Secular Azerbaijan: Religious Freedom And Progressive Values

Azerbaijan is a secular state, with its constitution disestablishing religious life from the secular. Despite this, the predominant religion in Azerbaijan is Shia Islam, with 55-65% of Muslims in the country adhering to this sect. However, the country's secularism is evidenced by the fact that very few people admit to attending religious services, and only 2% of the population attends religious services every day. The country also has a long history of religious beliefs, with Zoroastrianism being considered a state religion of the Persian Empire when Azerbaijan was part of it. Today, Azerbaijan is a multinational country with many ethnic groups and religious confessions co-existing. The government actively reinforces the country's secular orientation, with strict controls on what religious reading materials can be sold in shops and mandatory religious education in schools being taught from modern and secular points of view.

Azerbaijan's constitution states that it is a secular state

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a secular state. Its constitution, which was adopted on 12 November 1995 by popular referendum, states that the country is a secular, democratic, and unitary state, with equality for all citizens before the law.

Article 48 of the constitution ensures freedom of religion. The constitution also states that religion acts separately from the government, and that each religion is equal before the law. The constitution further declares the secular character of the state educational system.

While the vast majority of the country's population (97%) is nominally Muslim, the constitution does not declare an official religion, and all major political forces in the country are secular.

The role of Islam in politics and everyday life in Azerbaijan remains relatively small. While the majority of the population still identifies with Islam, the importance of religion in everyday life remains low. According to a 2013 Gallup Poll, Azerbaijan is one of the most secular countries in the Muslim world, with about 53% of respondents indicating the importance of religion in their life as little or none.

The Azerbaijani government maintains a secular position and has intensified its control over religious life through restrictive practices, suppressing and even criminalising Muslim religious practices in public spaces. The government has also introduced mandatory religious education in school and university curriculums, to be taught from modern and secular points of view.

The country has a history of atheism and religious suppression

Azerbaijan has a complex history of atheism and religious suppression, which has shaped the country's contemporary secular identity. While the country is predominantly Shia Islamic, religious affiliation is largely nominal, with a significant disconnect between cultural identification and religious practice.

During its time as part of the USSR, Azerbaijan experienced a period of enforced atheism, which left an enduring mark on the country's religious landscape. The Soviet authorities destroyed mosques, resulting in only 33 functioning mosques by 1933, and established the Museum of the History of Atheism in 1967 (later renamed the State Museum of the History of Religion after the collapse of the USSR). This era of religious suppression forced the Azerbaijani population to conceal their religious beliefs and practices, a period of "prudent concealment of faith" permitted by the Quran.

The legacy of Soviet atheism, coupled with the more recent autocratic policies of the ruling elite, has contributed to a general atmosphere of religious suppression in Azerbaijan. The ruling elite leverages the threat of Islamic extremism to justify their increasingly harsh regulations and autocratic policies. This shift in religious policy has resulted in stringent repression, with legislative changes enacted without public consultation, contributing to a pervasive censorship regime. Prohibitions on public prayer outside mosques, the closure of places of worship, and the imprisonment of religious individuals, particularly Shia activists, have disproportionately impacted religious communities.

Despite the country's secular nature, it is challenging to quantify the number of atheists or agnostics in Azerbaijan. While some sources estimate that around 3% of the population is atheist, others suggest that a more significant proportion, possibly around 50%, could be defined as agnostic. Many Azerbaijanis consider themselves Muslim, but religion plays a minimal role in their daily lives. This cultural and religious disconnect is reflected in the low attendance at religious services and the discrepancy between those who identify as religious and those who actively practice.

Azerbaijan's government is intensely secular

The secular nature of the government is reflected in the country's society and culture. For example, in the capital city of Baku, the public expression of Islam is rare. Most women do not wear headscarves, and the sale and consumption of alcohol are common. While there has been a rise in the number of people who consider religion important, very few attend religious services.

The Azerbaijani government actively works to reinforce the country's secular orientation. Religion is not taught in public schools, and mosques must register with the government. The government has also implemented strict controls on religious reading materials, with only state-approved texts permitted.

