Authors

Fidana Musayeva¹;  ¹ Baku branch of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Azerbaidjan

Discussion

National Identity and Shi'a Traditions in Azerbaijan: The Evolution of Ashura Commemorations
This paper examines the evolution of Ashura observances in Azerbaijan, highlighting the Shi'a faith's significant role in shaping national identity and belonging among Azerbaijanis until the early 20th century. During this period, the majority of the Azerbaijani population identified as Shi'a Muslims, often emphasizing their religious affiliation as central to their national identity. Like Shi'a communities globally, Azerbaijani Shi'as commemorated the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, and his family in the 680 CE Karbala tragedy, observing Ashura as a day of mourning through self-flagellation and other rituals. Many accounts from late 19th and early 20th-century scholarly and literary works depict these ceremonies in vivid detail.
With Azerbaijan’s integration into the Soviet Union in 1920, Ashura observances faced official bans, yet they persisted covertly among devout practitioners, particularly in rural regions, despite state persecution. Following Azerbaijan's independence in the 1990s, the Ashura tradition transformed. Since 2006, blood donation drives on Ashura Day have become a nationwide practice, marking a shift from self-harm rituals to socially beneficial acts.
This transition, widely encouraged within contemporary Azerbaijani society, underscores a broader cultural shift in which blood donation is seen as a progressive, constructive alternative to traditional mourning practice, evolving Azerbaijan’s Ashura observance from mourning to social charity as a blood donation.