By Rinat Saidullin - Ferghana.ru Information News
Thursday, June 15, 2006
This is certainly the first time that so serious charges are pressed, officially or not, against Akhmadie, a religious community in Kazakhstan. Yerkin kaji Dunayev of the Religious Directorate of Kazakh Moslems openly branded the Akhmadians as "a division of Al-Qaeda" and pronounced this particular school "illegitimate" by the decision of the Moslem World League. "The Religious Directorate of Kazakh Moslems will put even more effort into prevention of the activities of organizations of this kind," Dunayev was quoted as saying. Whenever so important a statement is made by the authorities, one naturally expects some corroborative arguments. In this case, however, no comments have been offered on either side.
A person may be thrown behind the bars in Kazakhstan even on the mere suspicion that he or she is involved with organizations on the black list of the National Security Committee. Several dozens of adepts of the recently outlawed Hizb-ut-Takhrir are already in jails. A year ago, two Kazakhs were sentenced to ten years imprisonment each for "treason against the state". Law enforcement agencies had suspected them of contacts with Al-Qaeda, and the court of the town of Taraz went ahead and jailed both defendants without much ado even though the case was clearly far-fetched. Members of non-traditional Islamic schools (Sufians, Akhmadians, and so on) were spared until recently because their activities did not really collide with the acting legislation. Still, management of Kazakhstan-1 TV Channel was fired not long ago on charges of promotion of the Sufi ideas in state TV programs, and the scandal once again put existence of Islamic sects and religious organizations into the focus of everyone's attention.
Several local Internet web sites have been posting materials on the so called "Sufi conspiracy" allegedly aiming to overthrow the secular regime and establish Islamic caliphate (this is essentially what Hizb-ut-Takhrir is being prosecuted for). Some of these materials imply that there is a direct connection between Sufians and Akhmadians. The latter are branded in these materials as "Sufi cashiers" because it is allegedly via them that money for the "Sufi turnover" is coming from abroad.
The Akhmadians themselves never responded to the innuendo. They should have, apparently, because they have encountered trouble in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan ever since their appearance in these countries. The Akhmadians number about 400 people in Kazakhstan nowadays. The first missionaries from Pakistan appeared in this country in the early 1990's. The community was founded and had its charter registered in 1994. Its full name is the National Akhmadian Moslem Jamagat of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Prominent writer Rollan Seisenbayev, ex-advisor to the president, became its first leader.
As a matter of fact, this religious school was put on the list of extremist organizations in Kyrgyzstan in 2004. It was later recognized to have been a mistake and the list was amended. The Kazakh authorities did not put Akhmadie on the list of outlawed organizations but the Religious Directorate of Kazakh Moslems (it represents official Islam) released a fetvah ordering Moslems to stay clear of Akhmadie - just to be on the safe side. The list of undesirable organizations also included the Ismailites, Sufians, and even Bakhais for some reason (these latter have never aspired for the status of a sect of Islam).
The Akhmadians themselves believe that they know what the matter is. They are convinced that the Religious Directorate of Kazakh Moslems is out to monopolize Islam on the territory of the country and therefore would not wince at applying political pressure at its adversaries. This assumption is corroborated by a mass campaign against independent mosques mostly located in southern Kazakhstan. They number 130, and over 90 mosques have already succumbed (of their own volition or under duress) to the Religious Directorate of Kazakh Moslems and accepted its jurisdiction and patronage. Only the mosques of small but far-reaching international movements (the same Akhmadians, Sufians, or Ismailites) have withstood all pressure so far.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
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Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Is there a place for the Akhmadians and other "non-traditional" Islamic schools under the Kazakh Sun?
By Rinat Saidullin - Ferghana.ru Information News
Thursday, June 15, 2006
This is certainly the first time that so serious charges are pressed, officially or not, against Akhmadie, a religious community in Kazakhstan. Yerkin kaji Dunayev of the Religious Directorate of Kazakh Moslems openly branded the Akhmadians as "a division of Al-Qaeda" and pronounced this particular school "illegitimate" by the decision of the Moslem World League. "The Religious Directorate of Kazakh Moslems will put even more effort into prevention of the activities of organizations of this kind," Dunayev was quoted as saying. Whenever so important a statement is made by the authorities, one naturally expects some corroborative arguments. In this case, however, no comments have been offered on either side.