The government's secular stance is also evident in its efforts to counter religious activism and suppress public displays of religious practices, particularly those associated with neighbouring Iran. The government has amended laws on religious freedom, imposing strict requirements and bureaucratic procedures on religious groups, and restricting religious symbols, slogans, and ceremonies to within places of worship.

The Azerbaijani government's secularism is rooted in the country's history. After gaining independence from the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan became a secular state, separating religion from the state. The influence of the Soviet era, during which atheism was promoted and religious practices were restricted, has also contributed to the secular nature of the country and its government.

The country's religious education is taught from secular points of view

Azerbaijan is considered the most secular country in the Muslim world. While the population is predominantly Muslim, the importance of religion in everyday life remains low. The Azerbaijani government maintains a secular position and the country's constitution declares Azerbaijan a secular state.

The aim of the course is to promote the state's secular policy of multiculturalism without privileging Islam politically while countering radical and fundamentalist movements. However, the announcement was met with skepticism, with many parents considering it a form of religious propaganda.

The Azerbaijani constitution guarantees the right to education for all citizens, and education is compulsory for children between the ages of six and fifteen. The main language of education is Azerbaijani, but there are also many schools that offer all nine years of general education, as well as higher education, in Russian. Additionally, there are branches of well-known international schools that offer English-language-based education.

The country's educational system is regulated by the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan, and it has a democratic and secular character. While religious education was banned during the Soviet period, it was reintroduced after independence, along with curriculum changes that emphasized the use of the Azerbaijani language and eliminated ideological content.

The concept of religious education in Azerbaijan is broad and includes the teaching of religious knowledge in any form and environment. Religious educational institutions must be established by a religious center in coordination with a designated body or institution, and they require a special permit or license to operate. The content of religious education courses is monitored by the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations (SCWRA), and only holy books such as the Quran, Bible, and Torah are studied. The courses are taught by citizens of Azerbaijan with higher or secondary religious education, and foreigners and stateless persons are not allowed to teach.

While religious education in Azerbaijan is primarily divided into religious-religious and non-confessional forms, the non-confessional form is currently found only in the subjects of "Knowledge of Life" in secondary schools and "Multiculturalism" in higher education. These subjects provide general and informative content about different religions.

Confessional religious education, on the other hand, includes courses on studying holy books and is offered by Islamic colleges operating under the Caucasus Muslims Office (CMO). These colleges provide religious education to train personnel for the clergy, with a focus on teaching the Quran, the basics of Islam, and the Arabic language. Additionally, there is a girls' Islamic college in Baku that offers a two-year program, including secular and religious education, as well as courses on housekeeping and handicraft skills.

The duration of religious education courses is typically one year, with daily training not exceeding two hours, and they are designed to not interfere with the secular education of the learners.

Azerbaijan's society is sceptical of religious activism

Azerbaijan is considered to be the most secular country in the Muslim world. While the majority of the population is Muslim, religious affiliation is largely nominal, and the importance of religion in everyday life remains low. This is partly due to the legacy of Soviet rule, during which atheism was an important part of the state ideology and religious expression was suppressed. As a result, religion in Azerbaijan is often more of a cultural and ethnic identity than a deeply held belief system.

The Azerbaijani government maintains a secular position and actively works to counter religious activism. The government heavily controls religious life and suppresses Muslim religious practices in public spaces, particularly those associated with neighbouring Iran. The government has banned the wearing of the hijab in public institutions and schools, prohibited traditional Islamic mourning rituals, and restricted the importation and distribution of religious literature. These actions are part of the government's efforts to create a new secular Islam that does not privilege Islam politically while countering radical and fundamentalist movements.

The government's attempts to control religious practice are met with scepticism by some segments of Azerbaijani society. The introduction of mandatory religious education in schools and universities has been controversial, with many parents considering it a form of religious propaganda. Additionally, the government's restrictive policies on religious expression have led to accusations of human rights abuses and physical abuse of religious activists.

Despite the government's efforts, religious lifestyles in urban areas, such as Baku, are becoming more visible. The presence of perfume and cosmetic boutiques, halal restaurants, hijab fashion, and agencies offering pilgrimage tours to Iran and Saudi Arabia indicate a growing interest in religious expression among some Azerbaijanis. However, these trends are often viewed with suspicion by the government, which may perceive them as a non-traditional, foreign influence.

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