CC BY
13
PLACE AND ROLE OF ISLAM IN REGIONS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, THE CAUCASSUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
2018.04.002. ALEKSEI STAROSTIN, ALEXANDER YARKOV. MUSLIMS IN PRIAMURYE: A HISTORIC PORTRAIT'S OUTLINE // "Religiovedenie," Blagoveshchensk, 2017, № 3, P. 32-48.
Keywords: Islam, mosque, imam, Muslim population, Tatars, Bashkirs, development, migrants, Cossacks, community, Far East.
Aleksei Starostin,
PhD(History), Head of the Department of Political Sciences, Ural Federal University Alexander Yarkov,
Dr.Sc.(History), Professor, Leading Research Associate, Expert Scientific Center for Counteraction of Ideology of Extremism and Terrorism, Tyumen State University
In the article authors cover a problem of Islam development in the Far East, in particular, in the Amur River region. This subject is still very poorly studied. Authors of the research, based on an analysis of historical sources from archives of Ufa, Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, materials of statistics, interview, make an attempt to give a complex retrospective of Islam development in the Amur River region since appearance of the first Muslims up to now. Authors note a tendency towards creation of ethnic and regional communities living according to their traditions. Authors come to a conclusion that as a result of migration and demographic
processes there is a change of ethnic core of Muslim community -from Tatar to Central Asian and North Caucasian. Despite its fewness, Muslims of the Amur River region became an integral part of a religious landscape of the region.
Preparatory to make reference to history of Ummah of the Amur river region authors draw attention to that it is necessary to distinguish the Amur region of the end of XIX - the beginning of the XX centuries, covering territories of a number of modern constituent entities of the FEFD (The Jewish Autonomous Region, a part of Khabarovsk Krai), the Amur district of the Far East region (FER), the Amur province and the modern Amur region. Anyway, this region was then and now and still remains the outpost of Russia protecting its Far East boundaries.
The cemetery Saadak-Terek found in 1991 in the Republic of Tyva where there was found cajrak of Umar ibn Mahammad ibn Ali al-Balkhi (local imam and overseer of the grave of "saint" Sayeed Rasheed of ad-Din) was one of the earliest artifacts of Muslims' presence in this territory. The inscription on the finding was written in Farsi and dated 1194. Traces of Muslims presence in the period of the Middle Ages in the Amur River region haven't been found yet.
Authors, investigating history of Muslims appearance in the region, note that, first of all, Cossacks and service men participated in development of Siberia and the Far East. In 1644 the group (including service Tatar men carrying out a role of interpreters) entered Amur creek. Information on presence of service Tatar men among those who expanded east boundaries of Russia is known, but the question of their confessionary practice remains in abeyance. The number of Muslims was too little during that period to speak about Ummah. What local features did their confessionary practice have? Obviously those that were characterized by a zone of their inhabitancy - practice of adat Islam of the Irtysh Land.
The situation changed when the territory of the Amur river region finally turned out to be in the grip of Russia - from the second half of the XIX century dozens of settlements were built
from Ust-Strelki to the Hingansky gorge, and then to the low reaches of the Amur river and on the right coast of Ussuri. Such settlements were built in increments of the Siberian corps which were formed in places of densely populated by the Russian Muslims - Tatars, Bashkirs and the islamized people of Central and Lower Volga area. Aboriginals of Siberia and the Far East weren't called up for military service (in 1822 it was fixed a release from recruiting of Siberian "foreigners"). Besides, the Minusinsk (Achinsk / Abakan) Tatars ("the Yenisei Kyrgyz," since 1917 -Khakas) were followers of Shamanism, and then and Orthodox Christians, but didn't profess Islam.
In initial reclamation of the Amur River region great importance had the military among which there were many of the Volga region descents where Muslims compactly lived, and it defined ethnic "face" of the developing Ummah (ceremonies of the birth and burial, sermon in Tatar, psychological and behavioral attitudes). Since 1877 by request of the mufti of the Orenburg Muslim Spiritual Assembly in army and on the Cossack lands there were established regular appointments of imams.
Many Muslims after military service stayed behind in the Far East, merchants and handicraftsmen also left here, making one more element of the forming Ummah. So, in the 1890th there was also Blagoveshchensk community. A part of Ummah in the Amur River region governor-generalship at the turn of the XIX and XX centuries was formed of exiled or Muslims who fulfilled sentence.
