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Nevertheless, one should hardly expect that introducing the Islamic methods of financing in the banking sector of Kyrgyzstan will be mass. The most optimistic scenario is creating of the Islamic "windows" by the traditional commercial banks.
The intention of "Ekolslamic Bank" leadership to transfer its experience on financing introducing according to sharia beyond Kyrgyzstan, in particular, in the other states of Central Asia and Russia gives rise to doubt because "EkoIslamicBank" has no enough resources. Bishkek will be hardly give a good run for Alma-Ata's money as the regional center of the Islamic finances when Kazakhstan's becoming active at the market of the Islamic finance services, i.e. to put the fourth stage into practice foreseen by the above-mentioned memorandum on the mutual understanding between Kyrgyzstan, "EkoBank" and the Islamic development bank.
As for the other states of Central Asia then Tajikistan is tipped to achieve success in the market development of the Islamic finance services. There is the working group under the National bank to study and introduce the Islamic financing in the Republic. IDB actively supports the working group. A special unit specializing on developing the Islamic finance products is in one of the leading Tajik banks -"Agroinvestbank".
"Islamskaya ekologicheskaya model'Isovremennost",
M, 2010, p. 272-276.
G. Rudov,
THE WORTH OF SOVEREIGNTY AND THE GENESIS OF POWER IN POST-SOVIET STATES OF THE CENTRAL ASIA
From the time of declaration of independence and disintegration of the USSR, the states of the Central Asia (CA) go through a difficult
period of statehood, directly connected with stability of the whole region. They continue the course in search of orientations relating to their internal and foreign policy, formation of their own political direction, determination of their place in the world system subject to transformation.
One should notice that these processes are complicated by the need to solve at once, instantly the social-economic, military-political and confessional problems. At the same time, it is impossible to ignore the meanings of some analysts and experts that the Asian countries, the former republics of the USSR, objectively turned out to be less prepared for adequate perception of new realities and democratic forms of state power. The countries of the region are characterized by the great influence of Islam on social consciousness, by stereotypes of clanship and localistic tendencies, authoritarian rule and even feudal mentality. Taken together, these factors (with due account of remained elements, principles and forms of the Soviet-Party leadership and cadre policy) up to present remain the basic norm, which ensures, rather strangely for adepts of neo-liberalism, the adequately efficient functioning of new power structures and allows as a whole to solve the problems of political and economic stability.
The similar genesis of power with various options is characteristic for all states of the Central-Asian region. The enumerated features are marked particularly clear in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and they are seen as well in Kazakhstan. The purposeful policy of creating an image of "the chief' and "the father" of the nation personified by the present leaders is carried out in these republics. The attempts to disassemble the formed power structures had not enjoyed the wide public support. And what is more, as the experience in Tajikistan showed, they result in the national crisis fraught with not
only disintegration of the state but also with destabilization in the whole region.
In essence, the sole alternative to the party-clan authoritarian rule is Islamic fundamentalism, which, in its turn, foresees a rigidly regulated power structure, headed by one leader. It should be recalled that the Central-Asian region was and is a particularly significant zone of national-state interests of Russia. It is very important for Russia that the Central Asia should be a zone of stability and dynamic development, not burdened by any internal and adjacent points of tension, a zone, which is opened for mutually beneficial international cooperation. It is significant to ensure that both Russia and the CA states themselves as well as prominent states of the region and of the West are interested in intensification of such mutual action.
