AZERBAIJAN: CHAIRMAN OF STATE RELIGIOUS COMMITTEE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 000953 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM AJ SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: CHAIRMAN OF STATE RELIGIOUS COMMITTEE DISMISSED REF: BAKU 339 Classified By: Acting DCM Joan Polaschik for Reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (C) In a June 27 announcement, President Aliyev dismissed Rafiq Aliyev, the Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Religious Associations (SCWRA). No reason was given publicly for Aliyev's dismissal. Aliyev (no relation to the president) was originally appointed in 2001 by Heydar Aliyev after the GOAJ established the SCWRA. For the past several months, Aliyev has been embroiled in a public dispute with Sheikh Pashazade, the leading Muslim cleric in Azerbaijan and Chairman of the Caucasus Muslim Board (reftel). Most political commentators believe Aliyev's dismissal represents the CMB's victory in retaining control over the administration and management of the Muslim community in Azerbaijan. Aliyev's State Committee had sought to wrest control from the Sheikh, suggesting in comments to the press, that the Sheikh was beholden to outside influences that compromised his leadership of the CMB. Aliyev has also recently pointed fingers at several GOAJ officials accusing them of complicity with radical religious groups and of undermining state security. ¶2. (C) Since January 2006 Aliyev has also been publicly advocating legislative amendments to the religious freedom law that would tighten restrictions on the political activities of religious leaders. Affirming the conventional wisdom among minority religious groups, the head of the Baptist community Ilya Zenchenko told Poloff that the impact of Aliyev's removal depended largely on the actions of his successor, who has not yet been appointed. (We do not believe Aliyev's dismissal is connected to the proposed changes to the law and expect the GOAJ to go forward with legislative amendments when parliament reconvenes in the fall, regardless of who replaces him at the SCWRA.) HYLAND