ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an analysis of the role of Islam and puts into perspective the dynamics of the religious revival in Azerbaijan since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the last two decades. It describes the survival of Islam in Azerbaijan, mainly as a cultural and traditional phenomenon, and examines the nature and scope of the religious revival of the post-independence period. The chapter analyses two aspects internal and external factors which have an impact on the Islamic revival process. As the post-Soviet challenges of the religious communities in Azerbaijan during the early years of independence were primarily a product of the Soviet experience. By the end of the 1980s, a new law on freedom of conscience was drafted by the Soviet authorities and the Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations Law was adopted in October 1990. Finally, the chapter examines the development of radical religious trends in Azerbaijan.
