Vakhabism is a religious-political conception, which appeared in Nejda (Internal Arabia) in the 18th century and was called in the name of Muhammed ibn-Abd-el-Vakhab, who called for uniting the Arabian tribes and banishing out the Turks from Arabian countries. The call to settle these political tasks has a religious form. The main dogma of Vakhabits was the single Lord. This dogma was directed against tribal cults, which impeded the union of Arabian tribes, as well as against official �Turkish� Islam, which, according to Vakhabits, had postponed the single-Lord conception having established the cult of Muhammed and saints. Vakhabits demanded the restoration of Islam in its �initial purity�, uniting of Arabs under the banner of �true Islam�, liquidation of �apostates from Islam� (�polytheists� Turks). Vakhabits condemned feudal lords and rich citizens of the Oman Empire, were against of pilgrimage to �holy places� and against of monkhood. The most radical Vakhabits called for �brotherhood� and �equality� of people.
Vakhabits� doctrine had the same social roots, as the mediaeval Mahdist movements, which were the movements of poor nomads against rich urban merchants and feudal lords. The union of Arabian tribes which in the second half of the 18th accepted the Vakhabit doctrine, soon became a feudal state governed by the Saudids, who by the beginning of the 19th century captured almost entire Arabia and tried to spread their power to neighbouring countries (Syria and Iraq). By that time the Vakhabits� doctrine had lost its initial character and transformed to the ideology of Arabian feudal lords. The Vakhabit state, which in 1818 was annihilated by Egyptian army, later was restored within Nejda, but in 1885 Vakhabit rulers were banished out of the country.
In the 19th century the Vakhabit religion was spread in North India (regions of Patna, Sittana, etc.), especially among Afghan tribes, which struggled against colonial England.
In the 20th century the state of Vakhabits in Arabia was restored under the guidance of Abd-ibn-Saud, who controlled also a number of regions of Arabia and who by 1932 united them in the state (Saudi Arabia). At the present time this doctrine is the official religion of the country and is used by the Vakhabits again the leading democratic ideas.
Big Soviet Encyclopaedia, volume 1
Nurlan ABLYAZOV (THE GLOBE)
Boris Rumer (Davis Centre Harvard University),
ALMATY, Oct 1
The fast-developing events connected with the invasion of Islamic extremists along southern border of the former USSR, again attract attention to the Central Asian region. The falling interest to the region (in 1994 out of 52 issues of weekly The Economist, 19 issues contained materials devoted to Central Asia) was replaced with a new splash of publications. But this time journalists and analysts are not interested only in evaluations of the natural reserves of the countries of the region and methods of their transportation to the world�s markets. Today they are talking about activated Islamic extremism and a real threat to the stability in Central Asia.
The following events happened almost simultaneously:
- the attack of Chechen troops in Dagestan;
- escalation of the Afghan conflict;
- Islamic attack in Kyrgyzstan.
These actions seem synchronic and even co-ordinated. At least, leading Russian politicians and servicemen think so.
�Customers and ideologists of the terror seriously consider the Republic of Chechnya as a platform, where the construction of the vast pseudo-Muslim state�from the Caspian Sea to Black Sea may be started,� the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced on September 17 in Moscow at the meeting of the Federation Council (Commersant, #170, September 18, 1999).
At first sight, this has something in common with paranoia (and not only at first sight), doesn�t it?
However, the events of the last weeks developed so rapidly, and that is the main thing - seem so co-ordinated, that it is getting difficult just to give up the rhetoric of Russian politicians.
�We may prove that band�s attacks in the Northern Caucasus and Central Asia are organised and being realised according to the single plan. Most probably, they are financed by the same sources,� one of the leading representatives of the Russian general headquarter the general Leonid Ivashov stated (Nezavisimaya gazeta, 15.09.99).
We do not know, whether the general has proofs or not. But the development of the events makes us if not agree with the statement of Moscow politicians, then to admit the ground of their anxiousness.
Do the leaders of the Central Asian countries share this anxiousness?
If:
- the events in Dagestan and the situation in Central Asia are the links of the single chain, and indeed this is the attack of Islamic extremism of the southern regions of the former USSR;
- Islamic extremists in Central Asia will apply to the same methods, as in Russia;
- at last, the present conflict in Kyrgyzstan either is not localised or it is of a long character,
practically we have no time to think. The situation demands decisive and fast co-ordinated actions by the heads of the Central Asian states.
The internal situation in the Central Asian region is extremely favourable for a successive attack by forces of Islamic extremism.
The economic catastrophe in the countries of the region, poverty of the most part of the population and a lost of trust to the leaders, all these factors have created extremely favourable conditions for the introduction of the fundamentalism ideology and recruitment of gunmen.
Poorly disguised mutual irritation of the Central Asian leaders, which recently has transformed to a public confrontation, undermines the possibility of a fast and co-ordinated repulse.
The events of the last months gave more grounds to doubt in the ability of the authoritarian Central Asian regimes to control the countries. This was brightly proved by the blows in February at the governmental (!) square in Tashkent and the sale of MiGs to North Korea by Kazakhstan missing the government, which aroused an international scandal.
The last example is especially illustrative. If, according to the Kazakhstan government, this transaction was concluded without the government, about what vertical of the power or strict regime we may talk?
If indeed, MiGs were sold, and the government of the country knew this, i.e. Astana consciously take a risk to spoil relations with Washington, a strategically important partner, for the sake of US$ 8 million, this proves even more that the Kazakhstan government is partially incapable and degraded.
