Is Azerbaijan’s J-Lo Concert Taunting Iran?
Voice of Russia American Edition
Oct 16, 2012 19:37 Moscow Time
Interview with Ric Young
The country of Azerbaijan appears to be embracing western culture and irritating its conservative Islamic neighbor, Iran, by holding concerts with popular western female singers and sponsoring a women’s athletic event. But is the country as liberal as it appears?
Host Ric Young talks with photojournalist Amanda Rivkin from Istanbul about the country:
Rihanna, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez have all appeared at concerts in Azerbaijan recently, but the singers have been condemned by critics due to Azerbaijan’s poor human rights record. In Rivkin’s opinion, the events are less about twitting Iran with a production of “scantily clad” western singers, and more about trying to improve their global image. The true tension between Azerbaijan and Iran is based on ethnicity, rather than women’s rights.
Amanda Rivkin 