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http://rn.rosbalt.ru/exussr/201/09/1312645.html
http://www.centrasia.ru/news.php?CR=5
http://cont.ws/post/58124
http://www.centrasia.ru/newsA.php?st=1404799080
http://www.poliyrus.com/2014/05/16/china-turkmen/
http://www.centrasia.ru/newsAphp?st= 1407129840
http://gundogarnews.com/index.php?category_id=1&news_id325
http ://e-center. asia/ru/news/view? id=6325
http://ria.ru/defense_safety/20140929/1026099285.html
http://vesti.az/m/?c=show&id=222323
"Rossiya i noviye gosudarsva Evrazii / IMEMO RAN. " Moscow, 2014, No 4, pp. 115-126.
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S. Filatov,
Scholar of Oriental Studies KABARDINO-BALKARIA IN SEARCH OF RELIGIOUS PEACE
The Kabardians and Balkarians adopted Islam later than many other people in the Russian Federation. .The history of religion of these two peoples is connected with alternate veneration of heathen, Christian and Muslim traditions, each of which has left a trace in the spiritual and cultural life of these peoples. The last twp religious systems often acquire certain features of heathen cults. The consciousness of the Kabardian people is well reflected in the folk proverb: "It's better to revere all Gods than to offer prayers to one, but neglect others, for they may feel offended."
One of the main national features of the Adygei s (including the Kabardians) is the existence of an original ethical code regulating family and economic life, as well as the equestrian code of honor. In the view of certain contemporary Kabardian ideologists, Adygei ethics is
the only true national religion of the Adygeis, which had been given them by God. Barazbi Bgazhnokov, a scholar and public figure, maintains that it is Adygei ethics that made Kabardian Islam more tolerant and cultured and created a layer of the Muslim intelligentsia, so-called Kabarda aristocracy, which had completely been eliminated under Soviet power. In his view, "Muslimism is observance of the principles of Adygei which is accompanied by reading the Koran and fulfilling Islamic rites. This creates the ground for the establishment of humanistic Islam dominated by peaceableness, accord and mutual understanding. Adygei ethics can rightly be compared with unshakeable national religion, which is loyal and tolerant to the world religions -Islam and Christianity."
The Balkarian people (Turkic by origin) also have their popular ethics (mountain adap) closely connected with Islam.
The revival of Islam, which began in the years of perestroika, is in complex relations with Adygei ethics. They may take the form of symbiosis, or the form of a military conflict. One of the expressions of the complex character of these relations is the ideology of the leaders of the main national organizations of the Kabardians - Adyge Hase (Circassian Congress). Among them are supporters of peaceful symbiosis and equality of Adygei ideology and Islam, domination of Islam, and domination of Adygei.
There were only two mosques officially functioning in Kabardino-Balkaria - in Nalchik (the capital) and in Kyzburun. Beginning from 1985 the number of Muslim organizations began to increase. By the end of the 1980s there were nine mosques. In 1989 the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the North Caucasus, which had existed in Soviet times, split into seven independent republican spiritual departments. The first congress of Muslims of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic took place in Nalchik in 1990. It formed the Spiritual Board
of Muslims of Kabardino-Balkaria. The main candidate to head it and supported by the authorities was Shafik Pshikhachev, the only Kabardian who had Muslim education and was completing his studies in Syria at the time. The Balkarians put forward their own candidate -Sharafutdin Chochayev. Pshikhachev refused to accept nomination, and on his proposal the repatriate from Jordan, Muhammed Khuanzh, was elected mufti, and Chochayev his deputy. A year later, after completing his studies, Pshikhachev took the post of the head of the board. Chochayev remained his deputy with wide powers. At the time a conflict flared up between Kabardians and Balkarians. Pshikhachev kept neutrality in the conflict, and emphasized the importance of Chochayev's role. As a result, it was possible to avoid a split of the board into two parts - Kabardian and Balkarian. Since then the mufti has always been Kabardian and his deputy - Balkarian.
In 1992 Valeri Kokov was elected President of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. From that time the spiritual board has been in constant contact with the republican authorities, despite the fact that there has been a strong opposition to President Kokov. Sh. Pshikhachev has consistently pursued the policy of the revival of Islam as he understood it, that is, maximal cooperation with the authorities, and alliance with Adygei and other public organizations. All this presupposed an ideological compromise with public opinion.
