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Caucasus Muslim Leader Denounces Georgia's Creation Of Independent Muslim Body
Written by: Paul Goble*
May 18, 2011
Allashukyur Pashazade, sheikh ul-Islam and head of the Baku-based
Administration of Muslims of the Caucasus (AMC), has sharply
criticized the creation of an independent Administration of Muslims of
Georgia (AMG), as the latest example of the nationalist course set by
President Mikhail Saakashvili.
The sheikh said that the decision of `official Tbilisi' was
`incorrect,' adding that in his view, `behind the establishment of
this organization stands the idea of `Greater Armenia' and saying that
he deeply regretted that `part of the ethnic Azerbaijani officials' in
Georgia support the new body (www.regnum.ru/news/polit/1405007.html).
However that may be, the efforts of Georgians to have their own Muslim
organization are but the latest example of numerous problems involved
in squaring religious and national borders in the post-Soviet states,
ones that bedevil the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine and Abkhazia
but that is nowhere more complicated than in the south Caucasus.
The AMC was established in Soviet times as one of four Muslims
Spiritual Directorates (MSDs), but unlike the other three, the Baku
institution had a double task. On the one hand, it was responsible for
Shiite communities throughout the USSR. And on the other, it had
administrative responsibility for Muslim parishes in the Caucasus as a
whole.
Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, Pashazade, who
has been in office since 1980, has sought to continue to exercise the
powers involved in each of these responsibilities, although he has
been under pressure to yield on both counts and has in fact given way
to other newer Muslim bodies.
The sheikh ul-Islam has insisted that he, the only Shiite leader of a
supra-national MSD, is still responsible for all Shiite communities
across the former Soviet space, although his position has been
challenged by others, including most recently Ravil Gainutdin, the
head of the Union of Muftis of Russia (SMR).
And while he has de facto yielded to the new MSDs in the post-Soviet
North Caucasus, Pashazade has sought to maintain the powers implied in
the name of the institution he heads, especially with regard to
neighboring Georgia, where the majority of Muslims are ethnic
Azerbaijanis, although many of them are Sunni rather than Shiia.
The Baku sheikh noted on Monday that he has exercised his authority in
Georgia through a special division of the AMC, which was `created in
1996 at the request of [former Georgian] President Shevardnadze' and
which continues to function under the direction of Ali Aliyev, a
citizens of Georgia.
That makes the creation of the Georgian body a particular threat to
his dignity and influence. Details about the AMG are still sketchy,
particularly with regard to how many of the Muslim parishes in
Georgia, ethnic Azerbaijani or otherwise, recognize its authority. But
some details are offered in the just released issue of `NG-Religii.'
In an essay entitled, `The Shiites and Sunnis Divide Georgia,' Lidiya
Orlova reports that the AMG was created last week, with Sunni Mufti
Dzhamal Bagshadze becoming its leader with the avowed purposes of
`achieving independence from the AMC' and `uniting under its control
the Muslim communities of Georgia'
(religion.ng.ru/events/2011-05-18/3_gruzia.html).
Ali Aliyev, the AMC representative in Georgia, insisted that the
announcement of the new group would have little effect and that in his
words, `the mosques in Georgia will continue their activity and
continue to be subordinate to the AMC.' That is especially true
because there is no legal basis for the new national AMG.
According to Aliyev, `the creators of such a structure must be
representatives of the religion and spiritual persons. [But in this
case] there is not one spiritual person; they are civil people, and
certain [of those involved in fact] work in government structures.'
And he added that in the AMG leadership as of now, `there is not a
single [ethnic] Azerbaijani.'
`At the same time,' Orlova continues, `Aliyev is not inclined to see a
political subtext to the appearance of the new spiritual
administration' because Tbilisi in general and President Saakashvili
in particular `constantly declare their friendship with Azerbaijan and
the Azerbaijani people.'
But if Aliyev does not view this action as political, Araz Alizade,
the vice president of the Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan is
sure that it is. He told Regnum that `behind the creation of the AMG
stands the Georgian government' which is trying in every possible way
`to separate Azerbaijanis living in Georgia from Azerbaijan.'
About the author:
*Paul Goble
Paul Goble is a longtime specialist on ethnic and religious questions
in Eurasia. Most recently, he was director of research and
publications at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. Earlier, he served
as vice dean for the social sciences and humanities at Audentes
University in Tallinn and a senior research associate at the
EuroCollege of the University of Tartu in Estonia. He has served in
various capacities in the U.S. State Department, the Central
Intelligence Agency and the International Broadcasting Bureau as well
as at the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and at
the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Mr. Goble maintains
the Window on Eurasia blog and can be contacted directly at
[email protected] .
