Simple equation: Allah is not Iran`s monopoly

Taleh Bagirzade, the imprisoned leader of the “Muslim Unity” Movement, was on a hunger strike from 3 to 23 June. The reason for this was that believers were subjected to torture in police stations, while insulting Allah. Bagirzadeh demanded punishment of those who allowed these actions. Earlier, on May 20, five members of the “Muslim Unity” Movement were detained in front of the Baku Serious Crimes  Court on the day the verdict was delivered to another activist of the Movement, Razi Abbasov. Three of them were sentenced to 1 month of administrative detention on charges of resisting the police, while the other two were released on the night of the same day. The released said that during the day they were tortured, their trousers were taken off and they were threatened with rape. One of the believers whose term of administrative arrest has expired, Elgiz Mammadov, claims that he was raped during his detention.

One of the most discussed topics last week on social networks was the hunger strike organized in prison by the leader of the Muslim Unity movement, Taleh Bagirzade, and several supporters of the Movement who joined this action. Some believe that Taleh Bagirzade and his supporters, having staged a hunger strike, pursued the goal of fomenting religious tension in Azerbaijan. They accuse Taleh Bagirzadeh and the “Muslim Unity” Movement of serving the interests of Iran and that the instruction to go on a hunger strike came from Tehran.

Political commentator Zardusht Alizade commented on the situation for ASTNA.

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Question: How do you assess the hunger strike by the believers in prison, the discussions going on in social networks in this direction, the allegations of Iran's involvement in this issue?

Answer: If someone claims that by insulting Allah, they insult Iran, then this person follows the primitive thesis according to which Allah belongs exclusively to Iran. As if Allah has nothing to do with other Muslims of the world. But Allah is not a monopoly of Iran, he is in the heart of every Muslim, in his religion, in his faith. A certain government official offends Allah, while this state is headed by a person who declared himself a Muslim, visited Mecca more than once, became Haji, repeatedly made tawaf (ritual bypass - ed.) with his family around the Kaaba.

At the same time, this state is a member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. How can the head of this state put up with the fact that his officials blaspheme and insult Allah, and those who protest against this be beaten, imprisoned, and tortured? How  is it called? This is the height of hypocrisy. This attitude is "Everest" hypocrisy. So this person is not a Muslim. Or he has no idea about the situation in Azerbaijan at all, he is in the clouds. And if he has an idea, he uses Islam to maintain power. As for the individuals and journalists who write on social networks and media that "Iran has an influence on this issue", their political knowledge and culture are low. Iran is a Muslim country, fine. But after all, Morocco, Indonesia, and Malaysia are Muslim countries. But isn't Azerbaijan a Muslim country? Isn't the sincere protection of Allah the duty of other Muslim countries? People and journalists who do not understand this simple equality write that Iran has interests here. It turns out that if Iran does not protect Allah, then it can be scolded?

Question: Many intellectuals on social media also believe that the protesters serve the interests of Iran....

Answer: People with intelligence will not write such things. This means they are illiterate. Can a person who cannot solve a simple equation be an intellectual? Allah is not Iran's monopoly. If those who protest against those who insult Allah and demand the punishment of blasphemers, they call the henchmen of Iran, then they have lost their minds. The people who wrote this are ordinary people and want to flatter themselves to power.

Question: Iran's attitude towards Azerbaijan is ambiguous. There is an opinion that Iran also wants to have influence on Azerbaijan and usually does this through believers. Azerbaijan's attitude towards Iran is also ambiguous...

Answer: I have been to Iran many times. I have many relatives there. Iranians do not like the government of Azerbaijan, but they love Azerbaijan itself and its people. They don't like their government either. There, too, there are those who criticize the government and end up in prison. No need to generalize. There are more than 20 million Azerbaijanis in Iran. When we celebrated the victory in Karabakh, they gathered on the border along the Araz River, wept for joy.

Question: I wanted to ask why, when they say an Iranian agent, believers come to mind first of all? Is it fair in this form to sow doubt against believers?

Answer: Let me tell you a simple thing. Machiavelli had a very precise definition: The struggle for power means the struggle for the possession of objects. Lenin said that behind various cultural, political, religious and social phenomena only fools do not see economic interests. It is a matter of power and economic interests. The authorities create conditions so that officials and those in power can earn money.

It is one thing to earn in democratic countries within the law, and another thing to earn in countries like Azerbaijan, where the laws do not work. In such countries, day and night, they are engaged in merciless robbery of the people. They stigmatize anyone who protests against it. One is called pro-Russian, the other is pro-Western, and the third is pro-Iranian, etc. But they do not say that these protesters are demanding their rights in accordance with the Constitution. A large state mechanism has been created to silence the dissatisfied. Corrupt court, brutal police, State Security Council, corrupt journalists, fake parliament, and so on. All state mechanisms serve to preserve their power. Therefore, the protesters are branded as a foreign spy. Look, the question of foreign agents is now in vogue in Russia too. Many journalists and public figures have been legally declared foreign agents.

The same is happening in Azerbaijan. They just haven't legalized it yet. As for believers, do they object to some abstract question? No, they also demand their rights. At the same time they worship Allah. In religion, justice is the strongest concept. Justice is the foundation of all religions. Now they are labeled as terrorists, radical Islamists, Iranian spies and arrested to silence them. When they protest, they are beaten and insulted by Allah. All these are manifestations of the struggle for economic interests.

Question: Why do these events usually take place in the country on the eve of improving relations with the United States, with the West. Is it possible that someone deliberately raises the question of Iran, of a religious state, at precisely this moment? Who are they?

Answer: The President is trying to show that he is at the head of a Western-oriented policy, fighting against the influence of Iran. And the West should turn a blind eye to some of its petty dealings. That's all. Small deeds are a cut of oil and gas money.

Question: Is it possible to create a religious state in Azerbaijan?

Answer: No. There are very few Muslim believers in Azerbaijan. Believers are an absolute minority. The number of Muslim believers is several tens of thousands. But 10 million people live in Azerbaijan. In Azerbaijan, agida (Muslim belief, a form of revealing iman - ed. note), iman (belief in the truth of Islam; faith in Allah, angels, scriptures, prophets, Judgment Day, in retribution for good and evil - ed. note) on low level.