In 1992 a construction project of a big public and religious center in Nalchik was started in Nalchik, which would house the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Kabardino-Balkaria, Islamic university, a prayer hall accommodating 1,500, a hall for wedding ceremonies, a conference hall, a book depositary, and a print-shop. In 1994, republican Muslims, with the participation of President V. Kokov, representatives of public organizations, and municipal bodies, laid the foundation stone of this center.
Sh. Pshikhachev was against the introduction of the Shariah norms. He maintained that they should be accepted "spiritually," "symbolically." In the view of one of the heads of the Spiritual Board of Muslims, the Shariah law will not be fully accepted in the republic. The Sufi tradition is an intellectual tradition of Islam and Sufism has its historical roots in Kabarda. It is especially popular with the old folk. The heads of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the republic hope that they will be able to create such atmosphere there, which existed in Kabarda before the 1917 revolution in the midst of the Kabardian Muslim intelligentsia, when Shariah judiciary was combined with local traditions and Islam was regarded the softest, tolerant and loyal religious cult toward Russia in the North Caucasus. Sh. Pshikhachev adhered to liberal views on Islam and favored the introduction of European values in Muslim world outlook, and regarded himself a fellow-thinker of the liberal mufti Talgat Tajuddi, rather than Ravil Gainutdin.
During the 1990s the main aim of the policy of the Kabardino-Balkarian Islamic leaders was the construction and opening of mosques in all populated centers (it was achieved by 2010), the development of Muslim education, and training of teaching personnel in various educational establishments, primarily in the Middle East. In 1991 the first official madrasah was opened in Nalchik, which was transformed into an Islamic institute in 1993. About one hundred students from Kabardino-Balkaria have studied in Saudi Arabia (at Mohammad ben Saud University), Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Turkey. The Arab charity organizations accredited in the republic rendered material assistance to students. Saudi Arabia helped open the Center of Islamic Youth in Nalchik, and also a section of the International organization for saving Islam "Daugat." It had fifty employees working in different places of the republic. Its activity and plans were coordinated by the Spiritual
Board of Muslims. "Daugat" concentrated its work on kindergartens and schools The study of the foundations of Islam has gradually been introduced in all public schools of the republic. Official madrasahs have also been opened, besides Nalchik, in Baksan, Kurkuzhin, Sarmakovo, Kamlyukovo, and Tyrnauz.
In the mid-1990s a legal opposition to the leadership of the Spiritual Board of Muslims was formed in Kabardino-Balkaria, which was called "Young Muslims." True religion for them was "pure Islam" without folk customs and the Sufi tradition. The Shariah is the norm of Muslim life, the ideal which should be reached, if possible. At first, the leaders of the opposition were officially members of the Spiritual Board. There were also informal leaders of the opposition, among them representatives of the Wahhabi trend of Islam. The dissenters accused the Spiritual Board of excessive loyalty to the authorities and of neglect of orthodox Islam and the interests of Muslims.
In the first years of their activity the dissenters advocated only peaceful methods. However, as time went by the most radical representatives of Islamic young people became militants fighting for the idea of an Islamic state. In the latter half of the 1990s extremist tendencies emerged in Kabarda Islam, which caused a corresponding reaction of the authorities and a considerable part of society.
The first manifestation of rejection of "court Islam" was the demonstration against the Spiritual Board organized by amir A. Kazdokhov in 1996. He threatened the Board with "bayonets of the faithful." Kazdokhov was stopped, but his brazen demonstration marked the beginning of the movement of Islamic extremists and terrorists. In 1997 an attempt was made to blow up the monument to the 400th anniversary of Kabarda joining Russia. In 1998 the armed gang of the Wahhabi A. Atabayev was defeated. Soon after that the building of the Ministry of the Interior was shot at by a grenade gun. In the early
2000s several hundred Wahhabis formed a well-armed gang and set up a virtual military base on the border of Karachayevo-Circassia, Kabardino-Balkaria and Georgia. The bandits committed several acts of terror on the territory of the North Caucasus. But the gang was eventually destroyed. Some of its members were killed, others were arrested and tried, still others fled abroad.
The local authorities connected the danger of Wahhabism and extremism in Kabardino-Balkaria mainly with semi-legal communities and underground groups which emerged spontaneously as a result of the activity of Chechen and Middle Eastern preachers of "pure Islam" and "jihad" against the "infidels" in Russia. According to Sh. Pshikhachev, "there are underground amirs in the republic who have the aim of creating a caliphate... These young men are very much like Wahhabis." In 2002 Pshikhachev resigned and the Spiritual Board was headed by Anas Pshikhachev, his relative, who headed the struggle against the radical opposition.
