Azerbaijan under attack of Iran

On March 5, Iranian military forces attacked neighbouring Azerbaijan. In Azerbaijan, too, the vast majority of the population is Shiite Muslim. But unlike the Shiites in other nearby Islamic countries, such as Iraq, the Azerbaijanis remained largely independent and did not accept the religious authority of the Ayatollahs.

Azerbaijan has maintained close relations with Israel for decades and has established itself over the years as a staunch enemy of Iran in the region.

Jews, also known as Mountain Jews, have lived in Azerbaijan for more than 2,000 years. In Israel they are called Caucasim. It is probably thanks to them that Christianity reached the peoples of the Caucasus in the Azerbaijan region at a very early stage. The descendants of these Christians, the Udins for example, still live in the country today [1].

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It was only with the massive immigration of Oghus Turkic tribes in the 11-13th century that Islam arrived in the area. We call those turks Azeri today [2]. However, relations between Jews and Muslims remained good. In fact, today economic and political relationship between Israel and Azerbaijan is deeply “embedded in history” [3]. 

The Russian Orthodox sects, such as the Molokans, who fled to the mountains of Azerbaijan to escape repression in Zarist Russia, fared similarly.

The free churches that settled in the country since the 19th century, the Baptists and Pentecostals, also enjoyed relative freedom.

By now, a number of Azeri became Christian. And they face persecution by the state and their families. About 0.5% of the population is Evangelical Christian [4]. 

Spiritual revival in Iran

Most of the Protestant churches in Iran have been radically closed and their members moved into House Churches. Deconversion from Islam can lead to imprisonment and even death penalty [5].

But despite all the dangers, millions of Iranian Muslims turn to Christianity. Some of them have left the country via Turkey or Armenia and build today vital communities in Western Europe and North-America.

The Iranian church is probably the fastest growing Christian community in the world.

Among the new converts in Iran are numerous Azeri-speaking people [6]. Their situation is especially problematic. The regime is very suspicious of them. Ethnically, the Azeri are close to Azerbaijan. And as Christians, they have broken the law and deserve death. Azeri Christians are politically and religiously under pressure. In the past, some of them have also left the country via Turkey and Armenia.

The Nagorno-Karabagh conflict and its ramifications for Christians

The massive conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabagh hardened the previously positive relationship between the Evangelicals in both countries.

Very few Evangelicals lived in the disputed province. As far as I know, hardly any evangelicals took part in the armed conflicts. Nevertheless, relations between evangelicals on both sides of the border are severely strained. Added to this is the open border between Armenia and Iran. Thousands of evangelical Iranians have visited Armenia in recent years.

There is even a kind of discipleship and Bible school for Iranian believers in the country.

It is not known how long the border with Iran will remain open. But for Azeri-converts, going to Armenia is already now problematic. They obviously need our prayer. The door to Azerbaijan for them is closed and the way via Armenia politically problematic.

Some evangelical groups are calling for dialogue between Armenian and Iranian-Azeri Christians. If this initiative proves successful, it could also open prospects for reconciliation between Armenian and Azerbaijani Evangelicals.

Here too, intensive support for the initiatives by European Christians would be desirable.

A Christian Armenian University in planning

An extremely interesting initiative is currently developing in Armenia. At the suggestion of the national Evangelical Alliance, a group of Evangelicals is currently working on establishing the Armenian Christian University in Yerevan. The plan is to begin teaching this year.

From the outset, the initiators plan to offer programs for Iranians in addition to courses for Armenians. This could become an important platform for evangelism and church planting throughout the southern Caucasus.

If Azeris were also given the opportunity to study at the university, it would be an extension of God’s reach into Azerbaijan. God has His own plans and they are always far-reaching.

The political question is, of course, whether Iran will attack Azerbaijan even more intensively. Will the country even get involved in the war between Israel and the US?

The US administration is certainly interested in arming the Azeris as well as the Kurds and using them against the regime in Iran. A mere bombardment is hardly likely to bring about a change of regime.

The question is whether the Azeri population is prepared to rise up against the Mullahs in Tehran. And what would happen if they did.

Would the Iranian province of Azerbaijan secede from Iran? And would that be beneficial for the region?

Questions upon questions. Only God knows the answer. In midst of all this turmoil, He builds his church and as He promised: “the Fortress of hell will not prevail” (Matthew 16:18b).

Johannes Reimer, Professor em. at the University of South Africa (UNISA) and the co-founder of the Caucasus mission (an outreach program of the Allianz Mission, Germany).

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