Khamenei Calls for Promotion of Shia Islam in Azerbaijan During Meeting with Aliyev

The leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during a meeting with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, stated that "promoting Shia Islam and religious slogans" in the country would lead to "securing God's assistance" and increasing "public support for the government." According to ISNA news agency, Khamenei emphasized that "promoting Islamic teachings and respecting religious manifestations and rituals will lead to public support and backing against threats." He referred to the "Islamic and Shia beliefs" of the Azerbaijani people as a "valuable asset," asserting that "the more the government shows respect and acceptance towards these religious manifestations and beliefs, the greater the public support for the government and their resistance against the enmity of certain superpowers will be." Khamenei confirmed the Azerbaijani president's statements regarding the common source of most threats against both countries, adding that "promoting Islamic teachings and Shia Islam will attract God's assistance and the favor of the Imams in facing challenges and threats." He declared that "political stability, security, tranquility, and public welfare in Azerbaijan" are "very important" for the Islamic Republic. The Azerbaijani president also stated that "the threats against both countries stem from a single source," announcing that the two countries have agreed to cooperate in the fight against terrorism. Aliyev mentioned that since Azerbaijan's independence from the Soviet Union, "two thousand mosques have been built, half of which" were constructed during his tenure. During Aliyev's visit to Iran on Tuesday, 11 cooperation documents were signed between the two countries. The majority of Azerbaijan's population is Shia Muslim. Relations between Tehran and Baku have experienced tensions in recent years, with Azerbaijani officials frequently criticizing Iran's "influence" in the town of "Nardaran," located 45 kilometers from Baku, and the Islamic Republic's support for the "Muslim Unity Movement." On February 5, 2015, the Heavy Crimes Court of Azerbaijan sentenced two citizens, Faig Gurbanov and Seymur Rezazadeh, to a total of 27 years in prison for "collaborating with Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and espionage." In 2011, the arrest of 22 individuals on charges of espionage for the Revolutionary Guards also caused tensions between the two countries.