Authors of the article provide data of the first All-Russian population census of 1897 according to which the total of Muslims in the Amur region was 665 people (0,55% of the total number of the population of the region). The contingent of Muslims was quite simple: overwhelming majority about 80% was made by Tatars. The class structure of Tatar community was presented generally by peasants (492 people), but there were also noblemen (3), bourgeoisies (73), clerks (2), foreigners (61). By a form of activity allocation was the following: a quarter of Tatars was engaged in personalized services, 122 worked at mines, 55 were engaged in
agriculture, 42 - cabbing. The literacy among them was a bit higher, than on the average among other Muslims of the area: 24% among men and 22% among women.
Chinese Muslims were the following outmen in Ummah, there were 56 people, all of them were men and lived in Blagoveshchensk. Only two of them owned reading and writing (obviously the Russian one). Among Muslims of the Amur River region during the census there were found 17 Russians (13 men and 4 women, 9 men and 1 woman of them were literate), 10 Lezgians and 2 representatives of Finno-Ugric group of languages, all men. Besides, 24 Muslims were considered to be Indo-European languages speakers and as much (besides Tatars) - to Turkish-Tatar languages speakers [Zabiyako, Belyakov, Voronina, 2017, 358].
By 1900 the number of Muslims increased, being already 879 persons. It has posed before the authorities a question on building of a prayer house or a mosque in the capital of the region. We believe that providing a lot for "Muslim" burial places was approved even earlier. Newcomers were settled irregularly. Mainly - along the Trans-Siberian Railway, that became a significant factor of the region development.
As for connections with the criminal world, the statistics demonstrated that among ethnic groups most often crimes were committed by Bashkirs and Tatars, and men of Caucasian descent who already fulfilled sentence were in the third place. It is known that more than a half of Muslims was sent into exile for theft. Then there were crimes "against life" (10% of the total number of the condemned). There were also condemned for crimes "under religious banners." Degree of committed crimes deprived considerable part of Muslims of the opportunity to return home. After serving their sentence they stayed in the Far East, signing up themselves and children in adroit estate.
Authorities tried to settle the served their sentence in isolated locations, but the number of entrants couldn't exceed 1/3 of indigenous population. As a result, for example, in 1902 in Nikolayevsk - on - Amur there were about 200 Muslims, including
served sentence earlier in Sakhalin. Their moral concerned the imam M. Fattakhuddinov who in two years of his being there could found a local mosque and organize charity. It was created evening maktab where pupils of high school of 4-5 classes studied (from Kyrgyz and Circassians), and also children of Muslims who came from Sakhalin, but left without parental care. The activity of Fattakhuddinov promoted softening of customs and education of local Muslims.
The mosque, Charity and a maktab appeared at the same time. These institutes of Muslim community "mahalla" reflected that stage of development of Russian Islam that it is commonly referred to as Jadidism which consisted in social and political movement since 1880s of Jadida forced into application a sound method of reading and writing tuition, development of curriculums and programs with secular subjects, class and lesson system, examinations, textbooks in native languages, studying of Russian. Authors of the article note that the Jadidism pushed Muslims forward integration subsequently, prevented from clericalisation though sometimes it focused them on wrong path of development, for example, support of pan-Islamic ideology.
Many Muslims appeared in the Far East during the Russian-Japanese war. Exactly during this period there was a group of officers and generals from among natives of Caucasus. For repletion of spiritual discipline of military officers as well as for registration of births, deaths and marriages mullahs were required. Researchers point at a special role in Ummah life during this period of the imam and mudarris of S.M. Urmanov, due to whom contradictions between dzhadidas and kadimists were not so urgent as, for example, it was in the Volga region or Central Asia.
To the beginning of World War I the total of Muslims in the Amur region made already 3 486 people (1,6% of the total number of the population). The problem of maintaining loyalty of Muslims became relevant for authorities during World War I. There were fears that could influence the situation, as before (in 1806-1812, 1828-1829, 1853-1856, 1877-1878) opened military operations with
the Ottoman Empire which was still ruled by the sultan - the Caliph of all Muslims. Fears of the most part didn't come true. Moreover, the Siberian Tatars who were non-conscripted for drafting, served in the military as volunteers. Muslims, who arrived, swore the oath in presence of the mullah under detail with the command staff of the Amur River region military district.
In 1917 the institute of military mullahs was closed down by an Interim government, but Ummah of the Amur river region got so much strong so that it could support ministers of religion without government support, removing from them, at the same time, both official obligations to support the power by sermons and precepts.
The period of the Soviet power establishment in the Far East was short-term, and initiated Civil war ran over time till 1922. If the Soviet Commissariats on Muslim affairs created before White Czechs' march off felt as combat staff of mobilization of all Muslim masses (but without imams), then, on the contrary, in A.V. Kolchak's army the institute of military mullahs was revived.