Up till present, for all states of the region without exception Russia remains the most significant partner and neighbor. It is the recognized guarantor of regional stability and security, despite the presence there of the coalitional anti-terrorist forces. The multilateral (within the framework of the CIS) and bilateral military-political and economic agreements with Russia create the conditions for preservation of internal stability in the region and for continuation of the peaceful state construction. At the same time, it should be remembered that at present the CA turned out to be in focus of attention paid to it by the global and leading regional powers, the international financial-economic structures, became the sphere of cooperation of a wide specter of participants, the arena of rivalry among non-regional forces. It is conditioned by the geo-strategic significance of the region, by its vast oil and gas and other mineral resources. The states went through rather painful period of adaptation to new geo-political conditions of forming foreign policy conceptions and defense doctrines, which adequately take into account the realities and complications of behavior
in the world of many ties with former allies and new partners. These processes are complicated with consequences of the inefficient economic policy of new independent states, which failed to adapt to new conditions of autonomous economic governance. For the first half of the 1990s, their economic hardships were aggravated by the new orientation to the far abroad countries. Even by the beginning of the XXI century the trade turnover of Russia with the CA countries made up only one third of the trade turnover with former CA republics within the framework of the USSR. Having liberated itself from the burden of "donor" for the CA states, Russia lost an essential part of its attractiveness for them. Evidently, due to the loss by Russia of its dominant position in the CA and due to the purposeful aspiration of the third countries "to push out" Russia, as well as due to the crisis in Russian economy and public life and the upsurge of nationalist feelings in the CA countries - all these events could not help undermining the authority of Russia in "the Central-Asian distant region" and instigating the local elites to be less attentive (and sometimes behaving in a slighting tone) to Russia. It was especially evident in the example of Uzbekistan in time, when the former leadership of Russia actually ignored the requests and appeals of the head of the biggest state, in terms of the number of its population (25 million people) and economic capacity, the state which claimed for the role of the regional leader.
This situation was noticed both by the closest Asian neighbors, "good friends" from the West and by various Islamic structures propagating ideas of nationalism and Pan-Turkism. One should recall the explosions in Tashkent, arranged by the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IDU), military actions of fighters, marked by seizures of hostages and human losses in the south of Kirghizstan in 1999 and in 2000. Later IDU again made the declaration on its wish to overthrow the secular regime of Karimov: in spring of 2004 in Tashkent and
Bukhara the terrorist acts resulted in massacre and numerous victims. President I. Karimov on 31 August 2004 declared that the extremist movement "Hizb ut-Tahrir" had organized these revolts with the view to create a caliphate on the territory of Muslim states. The leadership of Uzbekistan pointed out that the ideas of this extremist organization represent a significant threat to stability of the country and to its neighbors. The activities of the radical extremists were not stopped even by big joint training exercises against terrorism arranged by member-states of ODKB on the territory of Kirghizstan.
Appraising the events in Uzbekistan, vice-president of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Problems, Colonel-General L. Ivashov said clearly: "It should be taken into account that the phenomenon of shahids is rather non-traditional for Uzbekistan. But the situation changed, when the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan established close contacts with talibs, who took under their wing the IDU headquarters. The experience was transmitted, while the social milieu was maturing for these years". P. Zolotarev, a deputy director of the Institute of the USA and Canada, thinks: "This is a component of the general process of the international terrorism and the consequence of the events in Iraq, as well as of the USA actions in Iraq.. .In is time, Moscow warned Washington that the operation in Iraq, characterized by its evident anti-Islamic direction, will explode the situation in the region, including the Central Asia, will result in intensification of the world terrorism. The attempts to keep the USA from taking the erroneous step failed, and at present it is to reap the fruits."
The task of ensuring of security in the south of Russia is directly connected with the problems of stability in the CA countries, and therefore the Central-Asian region was and remains an exceptionally significant zone of Russian national-state interests. The need to keep here the dominant role of the RF is determined by the unsettled internal
political and social-economic issues in the CA countries, by existing latent, including inter-ethnic and territorial, contradictions among them. The emergence of the first conflict in Tajikistan and further in Uzbekistan and in the south of Kirghizstan in total with the continued fire in Afghanistan and the big fire in Iraq make this region be very unstable and explosive with a great potential of probable ethnic-political conflicts. Under these conditions, the presence of Russia -political, economic and military - in essence is the sole factor able to guarantee here peace and stability. The departure of Russia will result in an unpredictable avalanche of events, fraught with disastrous consequences. As a result, there will appear the probability of interference of the third countries, motivated not only by the malicious intent but also by the instinct of self-preservation, by the interests of ensuring their own security.
