Youths turn to Islam in Azerbaijan

By LEILA AMIROVA

INSTITUTE FOR WAR & PEACE REPORTING

BAKU, Azerbaijan — Ilgar Ibrahimoglu is a popular man these days. Each weekend, more and more young people come to his office to receive instruction in Islam.

Despite being an overwhelming Muslim country, Azerbaijan remains a firmly secular state. Before gaining its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, there were heavy restrictions on public worship and many mosques in the country were closed.

In recent years, however, there has been an explosion of interest in Islam, especially among the young.

That’s a big change from when Ibrahimoglu first became interested in his faith.

“When I began to take an interest in Islam, I couldn’t find a single person to give proper answers to my questions,” he said. “I wasn’t satisfied by the answers of the ‘Red mullahs’ who worked here in Soviet times. A lot of things about Islam remained unclear for me.”

Ibrahimoglu eventually traveled abroad, where he studied Islamic philosophy and theology in several Muslim countries. He also spent time in Warsaw studying Western philosophy and human rights issues.

Today, he’s an imam of the Juma mosque in Baku. He said more than 3,000 people have attended his early morning classes on Islam.

The surge of interest in Islam has not escaped the notice of the authorities, who prosecuted Ibrahimoglu in 2004 for his role in a demonstration opposing alleged irregularities in a presidential election and have since sought to evict the congregation from the mosque, claiming it is not properly registered.

Harassment

Meanwhile, observant Muslims, especially women wearing the veil or young men with beards, claim they are being harassed by the authorities.

Officials claim their actions are in response to fears that radical Muslim fundamentalism may be taking root in the country.

Zakir Shikhkerimov, from the northern town of Zakatala, insists he is a devote Muslim with no ties to radical groups. He said he attends a nearby mosque regularly, prays five times a day and wears a beard as part of his faith.

“A beard is the distinguishing mark of a Muslim man,” he said. “The Prophet Muhammad wore one.”

Because of his appearance, Shikhkerimov claims that he was arrested by the police who accused him of being a member of a radical Islamic group. “They forcibly shaved off my beard,” he said.

Officials with the interior ministry deny observant Muslims are singled out for such treatment.

Ibrahimoglu warns that official harassment is counter-productive and could actually inspire the growth of radical Islam.

X Leila Amirova is a journalist in Azerbaijan who writes for The Institute for War & Peace Reporting, a nonprofit organization in London that trains journalists in areas of conflict. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services