The Amur river region experienced migration waves, sometimes (quickly) many-fold increasing Ummah (including ministers of religion), but finally it carried away out of borders of the country both many famous theologians and imams, and a prosperous part of local population and guest (temporary) parishioners. A part of them settled then in Harbin.
During the first period of restoration of the Soviet power there weren't oppressions concerning Muslims. Moreover, in the Amur province in 1925 there were two communities (a year before -one). In the time following, as well as throughout the country, pressure upon laities, and then upon believers the number of whom it's impossible to defined due to the lack of statistics increased. In January, 1930 long while survived community of Blagoveshchensk received a "blow" - after antireligious meeting the mosque was closed, and in the late 1930s, as well as almost all other temples of Blagoveshchensk, it was blown up. During 60 years of follow up Ummah was an unformalized association
practicing Muslims gathering in private houses and for maintenance of funerals.
In 1939 in the region there were 2 042 Tatars. Presence of the Central Asian ethnic groups (more than 200 people) became more remarkable. As it was forbidden to place in a border zone dispossessed and deported people, obviously, they were civilians, military and members of their families.
In the post-war period in the region big construction was conducted. For January 1, 1953 there were 16 903 of special settlers (including Balkars, Ingushes, the Crimean Tatars, Chechens). Respectively, their life and spiritual practices were registered by supervisory authority, but without analysis of differences with traditions which developed local Muslims for the previous decades on this ground. Released from under the supervision subsequently they tended to leave the places of the exile, reducing the number of Muslims by creed (or already only by origin) though religious buildings for confession of faith by them didn't appear, and old ones weren't returned.
The number of Muslims by origin in the post-war period increased, and by 1959 reached 5 870 people (0,8% of the population). We will note data on Tatars (including Crimean ones) -5 006 people. In 1979 the number of this population group was 13 902 (1,48%), 7 939 people of them - Tatars. By 1989 the quantity reached the biggest indicator - 25 285 (2,41%) people, but the cumulative number of Tatars and Bashkirs was less than a half -11 785 people. The others were immigrants from the Central Asia and Kazakhstan republics - 5 594 people and the North Caucasus -1 737 ones. The considerable growth was explained by the fact that many villages and Baikal Amur Mainline stations were built by representatives of the different republics. So, Turkmens built the Larba station; Tajiks - Soloni; Uzbeks - Kuandu and Leprindo, natives of Bashkiria - Verkhnezeysk, and from Checheno-Ingush, Daghestan and North Ossetian the ASSR - Kunerm. As a rule, they were young people de minimis connected with religious traditions of predecessors, but near new villages on the line of Baikal Amur
Mainline "Muslim" areas at local cemeteries appeared. Therefore, we assume that someone from youth could organize funerals according to traditions "under Sharia."
Considering the current situation in the Amur region authors note essential reduction of Muslim population in the 1990-2000th. Among the reasons there are: natural losses, assimilation, resettlement to other regions of Russia because of economic woes of a transition period. According to a population census of 2002 the total number of Muslims (by origin) in the region reduced twice - to 12830 people (1,4%). The number of Tatars and Bashkirs at the same time was 6081 persons. By 2010 the number of Muslims (by origin) decreased even more - up to 10571 people (1,27%) where the number of Tatars and Bashkirs became less than a half - to 4290 people.
Among the remained and again arrived Muslims growth of religious feelings was noted that reflects all-Russian tendencies during this period. In January, 2003 in Blagoveshchensk there was held the meeting of diasporas of the area at which it was adopted a decision on creation of Muslim public center and its governing body- the High Council. About three representatives from Tajik and Uzbek diasporas, two - from Daghestanis and one - from Tatars and Turkmen joined it. I. Usmandzhanov was elected the chairman.
The organization under the leadership of this leader acted under different names and not all of them had official registration: "The Far Eastern democracy movement of Muslims," "Muslim Brotherhood," "Muslim community," "The Amur Muslim council." For example, public association Muslim Brotherhood was officially registered in justice department in 2003, however next year Directorate of the Ministry of Justice brought a court action for dissolution of Muslim Brotherhood as the association beared a name of the international organization which is considered terrorist in Russia. The question of construction of the mosque was particularly acute. The community addressed the city authorities concerning allocation of the land property repeatedly, however the lands offered by the city administration were rejected because of hardness.