At present, the Central Asia has become an object of the targeted political, economic and ideological external ascendancy primarily on the part of Muslim states. There are two mutually connected trends: the rise of interests by the Central-Asian countries themselves in intensive development of political and economic ties with foreign states and the urge of such countries as Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia towards exclusion of Russia from this region and installation of their dominance. The problem of regional mentality is stirred up permanently in the CA countries. The phenomenon of the term "regional" consists in its narrow direction, which makes it closer to "the Central-Asian idea" uniting the peoples of the Central Asia with the peoples of Iran, Afghanistan and the Sinkiang-Uighur Autonomous region of the PRC.
For the post-Soviet period, the process of re-perception of national history and its inclusion in the world system was going on in the CA republics, which was expressed in the essential correction of
views on the historic past. The most evident example of this process was seen in Turkmenistan. The first president of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Turkmenbashi in his book "Rukhnama" wrote: "It was my destiny to become the leader of the Turkmen people on the boundary between two millenniums. I had an important responsibility to lead my people from misfortunes and failures of the dismal epoch of its past history to the acmes of the third millennium. My doctrine is Rukhnama. Rukhnama is a direct systemic line of world outlooks, going by their substance to the national self-consciousness of the Turkmen. Rukhnama is the method of their realization under specific conditions of the started process of self-realization of the Turkmen nation."
The president of the neighboring to Russia state, who sticks to "positive neutrality", trying to keep a certain distance from Russia and simultaneously making advances to the West, the USA and Muslim states on the basis of the biggest oil fields in the Caspian Sea, tried without any reservations indirectly and directly to accuse Russia and Russians of all past and present misfortunes of "his people". It is worth citing the following passage from "Rukhnama" to see the way of education of the contemporary Turkmen generation: ".for the XIV-XVI centuries the divided Turkmen people started to lose their former might. The Turkmen famous dynasties akgoyunly and gargoyunly were at loggerheads with each other. The struggle between them accelerated after Russians reached the borders of Khasars . Russia installed on the Turkmen territory the governance, which depended on it, unleashed religious propaganda and carried out its own cultural policy.It must be confessed that for the years, which we spent within the USSR, we reconciled ourselves to the characteristics that the Turkman was an uncultured, uneducated nomad and cattle-breeder, living in a black yurt, more precisely yarlyk. Those, who had their own
meaning, were declared enemies of the people, were humiliated and discriminated... We lived in this condition for 74 years, which were the years of anguish and low spirits, lack of faith in the day of tomorrow."
It is amazing that the leader of the state, having received higher education and started his professional work in Leningrad and having raised to the highest stages of the party nomenclature after his return to the republic perceived his life in this way. It is not necessary to cite numerous speeches of S. Niyazov at the congresses and meetings of those times, when he loaded and sang his praises relating to the socialist reality and community of "the Soviet people". Really, did Russia and the Russian people fail to bring something valuable to Turkmenistan and other CA countries? Let us recall the reconstruction of Ashghabad from ruins after the disastrous earth brake in 1948, the construction of Tashkent after the earth brake in 1966. It is impossible to forget that all republics of the Central Asia became the zone of complete literacy. The traditional southern diseases were liquidated, electricity was accessible even in small auls, the network of schools and medical points was created, the irrigation was practiced, in big cities and small towns there were built plants and factories, the higher education institutions and the high professional schools. It should not be forgotten that "Rukhnama" was translated into dozens of languages of the world and may be read by hundred thousand people of Europe, Asia and Latin America, who might ponder over the phenomenon of "Russian bear", getting all and everything under itself. The western mass media continue to cry from the house-tops about "the threat" on the part of Russia. One would like to hope that time will show the truth, and the people will adequately appreciate the input of Russia in development of the republics, the present sovereign states of the Central Asia. It should be stressed that the mentioned words, spoken by the state head do not promote
consolidation of relations between the peoples and the long-term security in the unstable region of the world.
