Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 1
Trend:
In the age of terror there are Muslim countries that can be helpful and Azerbaijan is one of such countries, said an article published by The American Spectator.
According to the article, instead of focusing on enemies, the US should emphasize true Muslim allies — those who have shown effort to truly integrate Western values into the fabric of daily life.
“To do so, perhaps we should shift our focus away from the Middle East and toward Eurasia,” the article said. “In this region, there are numerous Muslim-majority nations, many of which are emerging democracies, secular, modern and, pointedly, willing to help.”
“There are Muslim-majority nations who consider women’s rights as essential to the balance of their country,” the article said. “The West should promote and support such countries. Azerbaijan, which is the Muslim ally of the US, Albania and Kazakhstan can be cited as examples.”
According to the article, the Azerbaijani constitution clearly defines the country as a “democratic, legal, secular and unitary republic.”
“Although Azerbaijan has been criticized, it has far surpassed most other ex-Soviet republics on human rights,” the article said. “Azerbaijan provides people of all faiths the choice to practice their religion without restriction. Jews, Muslims and Christians live together absent the strife of the Middle East and other regions of the world.”
According to the article, unlike in the majority of Muslim-majority countries, barely any Muslims in Azerbaijan say Sunni-Shia tensions are a pressing issue in their country, according to a 2013 Pew Research survey.
“In addition, Azerbaijan has a zero-tolerance for religious extremists,” the article said. “The government has established the Caucasus Muslim Board (CMB) which is closely involved in the monitoring of potential “Islamic State” (IS, ISIL, ISIS or Daesh) recruits, facilitating early detection of radicalization.”
“The State Committee registers all religious organizations and has worked to eliminate judicial loopholes to finance terrorism, such as money laundering and illicit donations,” the article said. “It also monitors religious literature, which has been found to be one of the main sources of radicalization.”
According to the article, Azerbaijani-Iranian relations could boost regional trade and economic development, reducing the prospects for ethnic, religious or even regional conflicts and becoming a powerful tool for improved EU-Iranian and U.S.-Iranian ties.