AZERBAIJAN Individual Views of Commissioner Johnnie Moore Azerbaijan should not be on USCIRF’s list. Despite its legitimate security concerns, Azerbaijan is one of the only countries in the world where Sunni and Shi’a clerics pray together, where all Christian sects enjoy a reputation for cooperation, and where a thriving Jewish community has long reported freedom and security in an almost entirely Islamic country. Azerbaijan is a Shi’a-majority neighbor of Iran whose still-warm peace with the state of Israel was established almost 30 years ago! The country has also made important strides toward increasing religious freedom despite a post-Soviet legal framework, certainly more so than its neighbors. I am afraid the Commission’s view on Azerbaijan may be interpreted by some as inserting itself into the politics of war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The conflict between the two countries— which is political and geographic, not religious—is often oversimplified as it cannot actually be understood in isolation from the interests of other countries like Iran, Turkey, and Russia. Finding a path to enduring peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia is a better use for religion. Religion should be the meeting place rather than a rhetorical weapon or a causality of war. This can begin with an assessment of any holy sites—Christian or Muslim—that were damaged during the recent war or the years of conflict that preceded it, and a joint effort should be undertaken to restore what has been damaged or desecrated, whether unintentionally or otherwise. 60 USCIRF | ANNUAL REPORT 2021