Caucasus Muslim Leader Denounces Georgia's Creation Of Independent Muslim Body
Written by: Paul Goble*
May 18, 2011
Allashukyur Pashazade, sheikh ul-Islam and head of the Baku-based
Administration of Muslims of the Caucasus (AMC), has sharply
criticized the creation of an independent Administration of Muslims of
Georgia (AMG), as the latest example of the nationalist course set by
President Mikhail Saakashvili.
The sheikh said that the decision of `official Tbilisi' was
`incorrect,' adding that in his view, `behind the establishment of
this organization stands the idea of `Greater Armenia' and saying that
he deeply regretted that `part of the ethnic Azerbaijani officials' in
Georgia support the new body (www.regnum.ru/news/polit/1405007.html).
However that may be, the efforts of Georgians to have their own Muslim
organization are but the latest example of numerous problems involved
in squaring religious and national borders in the post-Soviet states,
ones that bedevil the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine and Abkhazia
but that is nowhere more complicated than in the south Caucasus.
The AMC was established in Soviet times as one of four Muslims
Spiritual Directorates (MSDs), but unlike the other three, the Baku
institution had a double task. On the one hand, it was responsible for
Shiite communities throughout the USSR. And on the other, it had
administrative responsibility for Muslim parishes in the Caucasus as a
whole.
Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, Pashazade, who
has been in office since 1980, has sought to continue to exercise the
powers involved in each of these responsibilities, although he has
been under pressure to yield on both counts and has in fact given way
to other newer Muslim bodies.
The sheikh ul-Islam has insisted that he, the only Shiite leader of a
supra-national MSD, is still responsible for all Shiite communities
across the former Soviet space, although his position has been
challenged by others, including most recently Ravil Gainutdin, the
head of the Union of Muftis of Russia (SMR).
And while he has de facto yielded to the new MSDs in the post-Soviet
North Caucasus, Pashazade has sought to maintain the powers implied in
the name of the institution he heads, especially with regard to
neighboring Georgia, where the majority of Muslims are ethnic
Azerbaijanis, although many of them are Sunni rather than Shiia.
The Baku sheikh noted on Monday that he has exercised his authority in
Georgia through a special division of the AMC, which was `created in
1996 at the request of [former Georgian] President Shevardnadze' and
which continues to function under the direction of Ali Aliyev, a
citizens of Georgia.
That makes the creation of the Georgian body a particular threat to
his dignity and influence. Details about the AMG are still sketchy,
particularly with regard to how many of the Muslim parishes in
Georgia, ethnic Azerbaijani or otherwise, recognize its authority. But
some details are offered in the just released issue of `NG-Religii.'
In an essay entitled, `The Shiites and Sunnis Divide Georgia,' Lidiya
Orlova reports that the AMG was created last week, with Sunni Mufti
Dzhamal Bagshadze becoming its leader with the avowed purposes of
`achieving independence from the AMC' and `uniting under its control
the Muslim communities of Georgia'
(religion.ng.ru/events/2011-05-18/3_gruzia.html).
Ali Aliyev, the AMC representative in Georgia, insisted that the
announcement of the new group would have little effect and that in his
words, `the mosques in Georgia will continue their activity and
continue to be subordinate to the AMC.' That is especially true
because there is no legal basis for the new national AMG.
According to Aliyev, `the creators of such a structure must be
representatives of the religion and spiritual persons. [But in this
case] there is not one spiritual person; they are civil people, and
certain [of those involved in fact] work in government structures.'
And he added that in the AMG leadership as of now, `there is not a
single [ethnic] Azerbaijani.'
`At the same time,' Orlova continues, `Aliyev is not inclined to see a
political subtext to the appearance of the new spiritual
administration' because Tbilisi in general and President Saakashvili
in particular `constantly declare their friendship with Azerbaijan and
the Azerbaijani people.'
But if Aliyev does not view this action as political, Araz Alizade,
the vice president of the Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan is
sure that it is. He told Regnum that `behind the creation of the AMG
stands the Georgian government' which is trying in every possible way
`to separate Azerbaijanis living in Georgia from Azerbaijan.'
About the author:
*Paul Goble
Paul Goble is a longtime specialist on ethnic and religious questions
in Eurasia. Most recently, he was director of research and
publications at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. Earlier, he served
as vice dean for the social sciences and humanities at Audentes
University in Tallinn and a senior research associate at the
EuroCollege of the University of Tartu in Estonia. He has served in
various capacities in the U.S. State Department, the Central
Intelligence Agency and the International Broadcasting Bureau as well
as at the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and at
the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Mr. Goble maintains
the Window on Eurasia blog and can be contacted directly at
[email protected] .