State Department: Religious Freedom Limited in Azerbaijan

The U.S. State Department published its annual report on the status of freedom of religion in the world. In the section devoted to Azerbaijan, it is said that the Constitution provides for freedom of religion, but other laws and government policies restricted religious freedom in practice.  

Most religious groups met without government interference; however, authorities reportedly monitored and raided some religious services, confiscated religious materials, and harassed and detained some members of Muslim and Christian groups. The government considers some of these groups “nontraditional” because they lack a long history in the country.

There are also burdensome registration requirements for religious groups that the government enforced. Legislation passed during the year increased restrictions on religious groups. However, in practice, the government did not demonstrate a trend toward either improvement or deterioration in respect for and protection of the right to religious freedom.

There were reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice. There was occasional hostility toward groups that proselytized, particularly Jehovah’s Witnesses, evangelical Christians, and other missionary groups.

As part of its overall policy to promote and defend religious freedom, the U.S. government discussed religious freedom with the government, various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and religious leaders.

About 96% of Azerbaijan's population is Muslim, the rest is from the Russian Orthodox Church and others are Christian groups and Jews.

Shia are 65% of the Muslims, and 35% are Sunni.

State Committee for Work with Religious Associations is implementing the state policy in the sphere of religion, and interacts with religious organizations.

The Christians are mainly concentrated in Baku and other cities. About 20,000 Jews live in Baku and small towns across the country.

There are also small religious groups that exist in the country for over 100 years - Lutherans, Catholics, Baptists, Molokans, the Seventh Day Adventists, and Baha'is.

International Religious Freedom Act prohibits the government from interfering in the religious activities of any person or group, but the law allows you to eliminate the religious organization, if it promotes racial, ethnic, religious or social hatred, or its activity diminishes human dignity and contradict the principles of humanism.

The registration process is the main lever of government against unwanted religious groups. This leads to the fact that these groups go underground, and their complaints to the courts are not being met,

Registered Muslim organizations are subordinate to the CMO, who appoints Muslim clerics to mosques, Islamic schools, monitors sermons, and organizes an annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

In July 2011 Milli Majlis adopted 19 amendments to the Law on Freedom of Religion. The amendments have strengthened government control over religious organizations.

12 and 13 December, the President signed amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Administrative Offences, which toughened penalties for the unlawful manufacture, distribution and importation of religious literature (unapproved by CMO).

    International Religious Freedom Act prohibits religious propaganda to foreigners, and Islamic religious rituals and ceremonies to be held by those who received education in Azerbaijan and abroad, but with the approval of the authorities.

   By law, political parties can not participate in religious activities. Religious leaders can not simultaneously serve as a public service. Religious objects can not be used for political purposes.

    The Constitution provides for alternative service when the military conflict contrary to belief. However, there is no law that would allow to implement alternative service, and to refuse military service.

    The Government observes the following religious holidays as national holidays: Eid al-Adha and Ramazan (Ramadan).

    The Education Act does not ban girls wearing the hijab in primary and secondary schools, but there is a directive of Minister of Education, which prohibits it.

    May 6, 2011 there were massive protests in front of the Ministry of Education of the faithful in connection with the directive of the minister. Police forces dispersed the protesters, detaining dozens of people.

    There have periodic clashes with religious authorities during religious ceremonies and holidays. For example, in December, the police demanded that the Shiites in Ganja, not to Ashura.

    There was a case of demotion of three officers of the national army for their praying namaz.

    The government continued to restrict the activities of "non-traditional" Muslim communities through the closure of mosques and prayer houses. There were some reports of closing Muslim prayer houses in the Greater Baku and northern regions.

    It has been reported about the facts of violent cutting beards of believers in Zagatala and elsewhere. October 31 authorities detained four Baptists for five days because they celebrated a harvest festival in a private home.

    By December 31, 2011 there were a total of 570 religious communities, of which 550 were Muslim and 20 non-Islamic.

    In general, the society is not in favor of Muslim missionaries from abroad (Salafi and Iranian Shiites), because they are regarded as disseminators of political Islam. -02D-