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modernization proclaimed by the president does not succeed, corruption will suffocate not only democracy but also developing civil society.
"The Caspian region: politics, economy, culture", Astrakhan, 2009, N 4, p. 103-110.
N. Ivanov,
political scientist N. Kiryushina, political scientist A. Rudakov, political scientist S.Ustinkin, political scientist
THE ACTIVITIES ON THE TERRITORY OF RUSSIA OF FOREIGN NON-GOVERNMENTAL RELIGIOUS-POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS
At present, a number of non-governmental religious-political organizations (NRPO) pursuing various aims and tasks carry out their activities on the territory of the Russian Federation. This specter of NRPO varies from the so-called "wahhaby" jamaats to religious-political parties like"Hizb ut Tahrir al-Islami" and extremist sects like "Nurdjular" and "Sulemandji"
The Turkish religious-political sect "Nurdjular" intensified its activities. Its activities are oriented to the literary creative works of Turkish author Badiuzzaman Saida Nursi (1876-1960) for the time of reforms of Kemal-pasha Atatyurk. This period was characterized by the defeat of Turkey, ally of Germany, during the First World War resulting in the uncontrolled disintegration of the Ottoman Empire. Under these conditions Atatyurk proclaimed the course for modernization of Turkey, and de-islamization of traditional Turkish
society became the basis of his reforms. The secular characteristic of modernization reforms supposed the evident separation of religion from the state, which resulted in cruel persecution of Islam. The majority of the Turkish population professed and professes Sunni Islam of Hanafit type in the form of some Sufi orders-tarikats. As a result of reforms, carried out by Kemal-pasha, the Sufi brotherhoods were liquidated, and many its adepts had to leave Turkey, the number of Islamic educational institutions, mosques was greatly reduced, the norms of shariat were excluded from the legal process.
Against the background of decline and degradation of traditional Turkish Islam B. Said Nursi wrote some religious works called upon to restore respect of Turkish society to traditional Islam. Some researchers of literary creative work of Nursi regard him as a fundamentalist, which, probably, does not correspond to reality, since Nursi in his works positively commented activities of many Sufi tarikats, which have many adepts in Turkey. On the contrary, fundamentalists consider Sufism as a "sinful innovation", being far from "pure" Islam. In other words, Nursi supported in his works the values not of fundamental but of traditional Turkish Islam. The works of B. Said Nursi do not contain any information, able to cause hatred or animosity, intention to humiliate a person or a group of persons for reasons of religion, national or other reasons, several experts stress. It seems that it is possible to agree with the authors of this expertise, who say that publication of works, written by B. Said Nursi, "in contemporary Russia is desirable to avoid probable inadequate perception, given classical commentary, possibly, in the form of preface, which could put the readers into the real picture of the definite historic period".
At present, the leader of the sect Fetullah Gyulen Hadji-Efendi enjoys rather great political influence in Turkey, while he maintains contacts with the high officials, leaders of the state. He keeps under
control some Turkish mass media and pursues by means of them the propaganda policy for the benefit of ideas of Islamic fundamentalism and Turkish Pan-Turkism. The activities of the sect are arranged in a secret way, and new foreign members are admitted to the sect after thorough check of their loyalty. Each new member is instructed to keep secret his membership in "Nurdjular". The sect has its own secret service, which is in charge of exposing agents of national secret services and law enforcement bodies. The organization possesses its newspapers, TV, holdings; its main spheres of activities are press and education. The financial means are received at the expense of grants and thanks to functioning of firms, banks and holdings, belonged to the sect. Besides, the leader of the sect F. Gyulen is able to finance it legally through Turkish industrial-financial corporations (holdings Ihias, Asya finans kurumu, Isik sigorta) and by means of foundation Ihias, which all possess their representatives in Europe and Turkey.
The events in Chechnya and Dagestan, particularly the terrorist acts, committed by Islamic extremists on 11 September 2001 in the USA, made the Turkish authorities take actions, directed to limitation of activities of "Nurdjular" within the country. The question is that the brotherhood, professing not only Pan-Turkic but also Islamist ideology, is closely connected with terrorist organization "Bozkurt" ("Grey Wolves"), shares its program directives and renders financial assistance to it. At the same time, the secret services of Turkey takes steps to extend the sphere of the sect's activities abroad, regarding them as one of the means of consolidation of positions of Turkey in the countries of the Trans-Caucasus, in the Russian North-Caucasian region, in some Central Asian states-members of the CIS. At the same time, the special attention is paid to propaganda of Islamic ideas by means of creation of education institutions. More than 200 education centers, founded by the emissaries of the sect, propagate Islamic extremism and Pan-Turkism.