Since 2009 in Blagoveshchensk activity of Russia's Central Spiritual Governance for Muslims intensified, to a large extent thanks to activity of the representative of this structure in the Far East H. Kuznetsov. The first religious organization (as a part of Russia's Central Spiritual Governance for Muslims) in Blagoveshchensk got official registration on December 14, 2009. Its Chairman was a lawyer I. Fasakhov, and imam - O. Omarov. In October, 2010 as a part of it the second organization in the region was registered - in Zeya (chairman T.A. Kidrachev) where the community acted first of all as a religious group. Most of Muslims of this city are natives of the republics of the North Caucasus, mainly from Ingushetia. The worship house of 70 sq.m has been functioning since 2013 in Zeya. The religious group (head S. Magomedov) is also in Tynda where local authorities allocated ground for construction of the mosque.
By the end of 2011 Muslims of Blagoveshchensk were left without imam, and namazes were carried out by the representative of Uzbek cultural center "Oltin Vody" M. Tulunov in a rented room. All administrative work of the community was on the representative of Uzbek national cultural center "Oltin Vody" ("Golden valley") A.A. Palvanov. Nowadays Central Asian component dominates in ummah, but with important role of natives of the Caucasus. When in 2011 Muslims didn't compel allocation of a lot on the territory of Blagoveshchensk, on their own money they bought land in the suburb of the regional center in the village of Chigiri (in 7 km). And in March, 2013 started construction of the mosque with a total area of 1 200 sq.m.
There is no own centralized religious organization in the Amur region, but communities are geared at Russia's Central Spiritual Governance for Muslims and its plenipotentiary in Khabarovsk akhund A. Garifullin.
Authors of the article pay attention to interesting research results "Image of Muslims in consciousness of the Amur river region population," [Voronkova, Voronkova, 2012, 173-190]. On the basis of an interview with residents of the region (including
representatives of orthodox and Catholic communities) it is concluded that in consciousness of the respondents there was a contradictory image of Muslims marked by both positive and negative characteristics. As positive, for example, it is possible to refer responsibility of Muslims in questions of faith. However, according to the authors, after all in consciousness of orthodox respondents either negative associations, or suppressed tolerance or indifference prevail.
Particularity of perception of Muslims by Orthodox Christians is a combination of the concepts "nation" (or "ethnos") and "confession." "The Russian faith" (i.e. Orthodoxy) is opposed, alas, to "non-Russian" faith. It is also pointed out existence of the known stereotype: "the Russian means Orthodox Christian" which can be compared with the stereotype: "Muslim means terrorist."
For answers of the members of the Catholic community of Blagoveshchensk tolerance and even sympathy in relation to Muslims is more showed. A part of respondents points at belief in one God as a unifier; however, Muslims remain nevertheless different, with "another" culture, dogma, traditions, communication style and mode of dress. Severity, restraint, closeness and cruelty are given as typical features of a Muslim. Responsible attitude to faith, way of interacting and pattern of conduct are virtues of Muslim's image in consciousness of the respondents. None of the respondents followed a stereotype: "a Muslim - a terrorist."
The results of the response analysis of the citizens who don't reckon themselves in any faith showed that their attitude towards Muslims can be characterized as tolerant and neutral, but Muslims are perceived by the respondents as representatives of absolutely other culture. In consciousness of this group of inhabitants it is possible to refer serious attitude towards faith, abstentionism, and respect for the elderly, good attitude towards children to number of positive features of Muslims' image. However, polygamy and impairment of women's rights are given by respondents as negative sides of Muslim culture. "Muslim means extremist" still leaves an important stereotype in consciousness of this category of respondents.
Multiplication of Muslims among the population doesn't raise fears at most of the respondents of all three groups.
In conclusion authors of the article come to a conclusion that though Islam is an over ethnic religion, but there is a tendency to creation of ethnic and regional communities seeking to cultivate on the Far East territory traditions, inherent in places of their origin. It is obvious, for example, on Zeya community where most of parishioners are from Ingushetia. Judging by the evolution of Blagoveshchensk community authors also note occurred for the last more than hundred years (as a result of migration and demographic processes) change of its ethnic core - from Tatar to Central Asian and North Caucasian.
Author of the abstract - Elena Dmitrieva
2018.04.003. SAIDA SIRAZHUDINOVA, SURKHAI GALBATSEV. ETHNO-POLITICAL COMPETITION AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF DAGHESTAN // "Vlast," Moscow, 2016, № 2, P. 149-154.
Keywords: ethno-political competition, elite, civil society organizations, sustainable development, the republic of Daghestan.
Saida Sirazhudinova,
PhD(Politics), Doctoral Candidate,
South Russian Institute, Russian Presidential Academy
of National Economy and Public Administration
Surkhai Galbatsev,
Graduate Student,
Department of Political Science and Ethnic Policy, South Russian Institute,
Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration
The authors analyze the problem of the ethnopolitical contest and the structures of civil society of the Republic of Daghestan
