Azerbaijan: Terror attack on Baku mosque stirs anxiety

Shahin Abbasov: 8/28/08

The mid-August bombing of a Baku mosque is heightening an already anxious mood in Azerbaijan. Reflecting the government's alarm over the terrorist incident, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is personally leading the ongoing investigation. Some opposition politicians have openly wondered whether Russia is trying to stir instability in Azerbaijan in order to extend the Kremlin's influence in the Caucasus.

The August 17 attack at the Abu-Bekr mosque left two dead and 19 wounded, including the mosque's imam, Gamet Suleimanov. About 200 people were on the mosque premises for evening prayers when an assailant tossed at least one grenade through a window and fled the scene. The attack came 10 days after the start of Russia's incursion into neighboring Georgia, a conflict sparked by the Georgian attempt to bring the separatist region of South Ossetia back under Tbilisi's control. The Georgian-Russian conflict has disrupted the westward flow of Azerbaijani oil and gas, unsettling officials in Baku, and prompting questions about the Kremlin's energy intentions in the Caspian Basin.

A second explosion August 22 at a small power sub-station in Baku's Khatai District frayed nerves further. The blast left two workers dead and three injured. Investigators are probing a connection between the mosque attack and the power station explosion. Authorities have proclaimed both incidents to be terrorist acts.

The Abu-Bekr mosque is one of the most highly attended places of worship in Azerbaijan, drawing up to 8,000 believers for Friday prayers. It is known for attracting conservative Muslims, and has in the past drawn scrutiny from Ministry of National Security officials for suspected ties to radicals. Suleimanov, the imam, adamantly denies any connection to radical Islam.

Suleimanov spent two days in a Baku hospital recovering from his wounds. In an August 25 interview with EurasiaNet, he said he could think of no reason why someone would target his mosque. "Only an investigation can determine the reasons," Suleimanov said. He did not exclude the possibility that the incident was the work of "external forces."

"Anything is possible," he added.

Authorities' initial attention appears focused on religious radicals. One individual, identified as Emin Rasulov, has been arrested in connection with the mosque blast investigation. A search of his Baku apartment purportedly turned up printed materials that were deemed to incite "national, social and religious enmity," the Azeri Press Agency news service reported. While charged with possession of seditious materials, no charges have been brought against him for alleged involvement in the explosions. On August 27, Azerbaijani officials circulated composite sketches of two individuals – a man and a women, both seeming to be in their twenties – who are suspected of involvement in the mosque incident.

Political experts in Baku have generally avoided speculation about the motives and culprits of both explosions. But, Ilgar Ibrahimoglu, a charismatic imam of another popular mosque in Baku, believes that the attacks have to be viewed within the broad context of political, social and economic developments throughout the Caucasus. "This crime is not typical for Azerbaijani society. It is not about Azerbaijani mentality to solve conflicts by means of grenade explosions, moreover at a mosque," he said on August 18.

The government has remained tightlipped about the incidents. With Azerbaijan holding a presidential election this fall – one that Aliyev should win easily – the government wants to maintain an aura of stability and rising prosperity.

The main opposition parties have already announced they will be boycotting the election, voicing doubts that it will be free and fair. Nevertheless, they have sought to politically capitalize on the building uncertainty. The opposition Musavat party issued a statement that ominously suggested Russia was involved in the explosions, motivated by an apparent desire to reassert its political influence over Baku. The statement attributed the recent violent acts on "forces that want to see chaos, instability, confrontation and fear in the South Caucasus."

"Their aim is the escalation of tension in Azerbaijan and the confrontation [of society] along religious lines," the statement continued. "It cannot be excluded that Azerbaijan's northern neighbor [Russia] is involved in these events."

Amid the prevailing uncertainty, officials are taking precautions against further terrorist incidents. Much of their attention is focused on enhancing the security of the country's energy infrastructure. On August 20 the government issued an order titled "On additional measures to reinforce security of the pipelines, bridges, power stations and main electricity lines in Azerbaijan." In addition, police have enhanced security measures at Baku's three synagogues.

Editor's Note: Shahin Abbasov is a freelance correspondent based in Baku