Simultaneously "Nurdjalar" carries out activities for implementation of the program aimed at training cadres of Russian Muslim clergy in theological education institutions of Turkey, where their personal and working qualities are studied, where they are get acquainted with ideas of Islamic extremism, national-separatism, where they are trained to be engaged in underground subversive actions after their return to the RF.
The preference is given to training of perspective young people with due account of their cadre capacity, a probable occupation of key posts in economy, science, government structures in Russia. Members of "Nurdjular" propose the students to get big material and financial assistance in exchange for membership in the sect and participation in its activities.
Since the beginning of the 1990s, the missionaries of "Nurdjular" implement the program aimed at creation of education institutions (including the general education) on the territory of the Russian Federation. For the period from 1993 to 1999, the sect commissioned Lyceums in Astrakhan, Karachaevo-Cherkessia, Dagestan, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Yakutia and the Republic of Tuva. Mass media made public the information about activities of missionaries of "Nurdjular" in Adygeya, Kabardino-Balkaria, in Volgogradskaya and Rostovskaya regions, in Krasnodarski krai and in Stavroposki krai.
The other organization, which carries out its activities in Muslim umma of Russia in order to recruit new members, including proselytes, is international terrorist organization "Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami" (the Islamic Party of Liberation -"HT"), the Sunni religious-political organization, founded in 1952 in the city of Kuddus by judge of shariat court of appeal Takiuddin an-Nabhani (1909-1977/79). After his death the leader of the party became Abdul Kadim Zallum (born in 1925) from Palestine, who kept his post till 2003; the present leader is Ata Abu Rasht.
After the year of 1967 "HT" actually did not exist, having considered that it was impossible to arrange Islamic revolution under conditions of occupation by Israel. Ten years after the death of the leader of "HT" and twenty years after cessation of the party's activities, during the first intifada in Palestine the leaflets of "HT", printed in Palestine, were disseminated on the occupied territories.
In the middle of the 1990s, the organization with the same name appeared in the Central Asia in the form of mighty international association of Islamists. The organization structure of "HT" is not adapted to the Central Asian region, it was founded without due account of local traditions, imitating organization "Muslim Brothers" of the 1950s in Egypt. At the same time, some principal provisions (work in trade unions, sport organizations) were excluded from program documents of Egyptian Islamists.
Unlike other Central Asian Islamic extremist organizations (Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - IMU, Tajik Islamic Opposition), which appeared in the form, determined by a complex of local ethnic-political and social-economic reasons, emergence of "HT" only partially corresponded to political demands and economic intentions of some strata of the population in the Central Asia. The experts think that there were no natural pre-conditions for emergence of "HT" in this region. For that period, the radical Islamic "niche" was occupied already in the Central Asian states, but "HT" without particular difficulties succeeded "to make agreement" with other Islamists on division of spheres of influence in the region.
Besides, in contrast to IDU, which was based on mainly marginal and poorest strata of rural population, particularly having suffered from reforms, carried out according recommendations of World Bank and International Monetary Fund (WB and IMF), "HT" oriented its propaganda, inter alia, to educated city citizens, dissatisfied with
the way and tempos of social-economic transformation. While IDU used mainly methods of local armed struggle in the traditions of the Central Asia (the bandits-insurgents movement of the 20s-30s years of the XX century), "HP" applies primarily "intellectual" and "hightech" forms of organizational and propagandist work directed first of all to creation of efficiently governed trans-border network of its structures ("cells") in different regions.
The experts note that "HT" is characterized by the fixed directive to win the political power by spreading its influence all over the world. Unlike simple Islamic extremist organizations, "HT" consequently creates its structures even in traditionally non-Muslim regions recruiting representatives of non-Muslim ethnic groups. The forms and methods of recruitment of new members by activists of "HT" resemble the methods of modern western totalitarian sectors like Jehovah Witnesses and Scientologists. In the course of recruitment members of "HT" stress not only the struggle for dominance of Islam in the whole world but also membership in the influential international structure, able to ensure the future of "HT" member. Unlike agitation and propaganda forms adopted by all Islamic extremist organizations (conclusions of religious authorities, sermons in mosques, audio and video materials, books, written by S. Kutba, Al-Maududi, Ben Baza, who are founders of Islamic extremism, as well as works of contemporary authoritative religious radicals), "HT" at the first stage of its activities in the Central Asia started to disseminate the series of books, written in the middle of the 1950s for residents of Palestine by not authoritative and unknown sheikh Takiuddin an-Nabhani. In contrast to usual extremist groups, each established and headed by the recognized spiritual and organizational leader, who is also an authoritative criminal, "HT" lacks the authoritative leader and probably is governed by a group of people.
