ACTIVATION OF THE ISLAMIC FACTOR IN THE NORTH OF AZERBAIJAN
Araqs Pashayan
"Noravank" Foundation
20 November 2008
According to quite contradicting information spread by Azerbaijani
mass media in November 10 and the days to follow in the North of
Azerbaijan, Dagestan bordering Kusary and Ghubai districts1, were held
military operations between armed forces and a Salafi (or Wahhabi)
religious-political military grouping called "Forest brothers."
The information was refuted on November 11 by the press service of
the Azerbaijani Ministry of Home Affairs which grounded the move of
internal troops with military training exercises2. On November 10
the Azerbaijani APA agency already knew that since November the 9th
the Azerbaijani internal troops were moving to mountainous and forest
areas of Kusary and Ghubai districts in search of ammunition3.
Although the Defense Ministry has refuted the information, the
Azerbaijani sources have affirmed it. Basing on the information at
hand, one may state as a fact that the assaults managed to resist
the Azerbaijani internal troops for a few days.
Reference: "Forest brothers" grouping is of North-Caucasus origin
includes Chechens, Arabic Afghans, Dagestanis and Azerbaijanis. It
mainly works in the northern areas of Dagestan as well as in the
south of Azerbaijan.
The grouping members are connected with the Chechen war and Dagestani
mojaheds. Most of them were fig hting under the command of the Wahhabi
field commander Rabani Khalilov4. The later one, who was famous as the
emir5 of the resisting forces of Dagestani front, was fighting against
the Russian troops in Dagestan since 1999 under the command of Khatabi.
"Forest brothers" consists of Jamaans – small groupings each of which
has its leader (or emir). A grouping is a fighting military structure,
which has adopted the conception of military jihad. Its ideology is
based on the idea of founding a Shariat state6.
The tactics and methodology of "Forest brothers" have been formed on
Chechen and Dagestani Wahhabism, which in its turn, bears the influence
of Afghani Jihad movement and Mojahids. That institute (which was
founded by the American and Saudi special services during the Afghan
war) later on was manifested during the wars in Nagorno-Karabakh,
Chechnya and Bosnia. The activity of "Forest brother" is also connected
with the Lezgi "Sadval" organization.
"Forest brothers" has also been engaged in spreading radical religious
literature from Arabic countries. Still in 2005 in a number of
forests bordering Azerbaijani Khachmazi and Kusary districts were
found armament and provisions buried in the ground. It was than that
information was spread that the armament and provisions found belonged
to "Forest brothers."
It is noteworthy that the structure members were often able to get
into Azerbaijan without and obstructions and carry out different
operations. The grouping was headed by "Dagestan’s emir" Ilghar
Mollachiev (nickname – Abdulmajid) from Zagatala of Azerbaijani origin
and considering himself to be the leader of Dagestan’s Wahhabists
and his relative Samir Mehtiev (nickname – Suleyman).
In 2007 the Azerbaijani authorities arrested 17 activists of "Forest
brothers" in Sumgait, who were leaded by Naif Abdul Kerim Al-Badavin
of Arabic origin (nickname – Abu Jafar).
On July 19, 2008 Ilghar Mollachiev and Samir Mehtiev were in Baku
and Sumgait. They were planning to found "Sumgait jamaan" (which
was to get armament as a result of pillages in Baku and carry out
military operations). It was also to be found "Ghuba-Kusar Jamaan,"
which would create military fulcra and arsenals in the northern
mountainous areas7. They have also provided substantial assistance
to separate local Azerbaijanis.
On September 29, 2008 the Azerbaijani police and the Special Forces’
detachment "Shahin" of internal troops carried out military operations
against the armed "brothers" who were hiding in the vicinity of Hezre
village located in Kusary district and who managed to withdraw. As
a result, an Azerbaijani soldier was killed.
In September 2008 the Azerbaijani authorities officially announced
that the terrorist act carr ied out in the Baku located Sunni Abu
Bakr Mosque on August 17 was organized by "Forest brothers," namely –
a group headed by Ilghar Mollachiev8. The announcement was followed
by the arrest of more than two dozens "brothers." On September 7
special sub-units of internal troops managed to kill Mollachiev9.
At present the objective of military operations carried out by
"brothers" in Azerbaijan is more probably destabilization of the
country’s internal political situation. Speculation of the Wahhabi
factor in internal political processes of Azerbaijan may interest
such regional geopolitical players as Russia and the US.
Observation: The press has given clear information that the authorities
of Baku have transferred heavy armored technique to the field of
military operations. It is not excluded that the resisting fighters
were few, who, however, more probably wanted to resist the Azerbaijani
troops manifesting a military action, as it was hardly possible for
the members of the grouping to have any serious political objectives.
It is not excluded that "Forest brothers" as well as Dagestani Wahhabi
Jamaans are sponsored by Saudi Arabia which is considered to be the
main country supporting and financing Wahhabizm in the South Caucasus.
Wahhabizm just like the Salafi movement was founded in the 18th
century and historically had a decisive role in formation of the Saudi
state. In the second half of 1960s and in the beginning of 1970s the
Saudi political role increased in international relations. Thanks
to its great oil deposits the kingdom appeared in the field of the
US vital interests and political partnership. It was considered to
be an important foothold in struggle with the Soviet Union. Saudi
Arabia began exporting Wahhabizm, which recharged the Islamic radical
religious-political movements aiming at keeping the conception of
military jihad viable. According to the American researchers within
fifteen years Saudi Arabia spent more money on Wahhabi propaganda
than the USSR – on propagating Communism10.
Since 1990s the Saudi foundations (especially international
organization of Islamic assistance, Al-Harameyn, Ibrahim ben Ibrahim)
and Islamic missioners have also been operating in Russia and the
South Caucasia. The Wahhabi factor has played an important role
in Chechen wars and in anti-Russian Dagestani religious-political
military movements.
As a matter of fact activation of the Vahavi factor may be considered
be an attempt to destabilize the region and weaken Russia’s quite
strong position there, which is the objective of the West.
Some people may also come to the conclusion that the event in the
north of Azerbaijan were perhaps the initiative of Russia which
wanted to make Azerbaijan vulnerable by having control over the
energy resources of the region. The fact that Vahabi fighters were
able to penetrate into Russia has come to prove that on the one hand
that reality was maybe pretended not to be noticed by boarder-guards
and special services, on the other – it shouldn’t be excluded that
Russia in its turn has a problem of controlling first of all the
activity of Wahhabi groupings in Dagestan, than Russian-Azerbaijani
frontier, in spite of the fact that in 1996 an agreement in the
form of corresponding document was reached with Azerbaijan on mutual
fortification of the border. At the same time the fact that during
the last years it is only one of the cases connected with "Forest
brothers" has come to prove that the problem is becoming an element
of security agenda relating to Azerbaijan, and it is not excluded
that new developments are to unfold in the near future.
195 % of population in Kusary region is Lezgi, in Ghubay – 16%.
2See
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4Ghaba ni Khalilov of Dagestani origin has organized many terrorist
acts in his mother land, and in 2007 was killed by Dagestani special
sub-units.
5See the details in
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6See
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7See the details in
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10See in details A.Pashayan, On some manifestations of Wahhabi
propaganda, Near and Middle East countries and nations, issue 23,
p. 290-303O~I
–Boundary_(ID_sc8iwAWKC+t1TxyuZuuIew) —
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