As A.D. Shutov correctly mentioned, "the leaders of Georgia and Uzbekistan regard not Russia but the USA and NATO as their closest friends and strategic partners, "unselfish sponsors" and benefactors and with reckless hurry are ready to provide or provide already the territory of their states for location of foreign military bases. " Therefore the thesis "the CIS - the priority of Russian foreign policy" should remain unshakeable. It should be recalled that since the old times the Central Asia and particularly Fergana valley were and are characterized by poly-ethnicity and multy-confession. The CA was the place of coexistence of many peoples, of mutual exchange of cultures and traditions. For many centuries different religions co-existed, were propagated and disseminated there. The dissemination of Islam was started since the VII century and continued till the XIX century. Many traditions and rituals of the region's peoples were formed under the influence of this religion, which is very significant for shaping national mentality of the peoples. This fact forces the leaders of all CA countries to pay attention to spiritual education according to the needs of the peoples. The leaders of the CA countries are interested in Muslim mentality of their peoples. But in no circumstances they will wish to share their powers with the religious organizations, which urge towards a special place in public and political life of the country. Proceeding from the above said, it is possible to make the following conclusions.
For the period of state sovereignty, obtained by the CA republics, their leaders often presented Islam as an expression of national mentality, and they use it for consolidation of their position and for opposition to Russian influence. At the same time, the justified wish of Russia to keep its presence in the region and its authority is interpreted as a continuation of its expansion, which might be opposed by Islam.
Therefore the aspiration for constructing national economy is accompanied by restoring Islamic norms.
The present leadership of the CA republics formerly belonged to the high and middle nomenclature of the CPSU and the Soviet State. It is evident that they do not want to create a religious society. These leaders are not ready to reconcile with the political demands of any religious groups. It is proved by the pressure by the president and its circle against religious groups in Uzbekistan and by liquidation of party "Alash" in Kazakhstan. The participation of the state leaders in religious feasts and their encouraging statements on religion are the actions within the framework of activities aimed at using Islam as a factor promoting shaping and consolidating national identity. The analogous phenomena are characteristic also for the Muslim regions of contemporary Russia.
The external threat to security of the CA states became less dangerous as a result of "defeat" of talibs. The risk was reduced to the use by international terrorism of the regional territory to undermine security of Russia. The situation on the border between the CA countries-members of the CIS and Afghanistan was ameliorated. However, it remains dangerously explosive for a seen perspective depending on narcotic traffic - the main source of financing terrorism in all its forms. At the same time, a principally new geopolitical situation emerges in the CA. The military-political presence of the USA acquires a rather prolonged characteristic, and consequently it will mean expansion of NATO to the Trans-Caucasus.
The Central Asia becomes a center of attraction of multi-polar vectors of force: "the northern" (CIS and Russia), "the western" (NATO and EU, the USA and Turkey as the main directive "mentors" for the region's countries), "the eastern" (China), "the southern" (OES, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and other Muslim countries). These
countries, as well as others, have or wish to have their interests, intend to get their niche in this difficult but perspective region for the period, marked by weakening of Russia. On the basis of the century-long cooperation of Russia with the CA countries in the course of elaboration of Russian foreign policy in this direction it is necessary to take into account its various aspects and to remember that the period of undivided rule of Russia as an "elder brother" and the mightiest neighbor in the Central Asia has come to end and that in future Russia will have to carry its policy under conditions of rigid competition.
With due account of the rise of the geopolitical significance of the CA (big natural and human resources, the factor of Afghanistan and Iraq, the Caspian oil, the restoration of the routes between the East and the West within the framework of Great Silk Way etc.), the efforts exerted by various external forces for penetration in the region will be extended in all directions. Russia, possessing its limited financial, economic and military capacity, will experience more difficulties to keep its influence and presence there. It will be difficult to form an efficient regional security system with due account of interests both of Russia and the CIS as a whole without elaboration of an extensive scientific-theoretical strategy of national security. It is necessary to comprehend clearly that consolidation of only national security without taking into account of interests of neighbors will only promote emergence of instability and mutual distrust.