In case of a military threat, the Central Asian leaders asked Moscow for help. But at the present time Russia has the conflict in Chechnya, and this time their regimes are actually alone with well-trained, well-paid and well-equipped gunmen.
Do Akaev, Karimov, Nazarbaev, Niyazov and Rakhmonov realise the reality of the threat?
Kuanysh ZHUMANGAZINOV
ALMATY, Oct 4 (THE GLOBE)
The change of the centre of interests of leaders of the world�s Islamic terrorism to Central Asia was marked with the creation of a new bed of the local military conflict in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan.
The strengthening Islamic extremism and its approaching to the Kazakhstan borders arouses a serious anxiousness. Supporters of different Islamic streams take part in the conflicts in Caucasus and Afghanistan, as well as in terrorist acts and diversions in Central Asia. Their main objective is to create a single Islamic space. According to the Shariah, if a country has more than 50% of the Muslim population, the country is to be considered as a Islamic state.
In this regard, Kazakhstan may be of a great interest for radical Islamic streams. The interests can be explained not only with the geographic location of the country, but with the availability of the human potential.
About 70% of the Kazakhstan population is Muslims
According to the data of the Ecclesiastical Muslim department of Kazakhstan the number of the Muslim population in our country comes to about 10.5 million people. This is approximately 70% of the total Kazakhstan population. The religion is being confessed by 27 nationalities. The number of mosques in the republic is about 5 thousand, including 22 - in Almaty.
Supporters of Islam confess the Sunnite Islam. Islam is being confessed not only in mosques, but it also is studied at educational institutions. For example, in 1991 the Islamic Institute was established, which since 1997 has the status of an Islamic university. Future imams are being taught at the institute. By the present time more than 400 imams have been prepared. Only citizens of RK who know Kazakh have the right to become an imam. All officially registered religious Islamic amalgamations are controlled and subordinate to the Ecclesiastic Muslim Department of Kazakhstan. This institution headed by the chief mufti consists of numerous departments (education, propaganda, on foreign connections, juridical, on economic activity).
The scheme according to which the Ecclesiastic Department manages mosques is simple. The organisational-structural activity of mosques in Kazakhstan complies with the administrative-territorial division. Correspondingly there are regional, district, and aul (rural) mosques in the republic. The chief mufti transfers all his instructions to the authorised regional imam, the latter, in his own turn, - to the town imam, etc. Besides, the Ecclesiastic Department established the revision commission to settle the issues regarding the attestation of imams and opening of mosques.
To open a mosque, according to the Law of the RK �On freedom of conscience and religious amalgamations�, it is necessary that a group of citizens of not less than 10 persons who have come of age call a meeting, where the charter is to be approved. The charter is to be registered by the executive organisation in the place of supposed activity. The Akim of a settlement should render help allotting a site of land and, if necessary, a suitable building.
The activity of a mosque may be either temporarily or completely stopped only due to the two reasons: according to the resolution of the joint meeting of founders of the religious union, as well as in case of a self-liquidation (cancellation of the activity) and according to the court decision, when the activity of the religious union contradicts its charter (provisions) or to the legislation current in force.
According to the above-mentioned law, the state financing of religious unions is prohibited. The basis of this provision was the Constitution, where the idea that Kazakhstan is a secular state, i.e. its activity is not connected with religion and independent on the religion in its solutions. That is why the question comes. From what sources are mosques maintained? Representatives of mosques say they are maintained at the expense of charitable donations and the economic activity. According to these persons, they have no other sources for their existence. Is it really so and is it possible at the present time? Let�s apply to a real example, but you have to have your own conclusion. In Almaty there is a mosque, where more than 100 pupils from all regions of Kazakhstan live and study. Moreover, they live in the mosque from prescribed several months to several years, and none of them gives any financial usage for the mosque. The mosque has no farm garden attached to it. But every pupil is provided with everything required (food, dress, etc.).
Vakhabism in Kazakhstan: a closed theme
Our trial to receive comments by supporters of Islam on comparatively radical wing, which disturb the world, as well as on moods of our Muslims failed. It occurred so that now they are mainly anxious with only spiritual treatment of the population. Only once the imam of a small mosque stated that in Kazakhstan there were a lot of missionaries from Tajikistan and Saudi Arabia, who were absolutely outside the control of the Kazakhstan ecclesiastic circles?
The strengthening �Islamic factor� which has become one of the main themes for the Kazakhstan mass media and a food for meditation for most citizens, still has some unclear aspects. For example, many people are inclined to interpret actions by Islamic extremists as �for the sake of the idea�, and actions of hired gunmen as �for the sake of a personal purpose� for supporters of Vakhabism (the Vakhabits). Possibly, this is the error of both press and television, which continuously repeating the word �Vakhabism� till the present time have not touched the issue concerning when and where this stream was established, and with whose name it was connected. THE GLOBE corrects the mistake and proposed the readers the material about the history of this religious doctrine. Read the material on the same page.
Vakhabits� battle cast and inclination to take part in conflicts were noted in the first half of the 19th century. For example, during that period in many parts of India there were disconnected revolts of peasants and craftsmen against English colonisers. The most significant revolts were initiated by the Muslim sect of Vakhabits in Bengalia. In 1831 three districts near Calcutta were seized with the revolt. In 1846 eighty thousand Vakhabits again rose in Bengalia, though they were defeated.
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