In the late 1990s an opposition organization came into being -Jamaat of Kabardino-Balkaria, which could replace the official muftiat at any moment. According to the law-enforcement agencies, sections of the jamaat were set up practically in all districts of the republic uniting up to ten thousand people. From the very beginning of jamaat's activity its leaders opposed themselves to the official Spiritual Board of Muslims of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, the republican authorities, and the law-enforcement agencies.
By 2004 the villages of Sbrun-3, Kuba-Taba and Volny Aul, where young Islamists had virtually ousted all followers of traditional Islam from the mosques, became the centers of the radical Islamic opposition. The peak of the extremist-terrorist activity was in the middle of the 2000s. In reply to growing extremism the authorities
stepped up the persecution of Islamists and restriction of the activity of Muslim organizations.
In 1999 the republican Law on freedom of conscience was adopted. It contained special premises for controlling the activity of Muslim communities. According to the Law, there should be 50 members in a religious organization so that it could be registered, but not ten, as was the case of the federal Law. A religious organization has the right to exist only after registration. During several years after 2000 the authorities ordered the closing down of all Islamic centers sponsored or patronized by foreign Arab organizations accredited in the republic. Any Muslim activity was considered lawful only within the framework of the Spiritual Board.
In 2003-2004 the authorities took active measures against the heads and members of the jamaat of Kabardino-Balkaria. Quite a few of them were detained and searched on suspicion of their contacts with the commander of Chechen gangs Shamil Basayev.
The decision to build a big Islamic center in Nalchik was revised. The authorities deemed that such a center in the city was not needed and gave Muslims the cinema theater in the outskirts of Nalchik to turn it into mosque. The social activity of Muslims was put under control of the authorities. Mosques were now opened only on Fridays for an hour and a half. Mufti Anas Pshikhachev noted with indignation that after 2000 control of the authorities over the life and activity of Muslim communities was too strict.
At the same time Anas Pshikhachev has stated time and again that this activity of the authorities has a positive aspect, because it is directed against the spreading of the Wahhabi trend in the republic. In particular, the mufti was satisfied with the fact that sermons in mosques should now be delivered with permission of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the republic. The authorities also control the
appointment of imams who should now receive personnel appraisal by a special commission of the Spiritual Board.
However, the terrorist activity of radical Islamists has been growing. The leading role in the Wahhabi opposition to the muftiat and the secular authorities now belonged to the "Yarmuk" jamaat headed by ten inhabitants of Kabardino-Balkaria headed by Muslim Atayev, who had previously fought in the ranks of the Chechen separatist militants.
In an anti-terrorist operation in Nalchik Muslim Atayev was killed. But the terrorist grouping continued its subversive and terrorist operations.
In 2005 Valeri Kokov was replaced as President of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic by Arsen Kanokov. He decided to soften religious policy somewhat. The authorities agreed to give more freedom to the Spiritual Board of Muslims and allowed it to implement certain initiatives, provided they would be strictly controlled by the law-enforcement agencies. Mopping-up operations in mosques were softened, and the construction of the Islamic center was resumed. But the Islamists continued their extremist and terrorist activities.
The radical Islamic movement has acquired new energy and strength. In 2005 Kabardian Islamists made the most brazen and bloody raid. In the morning of October 13, 2005, several groups of well-armed Islamists attacked buildings of government and law-enforcement offices in several districts of the republican capital Nalchik. Fighting continued for more than 24 hours. After that the terrorist groups were smashed. Among the casualties were 92 terrorists, 12 peaceful citizens and 35 men and officers of the police and law-enforcement agencies.
In August 2006, there was a bitter fighting between radical extremists and representatives of the special services in a suburb of Nalchik.