The probable change of political elites in the nearest future is a significant factor. For the last years, the young generation of politicians, educated in the elitist education institutions of the USA, EU, Japan, Turkey, leading Muslim countries gradually penetrates the state governance at all levels. And not only the change of state leaders but also the change of the political course of the CA countries will be quite probable. In this case, the politicians, connected with Russia by their
education and friendly relations, will be probably replaced by the new generation of politicians and managers, free from Soviet aspirations and oriented to "democratic values" in their western perception and interpretation. This course of events may lead to the change of the political course of the CA republics and to their orientation to the West. The national opposition and western analysts stress that the present leaders of the CA states have exhausted all their resources and chances for reformation and development of these countries and that the existing authoritarian regimes provoke revolutionary processes. With due account of this point of view, one should not exclude the turn of some CA countries to the side of radical Islam.
The analysis of the 15-years practice in relations of Russia with the CA republics shows that they are conditioned by the mutual action of diversified objective and subjective factors and makes it possible to mention some conclusions and suppositions.
The prognosis may be made that the Central-Asian region will be an active zone of "instability and friability" for the mid-term perspective.
It should be remembered that the USA and its allies regard the CA and the Caucasus as a united oil and gas province and that they have come to the region for a long time, thoroughly arranging the situation for themselves and being able to raise their material inputs.
The USA, Russia, China and the EU are objectively the main significant countries, which will form the climate of security for the XXI century in the Central Asian space. At the same time, for all countries of the CA Russia will remain further the most significant partner and neighbor by all parameters. It is a recognized guarantor of stability, sustainability and security.
For the future, Russia should also concentrate its attention to the development of perspective integration trends both within the
framework of the Community of Independent States and with the countries, which appraise the CIS itself and its structures in a different way.
The Russian economic interests should be given a priority and should be protected by specific actions in all spheres and primarily by the counter actions against foreign penetration and the support given to the presence of Russia. The traditional cooperation with the CA countries of Moscow, St-Petersburg, of the subjects of the RF in Siberia, Ural, in the Caucasus as well as of the Central Russia represent a significant reserve on this way.
It is necessary to determine the policy, which should be clear and comprehensible in Russia itself and for the external forces relating to all post-Soviet states of the CA. A significant attention should be paid to the substantiated appraisal of the hierarchy of internal and external threats. The military cooperation of Russia in the CA region should be directed first of all to ensuring the strategic interests of the Russian Federation itself, to consolidation of its national security by further intensification and extension of reciprocal action both within the framework of the CIS and on the bilateral basis.
For elaboration of the position of Russia it is significant to take into account both its long-term national interests and the needs of the countries within the zone of Russian influence (ensuring their security, maintenance of the balance of forces in the region, promotion of development etc.). The policy of different "pressures", "peremptory shouts" and "deterrence" showed its lack of perspective and proved its inefficiency by events of the last years of this century. This task may be achieved only by a complex of economic, political and military measures.
For the coming second decade of the XXI century Russia should elaborate its policy in the CA with due account of the following
directions: Russia-the USA-China, Russia-India-Pakistan; taking into account the activities of the anti-terrorist coalition - the USA-Russia-Iran-Iraq-Afghanistan with inclusion in this list of Japan, the leading Arabic oil producing countries and other Muslim states of the East. At the same time, while shaping the policy and practical steps in mutual relations with the CA states it is necessary to take into account that the influence of three prominent religions and of five great cultures remains significant: Islam, Buddhism, Orthodoxy and Islamic, Chinese, Slavonic, Mongolian and Iranian cultures. After disintegration of the USSR, the western culture and European values are presented in the region in a peculiar way by means of special etalons of democracy and human rights. At the same time, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia by many ways (and rather successfully) try to indoctrinate their ideas in the south and in the east of the Central Asia, particularly in Fergana Valley and in the Caspian Basin. The strategic aim of Russia should be subordinated to the most significant task to achieve preservation of the Central Asian countries in the zone of Slavonic culture, which, evidently, will promote stabilization of the whole region.
"Krah dugi nestabilnosti: Balkany-Tsentralnaya Aziya", M, 2010, p. 176-189.
Robert Landa,
doctor of historical sciences (the IOS of the RAS)
ISLAMISM IN THE CENTRAL ASIA AND RUSSIA
Some experts in religion regard Islamism of today as a simple pseudonym of nationalism. It is both correct in one sense and incorrect in the other sense. The contemporary Islamism is a definite stage of
