Press Release
Abandoned by the System, Many Female Orphans in Azerbaijan Resort to a Life of Vice

On the 6th of March 2013, the Azeri news agency "ANS Press" reported their shocking social findings that upon attaining adulthood, most female orphans leave their boarding schools and shelters with no help or support from the government. The consequence of this is many enter a life of crime in order to feed and house themselves. Their sheltered and ‘micro' lifestyles of living in a very dependent manner with little training or experience of real life leave them unprepared to cope with the demands of the ‘macro' world outside of their institutions.  Azerbaijan currently has 43 public institutions, which rears 9,776 children. The chief psychologist at the Regional Psychological Center, Dayanat Rzayev is quoted as saying, "These children need housing and jobs. Otherwise, the desire of make a living in an easy way may lead them to crime. For this reason, these children need to continue receiving assistance." As a result of being abandoned by the Azerbaijan state, many vulnerable young women are forced out of government care and left to fend for themselves with no provision or housing arrangements to allow them to live in financial security. ANS Press reports the opinion of social experts who believe that more attention should be given to young women who leave the orphanages when they mature for they are in a particular risk category and are often so desperate in their struggle to survive that they often end up selling themselves on the streets of Azerbaijan.

President Ilham Aliyev's government has demonstrated its complete disregard and failure in undertaking its responsibility to look after the most needy and weak in society. Its implementation of secular values and abandonment of the Islamic social system have left hundreds of orphaned women homeless and exposed to the abuse of criminals and the worst members of society. Under the Islamic social system, Allah (swt) prescribes that women are to be maintained and protected by their male relatives. In the absence of male family members, the state must carry full responsibility for those who cannot support themselves. In contrast, liberal capitalistic values promote the idea that women, as mature citizens should provide for themselves, even those who are vulnerable. The Azerbaijani leadership has complete disregard for the Islamic laws which are clear on the rights of orphans as expressed in the hadith of the Prophet Mohammad (saw): ‏

‏مَنْ تَرَكَ مَالاً فَلِوَرَثَتِهِ، وَمَنْ تَرَكَ كَلاًّ فَإِلَيْنَا ‏"‏‏ "If someone leaves some property, it will be for the inheritors, and if he leaves some weak offspring, it will be for us to support them."

The insincerity of the Azerbaijani leadership is clear seen this week, President Ilham Aliyev issued an official state address ‘congratulating' the women of Azerbaijan on International Women's Day and saying that they have ‘protected our language with honour, our national and moral values, cultural and historical heritage and customs and traditions..." adding that he believes that they will do their "....best to maintain cultural-moral values...". In truth however, the sickening reality is it is the sheer callousness of the Azerbaijan government in executing its duty towards these female orphans and its negligence in taking care of the welfare of vulnerable young women that has undermined the ‘moral' values of its society - for it has placed these women in a desperate financial state leading them into degrading slavery on the city streets, and exposing them to the exploits of criminals. It is embracing the corrupt secular nationalistic culture and system in place of the noble values, culture, and system of Islam upon which the true historical heritage, customs, and traditions of Azerbaijan lies that has led to the abandonment of these women rather than their guardianship, maintenance, and complete protection of their dignity as obliged under the Khilafah "Caliphate" state. Under this system, orphanages and a state benefit system existed to protect the orphans, the destitute and needy so their right to food, clothing and shelter were upheld without compromise, such as at the time of the rule of the Khalifah Umar bin Al Khattab (ra). It is only a return to the just Islamic model of governance that will secure not only the rights of female orphans, but all women at every level of society.

Dr. Nazreen Nawaz
Member of the Central Media Office
of Hizb ut Tahrir