Bogus Azerbaijani ‘Human Rights Group’ Goes to Washington

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Back in July, Ken Silverstein wrote an interesting article for Harpers about the how big PR firms in Washington acquire and serve foreign governmental clients. He posed as an agent for a shadowy company that wanted to hire a firm to improve Turkmenistan’s image in DC. Under the ruse, he collected proposals and price sheets from the biggest, most well-connected firms.

Although I don’t think the article provided a whole lot of new information about how DC firms work ($50,000 monthly retainers! Shocker!), it was interesting to see the whole package and sit in on the pitches. It is definitely worth the read.

Recently, Silverstein was invited to a press event in Washington featuring the Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan (ACSDA) by a firm called Bob Lawrence and Associates. Since Silverstein pointed out in his article that “independent press events” are among the tools used by Washington firms to improve their clients’ images, he posted a follow-up on Harpers’ website (you have to wonder who thought it was a good idea to invite him in the first place).

Who is ACSDA? It’s an “NGO coalition” backed by the Government of Azerbaijan designed showcase Azerbaijan’s vibrant civil society to outsiders who don’t know any better. Bob Lawrence and Associates also coordinated President Aliyev’s 2006 trip to Washington to meet with Bush, Aliyev’s reward for not killing any election protesters after the 2005 election.
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Mr. Ilgar Ibrahimoglu Responds From Baku

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Last Friday, I received a phone call from Mr. Ilgar Ibrahimoglu, the well-known Imam of Baku’s Cuma Mosque, who wanted to comment on my post on Islam in Azerbaijan. We spoke briefly through an interpreter.

He followed up with this email, posted in its entirely (with minor language edits for clarity):

Dear Christine Quirk,

I would like to greet you again. Your article “Islam in Azerbaijan: On the Rise?” was a very unexpected pleasure.

Over the last years, both our local mass-media and the foreign mass-media have speculated about the allegedly rising political Islamization. I do not know if is it naiveté, deliberate indoctrination, or the result of an unprofessional approach. But I am absolutely sure that it is very useful for our corrupted and heavy-handed authorities, for some losers and activists in the opposition, and for hawks in the west that want to apply the process in the Middle East to Azerbaijan.

Of course, such an issue is also very useful for the marginalized and adventurers that cover themselves with Islamic slogans.

Concerning me, you pointed absolutely correct that I am focused like a civic activist and an enlightener.

By the way, there is no political scene in which Islamic powers could participate.

In conclusion I express my deep gratitude for your independent approach in this case, that is far away from general stereotypes and dogma.

Respectfully,

Ilgar Ibrahimoglu

 

Mr. Ibrahimoglu brings up a whole angle that I opted not to address in the original post: Who benefits from the perception that Islam is on the rise in Azerbaijan? In his email, he mentions the three entities:
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Islam in Azerbaijan: On the Rise?

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I always appreciate it when thoughtful journalists write stories about Azerbaijan, since there’s so little written by anyone who understands that part of the world. RFE/RL’s Liz Fuller knows what she’s talking about.

But her recent RFE/RL series on Islam in Azerbaijan raised a lot of questions for me. With its corrupt government, human rights and democracy abuses ignored by the west, appalling living conditions outside Baku and tidal wave of misspent oil wealth rolling in, Azerbaijan does, on paper, seem like fertile ground for an Islamic surge. I wish the stories provided more insight into the current situation.

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