CC BY
19
Roman Silant'ev,
cand. of historical sciences (MGLU, Moscow) THE ISLAM-CHRISTIAN "DIALOGUE" IN RUSSIA
The dramatic strained international and inter-religious relations over the post-soviet area laid stress on the inter-religious dialogue during the post-soviet period of the Russian history. The soviet policy for such conflict prevention based on atheistic propaganda and blurring of distinctions between the ethnos became quickly non-topical and one couldn't change it. So, the authorities delegated much powers for the public figures and spiritual leaders to prevent the religious and national conflicts being especially interested in the regular structures where the people of the different nationalities and religions could speaking their language.
The inter-religious dialogue during the newest period like during the soviet period was aimed, first of all, at peace-making efforts; however, its tasks were more to it than that. Not all the people were permitted to take part in it but only the representatives of the most important religious traditions of Russia, being named as "traditional confessions" in 1997. The main participants of the inter-religious actions in the post-soviet Russia were the Orthodox Christians, the Moslems, the Judaists and the Buddhists and sometimes the Catholics
the Old Believers joined them but the followers of the new religious movements have never joined them.
Mutually useful cooperation between the traditional confessions could actually defuse tension in the sphere of the inter-religious and the international relations and also additionally helped to optimize a process of Russia's spiritual renewal. By the joint efforts the spiritual leaders of the different religions could make the authorities to realize the important initiatives in protection of the traditional spiritual values of the Russians. Unfortunately, the situation in the inter-religious dialogue in the post-soviet Russia turned out to be not such unclouded as during the first inter-religious meetings during the soviet period. Some Moslem leaders of Russia didn't lose the opportunity to be reputed as mouthpieces of the Moslems by means of attacks at the other religions. Besides strained relations such policy caused Islamofobia increasing as typical citizens of Russia didn't know about the Islamic community split and took strong statements of some muftis on the television screens and the pages as a consolidated position of all the Moslems.
The leaders of the Muftis Board of Russia were especially distinguished themselves on this path. The young mufti, Ravil' Gainutdin, tried initially to be isolated himself from his teacher as much as possible, Talgata Tajuddina, being known for his warm relations with the Russian Orthodox Church and adopted a very implacable stand with respect to the Orthodox majority. He tried to be reconciled with Moscow Patriarchy in 1997 after bitter attacks in the middle 1990-ss having even issued a special fatwa concerning a respect for the Judaists and the Christians; however, he didn't manage to have a constructive cooperation with the Orthodox believers. So, in September 1998 Gainutdin having met the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, Alexis II, made haste to declare that the Patriarch deprived the archbishop
Yaroslavskogo and Rostovskogo Micah of office that supposedly interfered with second mosque building in Yaroslavl. But indeed no sanctions were imposed on the archbishop but the first personal meeting of Gainutdin with the Patriarch was also the last one.
No doubt that the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church leaders towards the Moslem spiritual leaders of "old" and "new" generation was noticeably differed. The Orthodox community couldn't but take a notice of the splits and deposition of the respectable muftis; all the more the persecuted representatives of the "old" generation had to ask the Orthodox brothers to help them -as, for example, the supreme mufti Talgat Tajuddin in the autumn 1994. Besides, the leadership of Moscow Patriarchy couldn't but be upset because of offensive critics at their old partners for the inter-religious dialogue where the initiators were their pupils and followers having betrayed them. Eventually, the Orthodox believers doubted very much in the new mufti legitimacy; many of them looked openly the criminal elements or extremists. In the aggregate this all made the relations difficult with the Supreme coordination center of the spiritual boards of Russia's Moslems and then also with the Russia Council of muftis.
For their part the new leaders of the Russian Islam didn't hide a hostile attitude towards the Orthodox believers. While the ROC was negotiating with the Caucasus Moslems on the Chechen crisis regulating the mufti R. Gainutdin was interviewing in the following way:" Unfortunately, the supreme hierarchs of our churches mainly have a meeting, declare but those achieved agreements aren't put into effect in practice. And I would like to give the example. Both Holy Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia and the other leaders meeting with the Moslem religious figures say that the Chechen conflict doesn't concern religion. We respect each other and appeal our faithful to follow the road of the peace and harmony. At the same time ROC
directs its churchmen in the army waging a war at the territory of Chechnya. Sending the soldiers to the war they give their blessing to them to kill. And the Moslems having seen that the churchman of ROC gives his blessing to them to kill and sacrifices the weapons ask: where is that sincerity, where are those agreements that "we won't stimulate a war and murders of our citizens?" In March 2000 in the Memorial synagogue on Hill of Respectful Salutation at the third meeting of the Inter-religious board of Russia's muftis the mufti, R. Gainutdin, created a stink about the presence of the supreme mufti T. Tajuddin there and left the meeting having stated his position in the article: "Who is to profit by the Moslem split?" written by his counselor Vyacheslav-ali Polosin in the "Moslem newspaper".
