CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS

Wodka and the Wahabis – Paths and Challenges of Islamic Reorganization in Azerbaijan

Abstract:
Like other post-Soviet states Azerbaijan faced an Islamic revival after the fall of the Soviet Union. Every government since 1991 had to cope with the dilemma of either advancing and controlling or categorically preventing this development. Promoting Islamic revival involved external players like Iran whereas suppression could lead to radicalisation and the stigmatization of religious institutions. The lecture will be about these developments and dangers but also about the potential of a liberal Islam in Azerbaijan.

Biographical Note:
Hendrik Fenz is an acting professor of Islamic and Turkish studies within the Department of Islamic Studies at the Oriental Institute at the Universität  Freiburg. His research interests include breaking points in cultural and social developments in which social change emerges. Coupled with his research are both regional case studies (Turkey, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, North Iran) and theory guided studies (nationalism, transformation, Islamism, identity formation). His current research projects deal with the Kurdish cavalry (Hamidiye), the role of media as a ‘fourth estate’ in Turkey, and Islamic forms of conflict management.

Source: Hendrik Fenz, “MitarbeiterInnen,” Universität  Freiburg: Orientalischen Seminar, http://www.orient.uni-freiburg.de/islam/mitarbeiter/fenz.