Islam, State, and Society in Independent Azerbaijan: Between Historical Legacy and Post-Soviet Reality - with special reference to Baku and its environs

The dissolution of the Soviet Union and the appearance of new independent states in its place resulted in dramatic changes in geopolitics. Azerbaijan emerged as one of the new spheres of interest in the world community. Its historical legacy as well as being a meeting point of western and eastern cultures makes it worthwhile for research. Its moderate Islamic framework and its unique character as the only country throughout the post-Soviet space in which a major part of the population belong to Shia Islam distinguish it from other Muslim republics. The main focus of this investigation lies on the interaction between Islam, state and society that took place in Azerbaijan within the unique historical-cultural and socio-political contexts. Rufat Sattarov shows the role Islam played historically in Azerbaijan conditioned specific features of the so-called Islamic revival in the country in the post-Soviet period.