CRITICISM OF CAUCASUS MUSLIM BOARD'S HANDLING OF

UNCLAS BAKU 000748

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KISL KCOR AJ
SUBJECT: CRITICISM OF CAUCASUS MUSLIM BOARD'S HANDLING OF
THE HAJJ


Sensitive but unclassified -- not for internet distribution
-- please handle accordingly.


1. (SBU) Prominent human rights activist Elchin Behbutov and
two of his friends -- Bayram Sadikov, Hafiz Osman -- recently
shared with us their views on the Hajj. The three had
traveled together to Mecca, Saudi Arabia between December 21,
2006 and January 18, 2007 in order to participate in the most
sacred Muslim pilgrimage. Anecdotal evidence indicates that
Azerbaijanis are increasingly interested in the Hajj.


2. (SBU) Hafiz, a self-described moderate Muslim, said he had
long been an advocate of religious tolerance and interfaith
harmony and noted that he had participated in the State
Religious Committee,s November 2006 Conference on Interfaith
Harmony at which the Ambassador spoke. (He applauded the
Ambassador,s remarks.) Hafiz told us he was privileged to
have the opportunity to make the pilgrimage at least once in
his life as it is the duty of Muslim men to do so. Hafiz
recounted in detail his excitement and awe at being able to
walk in the Prophet's footsteps and read aloud the Koran
surrounded by millions of fellow believers. It was, he said,
a moving experience. Behbutov showed us photographs from the
travel.


3. (SBU) Turning to the logistics of his participation,
Sadikov, however, echoed the sentiment expressed by Hafiz and
Behubotv that the Sheikh Pashazade,s Caucasus Muslim Board,
which manages Azerbaijani participation in the Haj, was very
poor. Sadikov explained that the Board has always arranged
the Hajj through subcontracts with several travel agencies.
The Board charges Azerbaijani pilgrims USD 2200, an
extraordinary sum of money in Azerbaijan that would
significantly limit the public's ability to participate in
the Hajj. This amount covered transportation by charter
airplane, meals, and accommodations in Saudi Arabia. When we
asked these gentlemen how they could afford such an amount
since they described themselves as "ordinary" citizens, Hafiz
explained that he had a wealthy patron who financed the trip.
(We previously heard that some affluent Azerbaijanis
annually sponsor others citizen's participation in the Hajj.)
Behbutov estimated there were 5,000 Azerbaijani citizens who
participated in the Hajj in addition to several GOAJ security
service minders who tagged along with the group.


4. (SBU) Azerbaijani pilgrims who could not afford the hefty
fee could travel for USD 1600 via a Board-organized bus from
the southern Azerbaijani city of Astara through Tehran,
although this mode of travel took several days and was,
according to Sadikov, extremely unpleasant. Hafiz and
Behutov said that the Board,s arrangements in Mecca for
Azerbaijani pilgrims were appalling. Behutov commented that
while the Board-arranged accommodations were atrocious,
Sheikh Pashazade himself stayed in a five-star hotel while on
the Hajj. Hafiz opined that Muslim Board Chairman Sheikh
Pashazade was responsible for the corrupt manner in which the
pilgrimage was organized for Azerbaijani citizens. (In early
April, the Muslim Board publicly dismissed several officials
responsible for organizing Azerbaijani participation in the
Hajj.)


5. (SBU) Hafiz added with an air of regret that the Hajj was
obviously also being used as a business opportunity and that
commerce and trade were part and parcel of the experience for
many pilgrims. Behbutov commented that citizens from almost
every other Muslim country were taken better care of by their
respective governments than Azerbaijanis and that this was an
embarrassment. Sadikov commented that Turkish and Iranian
pilgrims paid between USD 1300 and 1600 to participate in the
Hajj, considerably less than Azerbaijanis were charged by the
Muslim Board. Sadikov explained that some Azerbaijanis chose
to circumvent the Board and participate in the Hajj through
Turkish organizations by flying via Istanbul on Turkish
charter flights; at least, Sadikov noted, this ensured that
they were well taken care of because Turkey did a good job of
taking care of its Hajj pilgrims at a lower cost.
DERSE