The high level of management in "HT" was achieved by means of Internet, used by the party since its creation. The analysis of information-propaganda materials, disseminated by "HT" in the countries of Central Asia, shows that they do not correspond to mentality of local residents, to their national-psychological features and the system of value orientations. European or American specialists could, probably, participate in preparation of these materials. It was noted that propaganda activities of "HT" are carried out according to the principles and rules of contemporary political technologies.
Unlike the sources of financing local groups of Islamists in the Central Asia, based primarily on narcotics business, racket, trade of people, arms smuggling, theft of cattle, illegal privatization, the "HT" possessed unlimited financial resources from up to present unknown sources. The location of "HT" head-quarters has not been determined -probably Palestine, Jordan, Great Britain, which give financial support to it. Membership of "HT" is secret. The number of members is unknown, and, according to some data, there are 20 thousand members of "HT" in the Central Asian region. The "HT" regional centers are located in Great Britain (London), Germany (Frankfurt am Main), Turkey (Istanbul), India (Laknau), Saudi Arabia (Jidda), Palestine (New Jerusalem). The most active cells of the party carry out their activities on the territory of Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia, PRC, the Central Asian region of the CIS. The party publishes in Jordan its magazine "Al-Vai" ("Conscience"). The wide scale extension of "HT" activities was proved by its congress, held in London on 24 August 1996; about one thousand delegates from different countries of the world attended the congress. "HT" is forbidden in some states of Europe, the Near East and CIS.
"HT" is regarded as a terrorist organization and is forbidden in Russia by the decision of the Supreme Court of the RF on 14 February 2003. The organization is not officially registered and is represented by emissaries and numerous secret cells and adepts.
In order to achieve the fixed aims, the leaders of "HT" realize step by step the adopted plan, which foresees the gradual creation of the organization's cells in various strata of the population of a previously determined country, the further consolidation and passage to public upholding of their interests and at the final stage to - the forceful seizure of power with the final aim of proclamation of caliphate and expansion to neighboring countries. All power in such state should belong to the religious figures of Islam and be subject to the laws of shariat. As one of the main directions in activities of the organization is considered the creation of the wide network of infrastructure (secret apartments, underground typographies, depots of material-technical and other equipment), recruitment of supporters in mass media, among students, influential Muslim spiritual leaders, experienced jurists (particularly from human fights protection organizations) in order to prepare in future legalization of "HT"
At present, one may see a sustainable trend to the numerous and qualitative growth of "HT". At the initial stage of its activities, "HT" recruited all those who wanted to join it, mainly unemployed and illiterate youth, but now the stress is made on recruitment of educated and cultured young people. "HT" recruits new members from persons under criminal investigation, prisoners, intensified its activities among students of high and higher education institutions.
"HT" caries out its activities, applying skillful tactics quite carefully. Representatives of "HT" denounce publicly the use of force for achievement of political aims. In the materials of the British branch of "HT", taking into account western public opinion, it is asserted that
the party strives for creating caliphate only in Islamic countries, while in other regions, for instance in Europe and Russia, "HT" limits its propaganda with explanation of peculiar habits of Islamic way of life. The party pays great attention to attract to its activities and to recruit to "HT" the representatives of intellectuals, who enjoy authority and have influence on public opinion, who are able to raise the level of agitation and propaganda of "HT". The party aspires for recruiting representatives of the political elite, who are able to have impact on the situation in the advantageous direction for "HT". It pays attention to recruitment of officials in the law enforcement bodies: it plans to use them to overthrow the ruling regimes in contemporary Muslim countries and further to liquidate the state of Israel and to ensure extension of the caliphate's territory by force.
This mechanism, used for attracting supporters and for arranging mutual actions, is characterized by its cheapness and efficiency, since, given skillful propaganda, it lets involve wide strata of society even in case of scarcity of active party members. Many documents of "HT" give evidence to intention of the party to split society. It concerns mainly the societies in Muslim countries and the countries, where exists a rather great and influential Muslim community (for instance, Russia). Ideologists of "HT" declare that Muslims should urge towards coup d'etat in the countries, where exist "incorrect" regimes, and towards restoration of "Islamic rule". The similar appeals disseminated in various countries, split society. Muslims are disoriented in their political and social position: should they support the ruling regime or wage war against this regime in the name of creation of caliphate?