The main idea of this article is that Russia's Moslems have only one lawful leader - R. Gainutdin so the actions of ROC are provocative having invited "dust-laden figure of the past" - the supreme mufti T. Tajyddin. "And who in general needed to invite Ufimskoe central spiritual administration being "alternative" to the Board of Russia's muftis? What was the reaction of the metropolitan himself if only he came to the meeting of Inter-religious board of Russia's muftis and saw the churchman G. Yakunin near being anathematized by him, the Kiev patriarch, the bishops of the foreign and catacomb churches? Has the metropolitan himself the authorities to represent the interests of the most ancient Christian church in Russia - Old Believers'?" - the author asked.
Since 2005 the Board of muftis began sharply criticizing the initiatives of ROC concerning introducing the basic principles of the orthodox culture at the schools and renewal of the military churchmen institution in spite of the fact that the mufti R. Gainutdin signed before with his own hand the appeal of the Inter-religious board of Russia to the minister of education, V.M. Filippov, on separate teaching of the
basic principles of four traditional religions of Russia in the secondary schools. His anti-orthodox statements at the conference in February 2006 were at his zenith when he accused the Orthodox hierarchs of conscious understatement of the Moslem number that are indeed in 7 times more in comparison with the Orthodox Christians.
The other representatives of Russia's mufti board agreed with their leader. Co-chairman of the mufti board Saratovskoy oblast cardinally made the relations worse with Saratov eparchy of ROC; at first he wrote the eulogistic foreword for the anti-Christian book "The Gospel by the Moslem eyes" and then he deprecated poklonnye kresty setting. The representative of the Board of muftis in the Far Eastern federal district the mufti Abdulla-Damir Ishmukhammedov announced at the beginning of 2009 that the Orthodoxy can bring to a social explosion in the Seaside region and after having received the angry reproof from Vladivostok eparchy which broke the relations with him.
The most drastic consequences for the Christian-Moslem dialogue were the rhetoric of the leader of the Spiritual Administration of the Moslems of the Asiatic part of Russia, N. Ashirov, and U. Idrisov, the leader the Spiritual Board of the Moslems of Nizhegorogskoy oblast. At first, on the fifth of December 2005 there emerged a set of some Moslem figure opinions on the site of V.-Ali Polosin that demanded to remove the Christian symbolism from the Emblem of Russia. Nobody knew why the supreme mufti, N. Ashirov, the Karelian mufti, V. Bardvil and the leader of the Spiritual Administration of the Moslem machinery of Nizhegorogskoy oblast, D. Mukhetdinov, noticed the crests and St. George on the emblem only in five years but their statements drew broad resonance. The discussion on the emblem changing was quickly escalated into scandal where all the leading mass media broadsided "gerbophobov". The statements of the representatives of ROC, the Judaic and the
Buddhist centers weren't stronger. The mufti R. Gainutdin was invited to the Administration of the President where he reminded about inadmissibility of such statements and he was urgently recommended to denounce the declarations made by his associates. The next day the Moscow mufti announced that "we live in the secular state and respect the state symbolism of the Russian Federation adopted by the State Duma and approved by the President of Russia", however, his associates remained at their opinion. At the end of February-beginning of March Ashirov made some strong statements with respect to the Orthodox believers, the Judaists and bureaucrats especially being up in arms against the optional teaching of "The basic principles of the Orthodox culture" at the school under the Russian embassy in Havana. "The parent decision can't run counter to the Constitution. If the parents want tomorrow for their children to learn "Mein Kampf' is will be lawful and the director of the school is to bow to their wishes? There are the state norms!", - he announced to "Interfax". As a result, the press service of the Council of Muftis apologized for the anti-Semitic declarations of the supreme mufti but Ashirov personally - for the Gospel comparison with "Mein kampf'. In March of 2008 N. Ashirov switched over to "the Jewish" theme elaborating his declarations for the theme of Israel, Zionism and the Jews as such. The Jew response for these declarations was quite predictable having again demanded the explanations from the Council of Muftis. But now the Federation of the Jewish communities announced about freezing in relation with the Council not having got the intelligible reply. The leader of Council of Muftis, R. Gainuddin kept giving no response at first being put into the very awkward spot by his associates. Really, he could not denounce anti-Zionist Ashirov's declarations -it would mean a political self-killing both in the Arabian world and among the majority of Council of Mufti followers. But the support for his straightforward co-chairman
promised him a deep displeasure of the authorities and automatic withdrawal from the inter-religious dialogue. So, the Moscow mufti has been kept silence for a long time but cliche repeated on his site that "official position of Russia Council of Muftis is developed and adopted jointly and voiced by the Chief of Russia Council of Muftis or authorized persons" but the journalists and other provokers where the bishop Egor'evsky Mark, the deputy chairman of the Department of foreign ecclesiastical relations of Moscow Patriarchy was named are responsible for this conflict.
