EMBASSY BAKU EXPANDS MUSLIM OUTREACH THROUGH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 001272

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TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KISL KPAO SCUL AJ
SUBJECT: EMBASSY BAKU EXPANDS MUSLIM OUTREACH THROUGH
RAMAZAN PROGRAMMING


SENSITIVE, BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY.


1. (SBU) Summary: The Embassy this year made a concerted effort to
expand our outreach to Azerbaijani Muslims during Ramazan, as part
of our broader, long-term effort to engage with local believers.
Azerbaijan - a non-Arab, majority Muslim country with a strong
secular tradition, a tradition of religious tolerance and a
pro-western orientation, is a country in which the USG should
generally focus enhanced outreach efforts. We hosted three iftars
targeting three audiences - ranging from the official religious
establishment to religiously observant youth -- each of which
represent an important Islamic dynamic in Azerbaijan. The
Ambassador also attended iftars hosted by the Head of the Caucasus
Muslim Board, as well as the Saudi and Egyptian Ambassadors, and a
first-ever iftar hosted by the Jewish community of Azerbaijan.
Common themes binding the three iftars were paying respect to Islam,
and sharing common values of peace and tolerance; the participants
exhibited an overwhelmingly positive response. The Ambassador
participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction
of an historic mosque in Gala village, which is being funded through
the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation Cooperation. The
Ambassador also highlighted the importance of U.S. religious
tolerance at the presentation of the Department's booklet "Muslim
Life in America," which was translated into Azerbaijani, and visited
Azerbaijan's Institute of Oriental Studies to learn more about
Azerbaijan's role in Islamic history and research and view the
Institute's collection. Visiting U.S. Muslim scholar Dr. Liyakat
Takim also spoke to a variety of audience on how Muslims live and
worship in America. End Summary.

Iftars Reinforce Respect for Islam
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2. (SBU) The Ambassador hosted two iftars, which included a variety
of Islamic officials, Ambassadors, and ordinary believers. The
first iftar was for GOAJ religious officials and Ambassadors from
Muslim countries. Representatives from Azerbaijan's Orthodox,
Catholic, and Jewish confessions attended, underscoring the GOAJ's
positive track record of cooperation and tolerance among
officially-sanctioned religious communities. The goal of this iftar
was to deepen our rapport with government-linked religious
interlocutors. Caucasus Muslim Board (CMB) spokesperson Haji Akif
told us during the iftar that no other western embassy hosted an
iftar, and the event was a strong statement of U.S. support for
Islam. (The CMB chair publicly echoed his aide's positive comments
about U.S. respect for Islam during his speeches at iftars hosted by
the Jewish community and the Egyptian Ambassador, at which the US
was the only western country represented. The Ambassador also
attended the Saudi Ambassador's iftar.) The second iftar included
Islamic believers, commentators, and a handful of devout alumni of
U.S. International Visitor Programs (IVP). Without exception, those
we had visited the U.S. on IV Programs strongly praised U.S.
religious tolerance and respect for Islam in the U.S. to their
fellow guests. They noted that attitudes towards Islam in the uS, in
their experience, was very positive is very little known in
Azerbaijan or elsewhere in the Muslim world. This second iftar
sought to deepen our rapport with believers outside of the official
religious structure. A range of participants expressed their
gratitude for the event throughout the evening.


3. (SBU) Pol/Econ Chief hosted an additional iftar for young, devout
Muslims. A variety of Sunni and Shia believers -- both male and
female -- attended this iftar. Local believers shared their
thoughts on the significance of Ramazan, along with their
perspectives on Islamic trends among Azerbaijani youth.
Participants reiterated the often-heard theme of the CMB's declining
legitimacy. In response to our question about the percentage of
Azerbaijani youth interested in Islam, two attendees estimated 50
percent -- a figure that most participants appeared to agree with,
although there was no definition of what constitutes "interest" in
Islam. The young women present at the iftar complained that
religiously observant, veiled women are unable to obtain jobs in
Azerbaijani government agencies, and also noted that very few human
rights activists are willing to embrace this cause.

Public Outreach Efforts
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4. (SBU) The PD section organized a variety of public activities to
highlight U.S. respect for Islam and Muslim life in the United
States. The Ambassador on October 10 participated in the
groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction and refurbishment of
an historic mosque in Gala village, which is funded through the
Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation and carried out by the
Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan. The Ambassador also visited the

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Institute of Oriental Studies and its manuscript collection to reach
out to the scholarly community. To address one of the main themes
of Ramazan of reaching out to the less fortunate, the Embassy held a
charity drive. The clothing, toys and other goods were donated to a
refugee camp and orphanages during concerts by entertainer and
musician Rennie Kaufmann, who was visiting Azerbaijan on a separate
PD-sponsored program. The PD section also organized a series of
presentations at local universities on Muslims in America and other
topics conducted by the Embassy's staff.


5. (SBU) Two other outreach events spread information about the
role of Muslims in America. PD translated a copy of the
Department's booklet, "Muslim Life in America," into Azerbaijani and
distributed copies at several events. The Ambassador presented this
booklet at the local American-educated alumni center, and her
comments on religious freedom in America, delivered in Azerbaijani,
were carried by local television stations. Second, University of
Denver religious studies professor Dr. Liyakat Takim spent several
days in Baku speaking at a variety of forums on Muslim life in
America.

Comment:
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6. (SBU) The Embassy this year made a concerted effort to expand
our outreach to Azerbaijani Muslims during Ramazan, as part of our
broader, long-term effort to engage with local believers.
Azerbaijan - a non-Arab, majority Muslim country with a strong
secular tradition, a tradition of religious tolerance and a
pro-western orientation, is a country in which the U.S. should focus
enhanced outreach efforts. We believe increased outreach will pay
positive dividends, and must be an integral part of our efforts to
better understand growing religiosity in this strategically
important country. We continue to welcome initiatives and visitors
from Washington and ask that the Department increasingly include
Azerbaijan as an integral part of its Muslim outreach programs.


DERSE