In recent years, international and Azerbaijani media more and more reports about financing of terrorist group called “Islamic State” (IS) operating in Azerbaijan. In its turn, the Azerbaijani website “Publika.az” reports that in the northern regions of Azerbaijan representatives of the extremist wing of Islam, Kharijites, established a “Jihad Fund”, where money is being transferred every month to help the IS.
As noted in the article, Baku police is watching after some large objects that are suspected of financing the IS. Chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations of Azerbaijan Mubariz Gurbanli stated recently that “if they find financial sources contributing the IS and sending the Azerbaijani youth to Syria or their contiguity to various terrorist organizations, they will be destroyed immediately.” Publika.az assures that Gurbanly would never have spoken so if he was not already informed of the availability of financial resources.
Azerbaijani theologian Aydin Alizadeh, commenting on the situation, stated that the annually amount collected by the extremists is almost $5 million. According to him, the funds are accumulated also through transfers from abroad, and through donations from business organizations, as well as funds of members of extremist groups.
“Publika.az” reminds that earlier Ukrainian site “Umma.ua” wrote of the sum of 5 million, quoting Gurbanly who said that extremist groups receive money mainly from large shopping malls, supermarkets and so on.
Source: Panorama.am