A lot of propaganda materials are directed to instigation of hatred and animosity, of humiliation of an individual, of peoples, countries, groups of countries for the reasons of nationality and religion. "HT" declares Jews to be the vicious and mendacious people, who hate
Muslims most of all. According to "HT" plans, the state of Israel should be demolished, since it is located on the territory of Palestine, proclaimed by the party as an Islamic land. The USA and Great Britain as well as the peoples of these countries are accused of kufr, i.e. of disbelief and animosity to Islam and Muslims. The Russian people are offended as the people annihilating Muslims in Chechnya. President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin was put in the list of persons, considered by "HT" as enemies of Islam. Muslims of all countries are called upon to proclaim jihad - sacred war against Christians and Israelites. The excessive influence of the countries of the West on Islamic world and the anti-Muslim policy, carried out by the USA and its allies, is called to be the justification of jihad.
A great part of program and propaganda documents of "HT" contains provisions, provoking Muslims to forceful actions and annihilation of people in the direct or veiled form. The use of force as a means of political struggle follows from the party doctrine itself, i.e. is one of the main instruments of the caliphate's construction, since creation of this state entity supposes the review of the internationally recognized and relatively stable borders of contemporary states, which may be realized only in the forceful (military) way. Besides, the caliphate, according to the views of the party, should include some territories, won over by Christians from Muslims as long ago as in the XIV-XV centuries, particularly a rather great part of Spain (Andalusia), which is also impossible without the large-scale forceful actions.
The content of force, proclaimed in the views of the party on dissemination of Islam, is expressed by conception of jihad, incorporated in a number of "HT" documents. In most documents jihad is considered as a system of forceful actions, including military actions directed against the adepts of other confessions, the states, regarded as "enemies of Islam" (Israel, the USA, Great Britain, Russia), and against
their citizens, as well as against contemporary leaders of Muslim countries, who do not recognize "truth" of the views of this party and who intend to maintain dialogue with countries of the West and with Russia. Many documents of "HT" include repeated appeals to the forceful overthrow of the regime in one or other country, to liquidation of their leaders, which also proves the conclusion on the substantial role of forceful actions in political plans of the party. It should be noted that some categories of people, according to the views of ideologists of this party, should be subject not only to forceful actions, but also to physical liquidation (in particular, Jews, citizens of the state Israel).
"Nizb ut-Tahrir" has its own standard and easily recognized style in description of its views and appeals, characterized by simplification, clarity, emotion and repetition of the main idea of the document, which makes it possible to conclude that these documents belong to this party. A number of "HT" documents (articles in magazine "Conscience", proclamations, instructions etc.) are written in the characteristic manner of presentation, which lets determine them and consider as documents of this organization.
The materials of "HT" contain mentions of other Islamic parties. However, "HT" makes the distinction for itself among these parties by the declaration that it urges towards unification of all Muslims and creation of the caliphate. "HT" criticizes activities of other parties for the limited nature of their political demands and social aspirations. A number of "HT" documents contain appeals for disobedience to laws of existing countries, including laws of the Russian Federation, because Muslims should not obey any other norms, except "orders of Allah". At the same time, some documents include appeals for violation of the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation, directed to "liquidation of the Kremlin power" over Tatarstan and the Caucasus, and question legitimacy of the power of Russia over "occupied" Chechnya.
A threat to the constitutional order and sovereignty of the Russian Federation is contained in the attempts, taken by "HT" to aggravate the situation in the North Caucasus and to provoke separatist feelings within ethnic national groups in the North Caucasus. "HT" carries out its activities also to undermine the authority of the Russia power and trust to it, to include some territories of Russia in the so-called Islamic caliphate. The leaders and activists of "HT" regard its terrorist activities as a "minor" measure in case of impossibility to attain the fixed aims by political measures.
Other foreign extremist organizations show their worth on the territory of the Russian Federation rather poorly. Their role is rather reduced to the support of the extremist groups on the territory of the RF, which have already got some positions in local society, including the youth.
Thus, the Islamic extremism represents a real threat to the Russian Federation. The extremist structures display great interest to the youth of Russia, and make not only the law enforcement bodies but also the whole Russian society look for ways in order to take counter actions against extremism. The joint actions are the must to reduce greatly the level of the threat and to block its negative results.
"The Islamic youth in contemporary world", N. Novgorod, 2009, p. 46-55.
