The Role of the Caucasus Muslims Board in the State Building of Post-Soviet Azerbaijan

This contribution discusses the role played by the Caucasus Muslims Board, a formal religious institution, during the state building process of post-Soviet Azerbaijan and its potential for supporting democratization in the country. The contribution argues that this institution has served as a regulatory body for Muslim communities and Islamic activism and has been dependent on the state for its operations. It claims that there is little chance to engage the board in the democratization process, though it still should be included in relevant public debates given its potential ability to influence Azerbaijani society and impact the country's political agenda in the long term

Islamic Activism as a Social Movement: Recent Issues of Religion and Politics in Azerbaijan

Post-Soviet Azerbaijan has been moving through a process of Islamic revival for more than two decades. This revival in itself has not been a homogenous process, having its ups and downs, changing dynamics and multi-dimensional characteristics. Radicalization, sectarianism and state-civil society-religious relations are the issues at stake. A recent trend of more control over faith-based activism with ongoing marginalization along sectarian lines is a problem that must be addressed

Revelation of Potentially Seismic Dangerous Tectonic Structures in a View of Modern Geodynamics of the Eastern Caucasus (Azerbaijan)

The stress state of the earth’s crust in the Eastern Caucasus, located in the zone of collision junction of the North Caucasian, South Caucasian, and Central Iranian continental massifs, is a consequence of the inclusion of the Arabian indenter into the buffer structures of the southern framing of Eurasia at the continental stage of alpine tectogenesis. This evidenced from the results of geophysical observations of the structure and seismic-geodynamic activity of the region’s crust. The latter, at the neotectonic stage, was presented as underthrust of the South Caucasian microplate under the southern structures of Eurasia. The analysis and correlation of historical and recent seismic events indicate the confinement of most earthquake foci to the nodes of intersection of active faults with various orientations or to the planes of deep tectonic ruptures and lateral displacements along unstable contacts of material complexes of various competencies. The focal mechanisms of seismic events reveal various rupture types, but in general, the earthquake foci are confined to the nodes of intersection of faults of the general Caucasian and anti-Caucasian directions. Based on the observed weak seismicity, active areas of deep faults were identified, which are accepted as potential source zones

Problems of interaction between state and economy under the post-communist transition: The perspective of Islamic political economy

Purpose – This paper seeks to identify the contribution Islamic political economy can make to the contemporary debate which is going on regarding deregulation and the role of the state under transition. Design/methodology/approach – A perspective of Islamic political–economic doctrine is discussed and hypothetical implications of this doctrine for post-Soviet nations are presented through analysis of existing concepts and case studies. Findings – The paper finds that Islamic political economy itself is not synonymous and based on different schools of law as well as local practices, which makes it flexible in time and applicable in different given conditions. The main finding is about placing ethics in the core of whole policy approach. Research limitations/implications – Research is more analysis-based and does not provide enough empirical data. Thus if it were based on the conceptual framework set by the paper surveys and other forms of field research, it would be helpful. Practical implications – Research comes up with the set of policy recommendations to be implemented as well as with an overall “Three “I” Model” of public policy, which revises the contemporary utilitarian approach to public policy. Originality/value – The paper proposes an alternative approach to the “state-economy dilemma”. Review of related literature, on the one hand, and analysis/synthesis of the concepts on Islamic approach to addressing politico-economic problems of the post-communist transition, on the other hand, also add value.Ethics, Islam, Politics and political science, Transition management

Диспансерний нагляд та результати лікування хворих з хронічним остеомієлітом

The article analyses results of a retrospective study of 224 patients with chronic osteomyelitis of long bones. The dispensary observation was carried out according to the authors’ system from 2005 to 2010. The influence of such factors as duration the disease, the patients’ age and etiology of osteomyelitis was studied. No statistically reliable difference in the development of the disease relapses depending upon the etiology of the examined pathology was revealed. As a result of the dispensary observation of patients with chronic osteomyelitis it became possible to succeed with reduction in the number of the disease relapses on average by a factor of 37. In patients with relapses of the disease the process was controlled with help of conservative methods of treatment in 81.5 % of cases.Представлен анализ результатов ретроспективного исследования 224 больных с хроническим остеомиелитом длинных костей. Диспансерное наблюдение осуществляли по разработанной авторами схеме с 2005 по 2010 гг. Изучали влияние таких факторов, как длительность заболевания, возраст пациентов и этиология остеомиелита. Статистически достоверной разницы при возникновении рецидивов заболевания в зависимости от этиологии исследуемой патологии не выявлено. В результате диспансеризации больных с хроническим остеомиелитом удалось снизить количество рецидивов заболевания в среднем в 37 раз. У пациентов с рецидивом заболевания в 81,5% случаев процесс купировали с помощью консервативных методов лечения.Представлено аналіз результатів ретроспективного дослідження 224 хворих з хронічним остеомієлітом довгих кісток. Диспансерне спостереження здійснювали за розробленою авторами схемою з 2005 до 2010 рр. Вивчали вплив таких факторів, як тривалість захворювання, вік пацієнтів і етіологія остеомієліту. Статистично вірогідної різниці у виникненні рецидивів захворювання залежно від етіології досліджуваної патології не виявлено. У результаті диспансеризації хворих з хронічним остеомієлітом вдалося знизити кількість рецидивів захворювання в середньому в 37 разів. У пацієнтів з рецидивом захворювання в 81,5 % випадків процес припиняли за допомогою консервативних методів лікування

Religious Institutions and Democratization

The topic of this issue of the Caucasus Analytical Digest is “Religious Institutions and Democratization”. Fuad Aliyev discusses the role played by the Caucasus Muslims Board during the state building process of post-Soviet Azerbaijan and its potential for supporting democratization in the country, coming to the conclusion that there is little chance to engage the board in the democratization process, though it still should be included in relevant public debates given its potential ability to influence Azerbaijani society and impact the country’s political agenda in the long term; Salome Minesashvili posits that the Georgian Orthodox Church’s (repeatedly named as the most trusted institution in the country) stance on democracy-related issues and reforms has already impacted political decision-making on a number of occasions and analyzes the attitudes, values and behavior of the GOC in the context of their compatibility with democratic values and explores the potential to engage the GOC in the reform process as well as to include it in public and political debates; Narek Mkrtchyan proposes that the Armenian Apostolic Church, although it is one of the most trusted institutions in Armenia and thus has real potential to impact the country’s political decision-making processes, plays an important role in establishing and supporting the hegemony and legitimacy of the ruling regime, which makes them loyal to each other’s policies and ideologies.ISSN:1867-932