While Azerbaijanis, especially the younger generation, are increasingly turning to Islam, they seem to be attracted less by traditional Shi'a Islam practiced in Azerbaijan than in the Salafi strain of Sunni Islam or the radical Shi'a version propagated over the past 15 years by missionaries from Iran. Could those two groups become rivals in a struggle for power?
What exactly is 'alternative Islam'?
In another article the question is asked: Why Is 'Alternative' Islam Gaining Strength?
With the eclipse of the political opposition in Azerbaijan, Islam is increasingly poised to fill the ideological vacuum.
Most government officials, however, deny that the increased interest in Islam poses a serious threat to either political stability or national security.
In search of a sense of identity, or in some cases out of sheer intellectual curiosity, Azerbaijanis, especially the younger generation, are increasingly turning to Islam. Thousands of people flock every week to Friday Prayers at Baku's Abu-Bakr mosque.
Seems like "normal" Islam or "traditional" Islam here, still no mention of "alternative" Islam.
The three competing schools are the Salafi/Wahhabi school as practiced in Saudi Arabia; Iran's brand of radical Shi'a Islam; and the moderate Hanafi school of Islam promoted by the Turkish NGO Nur (Light). But it is extremely difficult to estimate how many Azerbaijanis practice which form of Islam.
Still no clue about what "alternative" Islam is!! The only thing I got out of these articles is that Islam is an alternative ...
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