New Leader of Islamic Party Calls for Education of Youth

The new Acting Chairman of the Islamic Party Ilham Aliyev held his first press conference on 8 September.

He said that he considered religious education and the "correct" propaganda of Islam a priority for the party.

"True Islam and true politics are our priorities," Aliyev said, noting readiness to cooperate with all sectors and institutions of society.

On the question of the possible participation of the Islamic party in the upcoming parliamentary elections, he noted that the final decision on this matter is still pending.

Aliyev ruled out the possibility of serious personnel changes in the party leadership, but at the same time, noted the need for young and energetic staff.

He described the recent visit of the Iranian Ayatollah Hussein Hamadani to Azerbaijan as "an extraordinary event" for the Islamic unity.

Regarding the fate of the arrested activists of the Islamic Party, including its chairman Movsum Samedov, Aliyev announced his intention to make every effort for their release.

* The new leader of the Islamists was born in 1977 in the village of Bina on the Apsheron Peninsula. He received religious education in Iran and in 2004 returned to Azerbaijan.

He was arrested and spent one and a half years for taking part in a protest against the ban on headscarves in schools in 2012. However, he was convicted of illegal possession of weapons.

Recall that the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan was established in 1991 and was registered in 1992.

In 1995, the party’s registration was abolished and the entire leadership was arrested on charges of spying for Iran.

In 2011, the party suffered another wave of arrests, including its leader Movsum Samedov and several activists. After that, the party was headed by Elchin Manafov, who recently resigned. -05S-