In November 2006, Anzor Astemirov, who headed the extremists' attack on Nalchik in 2004 and 2005, published his address to the authorities of Russia in the Google Video service. "We do not accept any laws except the laws of Allah, and those who do not wish to submit to His will and live by His laws will be duly punished." He called on all Muslims to fight the Satan helpers and "wage jihad against the system of international Satanism, one part of which is the Russian state, which has been trying from olden times to eradicate Islam, enslave Muslims, and turn our children away from our faith. The Muslims of the Caucasus, the Urals, the Volga area and Tatarstan should unite in the struggle for faith." Astemirov declared Kabardino-Balkaria a zone of fighting operations and promised to carry out spectacular acts of terror on its territory. The amir of Kabardino-Balkaria promised to begin his campaign of terror with the elimination of "traitors," important officials in the republic, and the clergymen, and businessmen supporting the authorities. "Up to now we have been indulgent toward those who regard themselves Muslims, but now things will be different. Now we shall distinguish between the genuine Muslim in deed and the one in words." Apart from that, Astemirov announced that his fighters would punish, in the name of Allah, all Muslim traitors. He also said that the Wahhabi underground includes not only rank-and-file citizens of Kabardino-Balkaria, but also representatives of special services and law-enforcement agencies, who actively help the revival of the Islamic republic.
In March 2009 Astemirov was killed in battle with the fighters of the law-enforcement agencies. Despite the loss of leaders, the Islamists have succeeded to dispose of the Kabardino-Balkarian mufti. On December 15, 2010, Anas Pshikhachev was killed in Nalchik.
On March 15, 2011 at an extraordinary congress of Muslims of the republic Khazretali Dzasezhev was elected head of the Spiritual
Board of Muslims of the republic (mufti). He continued the policy of his predecessor.
After the death of the jamaat leader Anzor Astemirov and several of his close friends and accomplices, new Islamists have come to replace them. They formed a branch of the Imarat Kavkaz and levied local entrepreneurs with "tax on jihad" under threat of bodily harm.
In February 2011 the militants thwarted the holiday season in the vicinity of the Elbrus Mountain; they broke the cableway and shot and killed a group of tourists from Moscow.
On January 26, 2012, Islamist fighters broke into a gym of a school in the center of Nalchik and killed an army officer who played volleyball with a group of friends there.
Among the victims of terrorist acts are mostly Kabardians and Balkarians (and seldom Russians). It's because the Salaphite terrorists consider it their primary duty "to improve the souls of the mountain people. Local policemen, government officials, "bad" imams, and representatives of the secular intelligentsia are the main targets of terror.
Since then armed raids of terrorists have become regular events in Kabardino-Balkaria. The republic is in a state of a sluggish civil war, as it were. Wahhabi sentiments are widespread among senior secondary school pupils, technical school and university students. According to expert estimates, about thirty percent of Kabardian and Balkarian students share Wahhabi beliefs, and it should be noted that Kabardians are more religious than Balkarians. It is indicative that during the past sixteen years several dozen Russians have adopted Islam, and some of them have joined the extremist fighters. The federal authorities became dissatisfied with the inefficient struggle against terrorism, and this resulted in a change of the head of the republic. In December 2013 President Kanokov was replaced by Yuri Kokov, who had spent a great
part of his working life at the law-enforcement agencies. Experts expect that this change will lead to a much harsher policy toward Islamic extremists.
The struggle of the special forces, the police and law-enforcement agencies against terrorists is not an isolated struggle between these two groups. There is a growing fear among the Kabardian and Balkarian public and intelligentsia for the future of their people and republic as a whole. People are afraid of their land becoming an arena of a full-scale bloody war as was the case of Chechnya and Daghestan. The continuing construction of the Islamic center in Nalchik is causing numerous protests of part of the local public who fears that this center may become a hotbed of Islamism.
A majority of the republican population (three-quarters) is formed by Kabardians, Balkarians, and other traditionally Muslim groups of people. Apart from them, there is a numerous Christian community represented by Orthodox Christians, Protestants and very tiny Catholic community. Russians and other traditionally Christian people are about 200,000, or one-quarter of the population of the republic
Orthodox Christianity and other Christian confessions appeared on the territory of the present Kabardino-Balkarian Republic comparatively recently - in the 19th century. Russians live mostly on the border with Stavropol territory, in the Cossack districts (towns of Prokhladny and Maisky), as well as in Nalchik. Orthodox Christian Kabardians live on the territory of North Ossetia in Mozdok district, who renounced Islam in the 19th century. The influence of radical Islam make many Russians leave the region.
In 1990-2003 the Stavropol bishopric, which included the North Caucasian republics, was headed by Metropolitan Gedeon (Dokukin). He positioned himself as "Orthodox Christian patriot" and regarded his
diocese as an outpost on Russia's border with the Muslim world. In his view, the state should support the Orthodox Church and the latter should propagandize state interests. He maintained constant contacts with muftis and government officials. The local press contained reports and articles saying that the church and mosques are able to maintain peace in the North Caucasus.
