Skip to main content

Eurasianet

Main Menu

  • Regions
  • Topics
  • Media
  • About
  • Search
  • Newsletter
  • русский
  • Support us
X

Caucasus

Armenia
Azerbaijan
Georgia

Central Asia

Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan

Conflict Zones

Abkhazia
Nagorno Karabakh
South Ossetia
Transnistria

Eastern Europe

Belarus
Moldova
Russia
The Baltics
Ukraine

Eurasian Fringe

Afghanistan
China
EU
Iran
Mongolia
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
X

Arts and Culture

Economy

Politics

Kazakhstan 2022 unrest
Kyrgyzstan 2020 unrest

Security

Society

American diplomats in Central Asia
Coronavirus
Student spotlight
X

Visual Stories

Audio
Video

Blogs

Tamada Tales
The Bug Pit

Podcasts

Expert Opinions
The Central Asianist
X
You can search using keywords to narrow down the list.

Azerbaijan: Pop Music vs. Islam

Giorgi Lomsadze May 21, 2012

What happens if European pop music and Islamic fundamentalism -- two equally powerful forces -- come head to head in Baku this week? Signs of a sequins-versus-turbans face-off already are emerging, as Azerbaijan, the host of the Eurovision 2012 Song Contest, does battle with a steady stream of tongue-lashing from neighboring Iran.

Apparently, Tehran has put aside its earlier worries of a possible Western attack on its nuclear facilities to focus on the more pressing matter of a syncopated saturnalia with gay overtones erupting to Iran's north.

“The dance party [Eurovision] and the [gay] pride will attract all sorts of anti-Islamic groups and perverts,” declared prominent Shiite clergyman Ayatollah Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari. He demanded that the Azerbaijani authorities cancel the “Zionist” and “gay” festival or face the full wrath of the people and God. A senior Iranian lawmaker,  Mohammad Esmayeel Kossari, also warned that Azerbaijan will “regret” hosting such events.

The words "Azerbaijan" and "gay pride" are not often seen together, but one senior Azerbaijani presidential administration official nonetheless felt the need to clarify matters for Iran.

“We are hosting a song contest, not a gay parade,” bristled Ali Hasanov, head of the administration's political and public policy department and Azerbaijan's de-facto point-man for all Eurovision PR matters. “I do not know who got this idea into their heads in Iran.”

As has been done previously, he also advised Tehran to stay away from Azerbaijan, a fellow predominantly Shi'ite Muslim country, as the strobe lights start to flash. “We made it clear to them not to mess with us and we will not mess with you,” Hasanov said.

Azerbaijan, which maintains friendly relations with both the US and Israel, has promised not to get involved in Iran's fight with the West over its nuclear ambitions, but has arrested scores of individuals described as Iranian-backed terrorists. A stepped-up police presence is visible in Baku, and protests were staged outside the Iranian embassy in Baku after Tehran's initial gay-pride comments.

But keeping Iran at arm's length is often easier said than done, some Azerbaijani officials might say. Last night, residents of Baku found in their mailboxes leaflets and a CD condemning the plans to host the Eurovision Song Contest and, supposedly (denials notwithstanding), a gay pride march. Videos on the CDs regale viewers with stories of Islamic martyrs, castigate the Azerbaijani government for closing mosques and banning (informally) headscarves in schools, and threatens Islam's foes with a series of natural disasters. Baku claims that Iranian-sponsored religious groups are behind the extremist junk-mail.  

The 2012 Eurovision Song Contest begins tomorrow. Hold tight for glitzy pop acts and fire from the sky.

Giorgi Lomsadze is a journalist based in Tbilisi, and author of Tamada Tales.

Sign up for Eurasianet's free weekly newsletter. Support Eurasianet: Help keep our journalism open to all, and influenced by none.

Popular

Uzbekistan: At least 18 killed in unrest, police preventing journalists from working
Effective climate action in Central Asia requires tweaks in donor approaches – report
Jiahui Huang
Uzbekistan president backtracks on constitution to defuse Karakalpakstan tension

Eurasianet

  • About
  • Team
  • Contribute
  • Republishing
  • Privacy Policy
  • Corrections
  • Contact
Eurasianet © 2022