Alwaght- Although Shiites make up the majority of the Republic of Azerbaijan's population and there had been no Wahhabi before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, but today Wahhabis have had considerable influence in Azerbaijan, especially in Russia-Azerbaijan border areas. Wahhabis, sponsored by Saudi Arabia and some other Arab countries, have started some activities, especially in northern regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Saudi Arabia has played a special role in financing and preparing Wahhabi groups in Russia-Azerbaijan border areas. Wahhabis, sponsored by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have been very active in regions such as Zakatala, Salyan, and Baku and have even built a mosque in Baku after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Wahhabi organizations do their best to influence the Shiite community of Azerbaijan. They buy taxis and give them to unemployed youth or loan money to poor families and so on in order to seduce them to covert to Wahhabism.
Saudi Arabian envoys, under the pretext of charitable works, propagate Wahhabism among poor and displaced people of Karabakh and attract youths in the name of religious education. While Salafists were in a poor position in the past and were trying not to draw the public attentions, now they are working to develop the Republic of Azerbaijan that has chosen a secular approach through development.
Some Azerbaijani citizens have joined Wahhabi and extremist groups to go to Syria in order to make money. There is a bolstering relationship between local Wahhabists and Syrian rebels. Wahhabis of the Republic of the Azerbaijan declared solidarity with Wahhabis of Dagestan and Northern Caucasus and announced that they seek to establish an Islamic caliphate in the Republic of the Azerbaijan and some areas of Northern Caucasus.
The exact number of Azerbaijani Wahhabis in Syria is not identified but some sources acclaims that they are more than 250 and are mainly cooperating with Al Qaeda-linked Al Nusra terrorist front. A network affiliated to Saudi Arabia in cooperation with turkey has transferred some Azerbaijani citizens, especially from regions near to Northern Caucasus, Zakatala and Balkan to Syria through turkey's territory.
It is noteworthy that when terrorist operations began in Syria, Baku state joined Friends of Syria Group on America's advice and allocated a great deal of money to rebellion terrorist groups.
In general, Baku state has always cooperated comprehensively with USA and Israeli regime in their wars against Muslim countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Hezbollah and Gaze. During USA invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq and by the order of Heydar Aliyev, not only the Republic of Azerbaijan allowed US army forces to use its territory and sky against Muslim countries but also Baku army dispatched some forces to those occupied countries to fight against Muslims who were defending their countries. So far, a number of Azerbaijani troops who were under US command have been killed in those countries. Azerbaijan, in US and its ally's war against Syrian government, has supported the opposition politically, financially and promotionally and many Wahhabis participated in war against Syria from this country.
The Baku state not only has not prevented Wahhabis activities so far but also has sometimes made connections between Wahhabis and the religious affairs' committee of Baku. The presence of Azerbaijani Wahhabis in Syria can also make problems for this country. Since, Wahhabis are foreign-backed radical groups who are gathered in Syria, and if Baku doesn’t recognize these extremists, they may put the stability of the Republic of Azerbaijan at risk when returning back there.
Although Baku pretends that it is unaware of this issue, but it is obvious that dispatching Wahhabis, trained in the Republic of Azerbaijan, to Syria is done with the approval of Baku state.
