VZCZCXRO6541
PP RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHKB #1272/01 2960355
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 230355Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAKU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4090
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 2416
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 0711
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 001272 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/CARC AND EUR/PPD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
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 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶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 
----------------------- 
 
¶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 
 
BAKU 00001272  002 OF 002 
 
 
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: 
-------- 
 
¶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