Sources to use
editHistorical discussion
editCornell, Svante E. The Politicization of Islam in Azerbaijan. Central Asia Caucasus Institute: Silk Road Studies Program: 2006, p14. http://www.silkroadstudies.org/resources/pdf/SilkRoadPapers/2006_10_SRP_Cornell_Islam-Azerbaijan.pdf
Mirzayev, Rasim. “Islamists in Azerbaijan: How Dangerous Are They?”, Euxeinos 9: 2013, page 7. http://www.gce.unisg.ch/~/media/internet/content/dateien/instituteundcenters/gce/euxeinos/mirzayev%20euxeinos%209_2013.pdf
Goyushov, Altay, “Islam in Azerbaijan: A Historical Background”, Caucasus Analytical Digest 44: 20 November 2012.
Swietochowski, Tadeusz. Russian Azerbaijan, 1905-1920: The Shaping of a National Identity in a Muslim Community. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014.
Current situation
editGeneral overview -- https://www.counterextremism.com/sites/default/files/Secularism_in_Azerbaijan_June%202015.pdf
Cornell, Svante E. The Politicization of Islam in Azerbaijan. Central Asia Caucasus Institute: Silk Road Studies Program: 2006, p14. http://www.silkroadstudies.org/resources/pdf/SilkRoadPapers/2006_10_SRP_Cornell_Islam-Azerbaijan.pdf
Mirzayev, Rasim. “Islamists in Azerbaijan: How Dangerous Are They?”, Euxeinos 9: 2013, page 7. http://www.gce.unisg.ch/~/media/internet/content/dateien/instituteundcenters/gce/euxeinos/mirzayev%20euxeinos%209_2013.pdf
Criticism as "fake" by Eldar Mamedov, very critical of Aliyev -- http://www.eurasianet.org/node/67597
Discussion of situation after murder of Rafiq Tagi -- http://www.eurasianet.org/node/64837
Islamic revival, portrayed more positively here (should be referenced a lot for balance as sources above are very heavily negative towards it) : Goyeshov, Altay. “Islamic Revival in Azerbaijan”. Hudson Institute. http://www.hudson.org/research/9815-islamic-revival-in-azerbaijan
http://europeandemocracy.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-09-Secularism-in-Azerbaijan.pdf
https://www.degruyter.com/view/product/485225
http://biweekly.ada.edu.az/vol_4_no_24/Baku_media_coverage_of_Islamic_extremism_reinforces_Azerbaijani_secularism.htm?print=1
View of Hikmet Hajiyev -- "secularism is a way of life/ no contradiction between Islam and secularism". Also notes number of mosques has multiplied by ~90 : http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/Issue-of-religious-freedom-in-Azerbaijan.html
Azeri gov't agrees with Hajiyev about Azeri society, but is angry that in the article above, he implied that crackdowns on Islamic practice are violations of human rights -- https://www.azernews.az/nation/113246.html
Goyushov again : "I believe authoritarianism poses the most serious threat to secularism" -- "Can Azerbaijan have its own Erdogan?" -- https://www.meydan.tv/en/site/society/15766/
Gulen in Azerbaijan : https://www.hudson.org/research/9864-the-gulen-movement-in-azerbaijan
(Polish) criticism of Azeri Religious Pluralism policy as manipulated and coopted for foreign affairs goals -- http://th.if.uj.edu.pl/~mach/pub/rights.pdf
Ideology
edit"Formula of secular governance and civic nationhood" : http://isdp.eu/publication/azerbaijans-formula-secular-governance-civic-nationhood/
enthusiasts in Azerbaijan, France, Hungary, EU -- "model of secularism and interreligious harmony" -- https://www.azernews.az/nation/62614.html
Azerbaijan and France, secular bros? -- http://teas.eu/press-release-islam-and-secularism-azerbaijani-experience-and-its-reflection-france
Or is Azerbaijan Switzerland -- "shared values of multiculturalism and secularism" -- http://sam.az/uploads/PDF/The%20Shared%20Values%20of%20Multiculturalism%20Azerbaijan.pdf
http://europeandemocracy.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-09-Secularism-in-Azerbaijan.pdf -- secularism as way to calm Sunni-Shia tensions, Azerbaijan has unified Caucasus Muslim Board and "unity prayers" as well -- http://europeandemocracy.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-09-Secularism-in-Azerbaijan.pdf
Secular-ish (i.e. not evangelical Christian) right-wingers in teh US are big fans, see Dave Horo -- http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/168649/azerbaijan-gets-islam-and-politics-right-joseph-klein
"beacon of tolerance... effective in countering radicalisation ", more foreign enthusiasm -- https://www.euractiv.com/section/azerbaijan/opinion/azerbaijan-was-effective-in-countering-radicalisation/
Polling / demographics
editGallup, 2008. “What do Alabamians and Iranians have in Common?”. http://www.gallup.com/poll/114211/alabamians-iranians-common.aspx
Ismailzade, Fariz. “New Survey in Azerbaijan Shows Rising Influence of Islam”, The Jamestown Foundation: Eurasia Daily Monitor, Volume 2, Issue 37, 22 Feb 2005. http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=27581#.VVTLwmaJJKo
2011 : 90% of Azeris prefer European rather than international Islamic bodies, 10% say law should refer to sharia, 4% see Iran as "positive model" -- Mirzayev, p1, citing Mammedli, “Politicheskii islam v azerbaidzhane ne sposoben na samostoiatel’nye deistviya”, 25 November 2011 in Novosti Azerbaidzhan.
65-85% of Azeri Muslims are Shia whereas the rest, mostly in the North, are Shia. But division is often not "firm". --Cornell, p21-22.
Contrasting 75/20 ish Shia/Sunni split, 45% of Azeri Muslims are "nondenominational" -- Pew Research Center, “The World’s Muslims: Unity and Diversity”, 9 August 2012. Chapter 1. Available at: http://www.pewforum.org/2012/08/09/the-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-1-religious-affiliation/
Also need to discuss
edit- Policy of the Aliyev regime
- Influences of Turkey, Dagestan, Russia and Iran
- Hijab ban
- Attitudes of non-Muslim minorities : https://www.strasbourgconsortium.org/content/blurb/files/Azerbaijan%2012%20November.pdf