In 2003-2011 the head of the Stavropol bishopric, Bishop Feofan pursued a policy of unconditional priority of peaceful coexistence of Islam and Orthodox Christianity.
Protestantism plays a noticeable role in the religious life of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. There are about forty Protestant churches and groups in the republic. In the conditions of the struggle with extremist tendencies and the Wahhabi trend the Protestant Church plays a positive role. Besides, it helps foster young people in the spirit of tolerance and constantly works for their deliverance from drug addiction.
There is a small but active Catholic community consisting of three parishes - St. Joseph in Nalchik, Holy Family in Prokhladny, and Annunciation in Blagoveshchensk. They do fruitful work among young people, organize summer camps, sports competitions, etc. Catholic missionaries have built a big rehabilitation center for drug addicts. The Catholic community also renders financial and other assistance to the boarding school for mentally retarded children in Nalchik.
In 1994-1995 the authorities formed a strategic alliance of the Russian Orthodox Church and official Islam - the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. The concept of the alliance was as follows: the two main traditional religious communities should bear responsibility for the spiritual revival of the people and cooperate with the authorities and between themselves. In December 1995 the Council for ties with religious organizations was formed under
the President of the republic with two Orthodox priests, four representatives of the Muslim clergy, and one rabbi.
Representatives of Orthodox Christianity, Islam and Judaism are also members of the Public Chamber, and take part in conferences, forums and programs organized and supported by the authorities.
Islam is the main religion in the republic. The Spiritual Board unites 125 organizations, practically in each populated center where there is either a mosque or community. Protestantism comes next -26 churches and Orthodox Christianity - 21 organizations.
The republic has adopted a special educational program for young people with a view to fostering tolerance among them. Contests on "Religion and Tolerance" are arranged among school pupils. Within the framework of these contests children draw and write verses on the subject of friendship of peoples, peace between religions, and opposition to extremism. The panel of judges includes artists, teachers, writers, an Orthodox priest, mufti and rabbi. Social and cultural projects have the motto "We are different, but together," and "Good deeds - our religion."
Representatives of the authorities note the growing influence of the Protestant Church in the republic, which draws both Kabardians and Balkarians, but this is not a matter of great concern in society. The authorities are quite tolerant to the religious and social activities of Protestants and Catholics who help poor and homeless people and do voluntary work at hospitals.
In 2010 the republican administration organized an inter-confessional camp in which Orthodox believers and Muslims took part. The Russian Orthodox believers and Judaists observe their holidays quite freely and with the help of the authorities - New Year celebrations and Purim. There is a special committee in charge of organizing hajj (in 2012, 440 men went to Saudi Arabia and in 2013 - 319). The
Foundation of support of Islamic culture and education regularly arranges conferences and seminars for Muslims.
References
1. B. Bgazhnokov. Adygskaya etika [Adygei Ethics]. Nalchik, 1999, pp. 84-85.
2. Izvestia, 2002, 13.05.
3. G. Punanov. Vahhabitskoye podpolye. Partizansky jihad protiv Rossii prodolzhayetsya [Wahhabi Underground. Guerilla Jihad against Russia Continues].
4. T. Titova Kadardino-Balkariya: registratsiya prodolzhayetsya. [Kabardino-Balkaria: Registration Continues]. Kestonskaya News Service. 3.11. 2000.
5. NG-regiony. 19.01.2004.
6. NG-regiony. 14.08.2006.
7. NEWSru.com. 17.11.2006
8. Izvestia, November 21, 2011.
9. http : //adigasite. com/archives/1668
10. Izvestia 26.03.1998. Stavropolskiye gubernskiye vedomosti and Vecherny Stavropol, 26.03.1998.
11. NG-religii. 24.07.1997.
12. Gazeta Yuga, No 5. 01.02.2001.
"Ekonomicheskiye, sotsialno-politicheskiye i etnokonfessionalniye problemy stran Vostoka," Moscow, 2014, pp. 179-199.
G. Rudov,
Ph. Dr. (Political Science), Professor, Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
of the Russian Federation
FERGHANA VALLEY: REASONS FOR CRISIS
PHENOMENA AND WAYS OF THEIR
NEUTRALIZATION
The destruction of social peace in Syria, the continuing crisis in Ukraine, the Middle East in flames, and the revival of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict - all these events can be included in the modern
