killed during a special operation.
Al-Qaeda
In 1998 after the attacks on the U.S. embassies in Dar-es-Salaam and Nairobi, as as result of the fax that was sent from Baku, the level of activity of Al-Qaeda in the country was discovered.. Following to this members of the Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya close to Al-Qaeda movement were arrested in Azerbaijan and extradicated to Cairo. An Al-Qaeda operative, Abu Atiya, was arrested in Baku and turned over to the CIA. The arrests came after security forces engaged in a search for more than a month, that finally led them to a safe house in Sumgayit, where the militants were arrested.
Amiraslan Iskenderov, the head of a Salafist gang in Azerbaijan, received special training at al-Qaeda-connected training camps of Afghanistan and was taught how to make and use bombs and organize mass killings of people in public places, and was also assigned to recruit young girls with extremist religious views to become suicide bombers in Azerbaijan. Iskenderov’s group prepared a statement on behalf of al-Qaeda in the Caucasus, threatening the Azerbaijani government with bombings in Baku. Currently Iskanderov and his group are prisoned.
Nur sect
Influence of Turkey in shaping Islam in post-Soviet Azerbaijan was due to a combination of popular Islam and Turkic nationalism promoted by the Turkish extremist religious sect, Nur (Light).
See also
External links
- Azerbaijan: Islam in a post-soviet republic. By Anar Valiyev, CAEI
- ISLAMIC AND ETHNIC IDENTITIES IN AZERBAIJAN: EMERGING TRENDS AND TENSIONS, A Discussion Paper, hema Kotecha, OSCE, 2006
References
- IS AZERBAIJAN BECOMING A HUB OF RADICAL ISLAM? by Arzu Geybullayeva, European Stability Initiative
- Azerbaijani Jews worried over increasing radical Islamists, By Amiram Barkat, Haaretz - 02.15.2006
- Azeri poverty fuels rise of Islam. By Natalia Antelava, BBC News, 2005
- Azerbaijan plot shows radicals' threat has teeth, 08 Nov 2007, Reuters
- Azerbaijan: Does Wahhabism Pose A Threat? August 07, 2005 By Liz Fuller
- IS AZERBAIJAN BECOMING A HUB OF RADICAL ISLAM? by Arzu Geybullayeva, European Stability Initiative
- Azerbaijan: Does Wahhabism Pose A Threat? RFE/RL, August 07, 2005, By Liz Fuller
- Azerbaijan: ‘Horrifying’ terror attack thwarted. U.S. Embassy, several government structures targeted, official says. Associated Press, Oct. 2007
- US Embassy Targeted by Azerbaijan Terror Cell, Moscow News, № 43 2007
- Azerbaijan: ‘Horrifying’ terror attack thwarted. U.S. Embassy, several government structures targeted, official says. Associated Press, Oct. 2007
- Azerbaijan: Does Wahhabism Pose A Threat? August 07, 2005 By Liz Fuller
- Azerbaijan: 'Alternative Islam' Takes Several Forms, August 10, 2007, RFE/RL, By Liz Fuller and Babek Bakir
- United States condemns attack on the Abu Bakr Mosque in Azerbaijan’s capital, ANS press, 2008
- Azeri president to oversee mosque blast probe, 18 Aug 2008, Reuters, By Lada Yevgrashina
- Preliminary investigation on Abu-Bakir mosque case finished, ANS Press, 2009
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, “US Vs. Usama Bin Laden” in Politicization of Islam in Azerbaijan, 2 May 2001, p. 5440
- David S. Cloud, “Long In US Sights, A Young Terrorist Builds Grim Resume On Journey to Iraq, Zarqawi Forged Ties With Al-Qaeda, Attracted Own Followers; An Amputation in Baghdad”, The Wall Street Journal, 10 February 2004
- AZERBAIJAN: EVALUATING THE RADICAL ISLAMIC SECURITY THREAT, by Rovshan Ismayilov 11/30/07, Eurasia Insight
- http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews=4587 The Two Faces of Salafism in Azerbaijan. Terrorism Focus Volume: 4 Issue: 40, December 7, 2007, By: Anar Valiyev
- http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews=4587 The Two Faces of Salafism in Azerbaijan. Terrorism Focus Volume: 4 Issue: 40, December 7, 2007, By: Anar Valiyev
- IS AZERBAIJAN BECOMING A HUB OF RADICAL ISLAM? by Arzu Geybullayeva, European Stability Initiative