The public Chamber tried to reconcile a developing dispute, however, the representatives of Council of muftis didn't come to the meeting so the members of the commission on the international relations and freedom had anti-asharovskoe petition. Nevertheless, one managed to reconcile the parties in a high spot of the conflict - the chief rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar and the mufti R. Gainutdin met each other through intermediary of some dignitaries and had a joint petition where nobody was condemned. Gainutdin promised Berl Lazar to take Ashirov out from the co-chairmen of Council of Muftis at least if not to get rid of him.
It seemed that the leader of Council of Muftis managed to save face, however, Visam Bardvil being the member of Council of Muftis of Kareliya had a special opinion in this respect. After a long-awaited conciliation he actively supported its associate Ashirov attacked "criminal Zionism" with renewed vigor. The indignant Jews requested the official response of Council of Muftis again where one traditionally answered about "persons having the right to express the official position of the Council"; V. Bardvil wasn't condemned, however, it was promised not to allow such statements. This promise lasted exactly 24 hours - till that moment when N. Ashirov has dotted the i's and crossed the t's having announced that FJCR carried out provocations
against the Moslems and deluded R. Gainuddin whereas the overwhelming majority of Russia Moslems sincerely don't like the Zionists. "I am sure that he (the Moscow mufti) will never condemn those people that condemn the Zionism crimes", - Ashirov announced to "Interfax". As a result FJCR officially broke off the relations with Russia Council of Muftis which was mentioned by the chief rabbi Berl Lazar in January of 2009. "We suppose that there are the radical forces in Russia Council of Muftis but unfortunately the situation isn't under Mr. Gainutdin's control. He assured us that he doesn't agree with the mufti Asirov; we heard it many times. So, we have practically no relations with Council of Muftis. When we receive their invitations we don't accept them. I communicate with Mr. Gainutdin as with one of the muftis", - he announced to the newspaper "Izvestiya".
In September of 2005 the leader of Spiritual Governance for Moslems of Nizhegorodskoy oblast Umar Idrisov said in his speech devoted to the tragic events in Beslan:" In October 1552 the Russian army being addressed by the words of encouragement by the clergy was permitted to slaughter all the Tatars of man sex in Kazan, everybody being higher than the wheel rim" ipso facto practically equated the Orthodox clergy to the spiritual leaders of terrorists-filicides. In autumn of 2005 there appeared the materials in the site of Nizhegorodskogo Islamic High Council sharply criticizing the celebration of the National unity day accusing ROC of its improper lobbying, informed about the anti-Islamic collusion of the Moscow Patriarchy with power and appealed the Moslems to influence on the election of the next Holy Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia. As a result in December of 2005 Nizhegorodskaya hierarchy made the following declaration:" Lately some representatives of Spiritual Governance for the Moslems of Nizhegorodskoy oblast made declarations destabilizing the existing inter-confessional and inter-ethnic relations in the region. So,
Nizhegorodskaya hierarchy of ROC states that Nizhegorodskaya oblast was always characterized with tolerance, inter-religious peace and mutual respect for the traditional religious communities of our country. Such irresponsible actions of the representatives of Spiritual Governance for Moslems of Nizhegorodskoy oblast are provocative and are aimed at fomentation of international and inter-religious antagonism. Nizhegorodskaya hierarchy is seriously worried about the above-mentioned and appeals everybody to confront to the attempts having become more frequent to loosen the stable political and religious situation in the region" and after that it broke all the relations with Spiritual Governance for Moslems of Nizhegorodskoy oblast.
This official rupture of the relations between the Orthodox believers and the Moslems happened for the first time in the modern history of Russia. The inter-religious dialogue culture is quickly dropping as it was informed by the Inter-religious council of Russia with the concern in spring of 2008. The bitter moments in the Orthodox-Moslem relations in Russia will be only more with the lapse of time so one of the Moslem diplomacy tasks in this field will be new forms of dialogue developing and elimination of outright Christianophobov from the participation there.
"Natsional'nye interesy", M., 2011, N1, p. 36-39.
G. Ovrutskaya, Yu. Sinyavskaya,
political scientists
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