Values of the Muslim Population of Kvemo Kartli Region

Abstract

The ethnic Azerbaijani community in Georgia is usually perceived and studied as a homogeneous group, ultimately neglecting and overlooking specifics that distinguish the two main sub-groups of this community. Moreover, there are no official statistics on the confessional affiliation of the Muslim population of Georgia in the context of the Shiite-Sunni dichotomy.   This is particularly striking in the context of the ongoing developments in the Middle East, when a wave of revolutions and civil strife in North Africa and Southwest Asia, the so-called "Arab Spring," has fueled intra-confessional tensions between Shiites and Sunnis.   Fortunately, there is no potential for such a severe confrontation in Georgia. However, an important question arises: when the gap between Shiites and Sunnis in the Islamic world deepens, what impact can this have on the foreign policy priorities of these groups in Georgia? This question is further aggravated by the fact that according to studies conducted in Georgia at different times, the foreign policy priorities of ethnic minorities, including ethnic Azerbaijanis, differ somewhat from the attitudes of ethnic Georgians. Most of them are relatively more skeptical about European integration. This, in turn, prevents their involvement in pan-national political processes.   Our report is based on a comprehensive study (both quantitative and qualitative) of attitudes of the ethnic Azerbaijani population in the Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia in a confessional, Shiite-Sunni context. We carried out the study in conjunction with our partners. The need for such an effort was largely preconditioned by the absence of similar research that makes our report innovative.   Findings have shown that the skepticism, as mentioned earlier, of the Muslim population of Kvemo Kartli is caused by various factors, including vulnerability to Russian propaganda or nostalgia for the Soviet past. However, the largest share goes to the lack of information.   Another factor to note is that, although there are no official statistics on Kvemo Kartli denominations, the majority of the region's Muslims are Shiites with religious affiliations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, including through the religious education opportunities provided by the latter. Furthermore, it is widely known that the region's Azerbaijani community has intensive ties with Turkey, which is also facilitated by linguistic proximity. In addition to foreign policy issues, in the report, we will analyze public sentiments in other areas, including values, economic status, and level of religiosity.   The data analysis gave us a complex picture of the attitudes in the ethnic Azerbaijani community of the region, which includes a whole range of domestic and foreign issues. Since the research was primarily focused on diversity within the intra-confessional (Shiite-Sunni) context, the results obtained allow us to stress attention to the differences and similarities between the two subgroups and cause-and-effect relationships. Thus, the findings show that the differences between these two groups are more pronounced in demographics and domestic policy issues than in foreign priorities, where the difference is less firm and consistent.   The most interesting and, at the same time, thought-provoking results were obtained concerning foreign priorities. Unlike other regions of Georgia, in the ethnic Azerbaijani community of Kvemo Kartli, the foreign orientation of an individual depends less on his/her age or gender. Here the degree of religiosity and economic status are instead determining - the more religious and disadvantaged the respondent, the more pro-Russian he is. Conversely, pro-Western sentiments are much higher among the affluent and non-religious respondents. In this regard, the lack of proper awareness of such important institutions as the European Union and NATO is also noteworthy. It is noteworthy that the vast majority of respondents have differing opinions on membership in these organizations and on the economic benefits obtained from them, which should stimulate both the government and the civil sector for action.