Azerbaijan has a long history of conflict and that has not changed to the present day. Currently, the country is at odds with itself geographically and ethnically over the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the Azerbaijani and Armenian dispute to the territory. The country's citizens are at conflict with the ruling family over freedom of speech, democracy, and where all the nation's wealth is going. Add to all this the fact that most of the Christian population is non-Azerbaijani and it would seem that the greatest hindrance to the Gospel is the struggle between these two groups. While the bad history between Armenians and Azerbaijanis can not be overlooked, let's not forget to pray for the struggle of the individual. When presented with Christ we have two choices, to reject Him or to deny ourselves and follow Him. That process of daily denying ourselves and our wants and desires to follow Christ's will is one of the greatest struggles we will ever have to face. We are called to walk a narrow road and too often we feel that we are walking that path alone. The church in Azerbaijan may be small, but they are not forgotten. As we lift Azerbaijan up in prayer this month, lets remember to pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen the church so that when they are faced with hard choices they will be strong enough to stand firm in their faith, and after they have done everything, they stand.
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Azerbaijan
Basic Info: Azerbaijan is a country slightly smaller than Maine and it is in Southwestern Asia. It borders the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range. Local scientists consider the Apsheron Peninsula and the Caspian Sea to be the most ecologically devastated area in the world because of severe air, soil, and water pollution. Soil pollution is from oil spills, from the use of DDT pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton. Of the 8,372,373 (July 2011 est.) population, 52% is urban. Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.9% (almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region). Azerbaijani (Azeri) is the official language and it is spoken by 90.3%, but Lezgi is 2.2%, Russian is 1.8%, Armenian is 1.5%, and some others are 3.3%. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia have ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, but Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the lake. Bilateral talks are also continuing with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian. Most instability in the region however is due to the dispute over the break-away Nagorno-Karabakh region and the Armenian military occupation of surrounding lands. There are 580,000-690,000 internally displaced persons in Azerbaijan because of the conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. Residents have evacuated the former Soviet-era small ethnic enclaves in Armenia and Azerbaijan. Local border forces struggle to control the illegal transit of goods and people across the Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian borders. Azerbaijan is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor, and women and children subjected to sex trafficking. Women and some children from Azerbaijan are trafficked to Turkey, the UAE, Russia, and Iran for the purpose of sexual exploitation, while men and boys are trafficked to Russia and Moldova for the purpose of forced labor. Azerbaijan serves as a transit country for victims from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan trafficked to Turkey and the UAE for sexual exploitation. Azerbaijan is also a destination country for men from Turkey and Afghanistan, and Chinese men and women for forced labor. Azerbaijan is on the Tier 2 Watch List for not fully complying with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and the government has not made sufficient progress in investigating, prosecuting, or convicting labor trafficking offenses or in identifying victims of forced labor (2011).
Government: Azerbaijan has a long history of suppression at the hands of Arabs, Mongols, Persians, Turks and Russians. It was briefly independent from 1918 to 1920, and it regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The first decade was plagued by internal coups and war with Armenia. Nearly 1 million Azerbaijanis were displaced by this conflict. Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region that Moscow recognized as part of Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s after Armenia and Azerbaijan disputed the status of the territory. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988, and that struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, ethnic Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also seven surrounding provinces in the territory of Azerbaijan. Corruption in the country is ubiquitous, and the government, which eliminated presidential term limits in a 2009 referendum, has been accused of authoritarianism, but it is technically a republic. The president, re-elected in what some call a “shady election” (several political parties boycotted the election due to unfair conditions and OSCE observers concluded that the election did not meet international standards), is the son of the previous president. They have overseen a political shift away from Russia toward Turkey and the West.
Economy: Azerbaijan's high economic growth during 2006-08 was attributable to large and growing oil exports, but some non-export sectors also featured double-digit growth, spurred by growth in the construction, banking, and real estate sectors. In 2009, economic growth remained above 9% even as oil prices moderated and growth in the construction sector slowed. The current global economic slowdown presents some challenges for the Azerbaijani economy as oil prices remain below their mid-2008 highs, highlighting Azerbaijan's reliance on energy exports and unenthusiastic attempts to diversify its economy. Azerbaijan's oil production increased dramatically in 1997, when Azerbaijan signed the first production-sharing arrangement (PSA) with the Azerbaijan International Operating Company. Oil exports through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline remain the main economic driver while efforts to boost Azerbaijan's gas production are underway. However, Azerbaijan has made only limited progress on instituting market-based economic reforms. Pervasive public and private sector corruption and structural economic inefficiencies remain a drag on long-term growth, particularly in non-energy sectors. Several other obstacles impede Azerbaijan's economic progress: the need for stepped up foreign investment in the non-energy sector and the continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Trade with Russia and the other former Soviet republics is declining in importance, while trade is building with Turkey and the nations of Europe. Long-term prospects will depend on world oil prices, the location of new oil and gas pipelines in the region, and Azerbaijan's ability to manage its energy wealth to promote sustainable growth in non-energy sectors of the economy and spur employment. Although the poverty rate has been reduced in recent years due to revenue from oil production, the promise of widespread wealth resulting from the continued development of Azerbaijan's energy sector remains largely unfulfilled.
Religion: Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.) note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower
Official religious freedom is tempered by reactions against “foreign” religions and fears of Islamist extremism. Christian work is increasingly opposed, especially through obstruction and intimidation, if not outright persecution. Most Azerbaijani Muslims are Shi’a, a trait shared with neighboring Iran. Racial discrimination also affects religious freedom because the Christian population is almost entirely ethnic Armenian and Russian while the Muslim population is largely ethnic Azeri. A 1992 religious law that initially granted more freedoms has been amended several times with restrictions. The State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations was formed in 2001. It demands the registration of religious communities and censors religious literature. Christian groups that do not register are considered illegal and often face discrimination. In December 2007, five church members and three visitors were imprisoned and fined for “meeting without state registration” following a police raid. Police officers also confiscated their books and other religious materials. In June 2008, police arrested Pastor Hamid Shabanov on allegations of possessing an illegal weapon, despite the insistence of his family and congregation that authorities planted the gun they claimed to find while searching his home in Aliabad. The arrest was viewed by local believers as a direct attack on the pastor's Baptist church and an attempt to halt Christian activity in the area.
Info compiled from CIAWorldFactBook “Azerbaijan” and VOMC “Azerbaijan” www.persecution.net
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CNBC Video. Aliyev Family of Azerbaijan (Ruling Family) (Feb 23, 2012)
Azerbaijan Human Rights and Freedoms
Human Rights in Azerbaijan 2011 (Jan 28, 2012)
CNN Azerbaijan economy (Mar 21, 2011)
CNBC Video. Aliyev Family of Azerbaijan (Ruling Family) (Feb 23, 2012)
Azerbaijan Human Rights and Freedoms
Human Rights in Azerbaijan 2011 (Jan 28, 2012)
CNN Azerbaijan economy (Mar 21, 2011)
