Religion Emerges as an Issue for Some Parliamentary Candidates in Azerbaijan

Religion and the treatment of Azerbaijan's Islamic community are emerging as two controversial issues in Azerbaijan's parliamentary election campaign. Members of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan are criticizing the Central Election Commission for disqualifying them as election candidates after they were improperly classified as "religious figures." Meanwhile, at least on candidate representing the Azadlig opposition bloc says that the charge of religious extremism is being unfairly used for political reasons.

On October 21, the Constitutional Court decided to overturn earlier rulings by the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court and reinstate the candidacy of Hajiaga Nuri, chairman of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan. The Central Election Commission canceled Nuri's registration on September 14. The official reason given was that the Islamic Party has not been registered as a political party since 1995.

But, with just 17 days remaining in the election campaign at the time of the decision, the party leader says that there is no opportunity left for him to get together a campaign.

If he loses the election in Baku's #28 Sabunchu constituency, Nuri says that he plans to sue the Central Election Commission (CEC) in the European Human Rights Court for $1 million as compensation. "It's a substantial loss [of time] for me as a candidate," he said. "The CEC should compensate me if I do not win this election."

Nuri takes particular issue with what he claims are official statements that described him as a "religious figure." According to the Electoral Code, religious leaders are prohibited from running in parliamentary elections. The Constitution also stipulates that religion be kept separate from government and that "religious figures" not be either elected or appointed to governmental positions.

"Being a leader of the Islamic Party does not mean necessarily that I am a religious person and the name of my party does not relate directly to religious activity by the party. We are a political party" Nuri told EurasiaNet.

According to Rafig Aliyev, the chairman of the State Committee on Relations with Religious Organizations, the State Law on Freedom of Religious Faith says that only persons who associate with the Caucasus Muslim Board as a clergy member, and who receive a salary for their work can be classified as "religious figures."

Although media outlets have depicted the party in the past as espousing fundamentalist Islamic beliefs, Nuri maintains that the Islamic Party supports democratic values and the promotion of civil society in Azerbaijan. The party's "Islamic" title, he says, has nothing to do with religion. "We encourage people to be brothers to each other, to respect each other, as Islam requires. We call the party