Islam in socio-political life of Azerbaijan: part of identity or agent for social change?

Abstract

Given the current environment of Azerbaijan, latest repressions and religious protests, it is relevant to understand what role Islam plays or does it actually have any influence on the process of shaping the current developments in the country. In the age of turmoil, when we already witnessed Arab Spring, continuous disorder in Egypt and Syrian Civil War, it is relevant to look at different countries, where religious divisions are existent and moreover, where Islam is considered to be a part of national identity. The paper intends to examine the changes in the role of Islam in Azerbaijan in a period of 2009 to 2013. It focuses on the status of Islam in social and political life of Azerbaijan, more specifically religiosity of Azerbaijani society, religious organizations and parties of the country, level of population mobilization around those organizations and the state policy on religion. The overall aim of the paper is to look at manifestations of Islam after the 2009 legal as well as administrative restrictions imposed on religion by the state, find out whether Islam is growing in the country and whether the revival of Islam in Azerbaijani society contributes to the emergence of social movement in the country.