A person may be thrown behind the bars in Kazakhstan even on the mere suspicion that he or she is involved with organizations on the black list of the National Security Committee. Several dozens of adepts of the recently outlawed Hizb-ut-Takhrir are already in jails. A year ago, two Kazakhs were sentenced to ten years imprisonment each for "treason against the state". Law enforcement agencies had suspected them of contacts with Al-Qaeda, and the court of the town of Taraz went ahead and jailed both defendants without much ado even though the case was clearly far-fetched. Members of non-traditional Islamic schools (Sufians, Akhmadians, and so on) were spared until recently because their activities did not really collide with the acting legislation. Still, management of Kazakhstan-1 TV Channel was fired not long ago on charges of promotion of the Sufi ideas in state TV programs, and the scandal once again put existence of Islamic sects and religious organizations into the focus of everyone's attention.
Several local Internet web sites have been posting materials on the so called "Sufi conspiracy" allegedly aiming to overthrow the secular regime and establish Islamic caliphate (this is essentially what Hizb-ut-Takhrir is being prosecuted for). Some of these materials imply that there is a direct connection between Sufians and Akhmadians. The latter are branded in these materials as "Sufi cashiers" because it is allegedly via them that money for the "Sufi turnover" is coming from abroad.
The Akhmadians themselves never responded to the innuendo. They should have, apparently, because they have encountered trouble in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan ever since their appearance in these countries. The Akhmadians number about 400 people in Kazakhstan nowadays. The first missionaries from Pakistan appeared in this country in the early 1990's. The community was founded and had its charter registered in 1994. Its full name is the National Akhmadian Moslem Jamagat of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Prominent writer Rollan Seisenbayev, ex-advisor to the president, became its first leader.
As a matter of fact, this religious school was put on the list of extremist organizations in Kyrgyzstan in 2004. It was later recognized to have been a mistake and the list was amended. The Kazakh authorities did not put Akhmadie on the list of outlawed organizations but the Religious Directorate of Kazakh Moslems (it represents official Islam) released a fetvah ordering Moslems to stay clear of Akhmadie - just to be on the safe side. The list of undesirable organizations also included the Ismailites, Sufians, and even Bakhais for some reason (these latter have never aspired for the status of a sect of Islam).
The Akhmadians themselves believe that they know what the matter is. They are convinced that the Religious Directorate of Kazakh Moslems is out to monopolize Islam on the territory of the country and therefore would not wince at applying political pressure at its adversaries. This assumption is corroborated by a mass campaign against independent mosques mostly located in southern Kazakhstan. They number 130, and over 90 mosques have already succumbed (of their own volition or under duress) to the Religious Directorate of Kazakh Moslems and accepted its jurisdiction and patronage. Only the mosques of small but far-reaching international movements (the same Akhmadians, Sufians, or Ismailites) have withstood all pressure so far.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
This is certainly the first time that so serious charges are pressed, officially or not, against Akhmadie, a religious community in Kazakhstan. Yerkin kaji Dunayev of the Religious Directorate of Kazakh Moslems openly branded the Akhmadians as "a division of Al-Qaeda" and pronounced this particular school "illegitimate" by the decision of the Moslem World League. "The Religious Directorate of Kazakh Moslems will put even more effort into prevention of the activities of organizations of this kind," Dunayev was quoted as saying. Whenever so important a statement is made by the authorities, one naturally expects some corroborative arguments. In this case, however, no comments have been offered on either side.
A person may be thrown behind the bars in Kazakhstan even on the mere suspicion that he or she is involved with organizations on the black list of the National Security Committee. Several dozens of adepts of the recently outlawed Hizb-ut-Takhrir are already in jails. A year ago, two Kazakhs were sentenced to ten years imprisonment each for "treason against the state". Law enforcement agencies had suspected them of contacts with Al-Qaeda, and the court of the town of Taraz went ahead and jailed both defendants without much ado even though the case was clearly far-fetched. Members of non-traditional Islamic schools (Sufians, Akhmadians, and so on) were spared until recently because their activities did not really collide with the acting legislation. Still, management of Kazakhstan-1 TV Channel was fired not long ago on charges of promotion of the Sufi ideas in state TV programs, and the scandal once again put existence of Islamic sects and religious organizations into the focus of everyone's attention.
Several local Internet web sites have been posting materials on the so called "Sufi conspiracy" allegedly aiming to overthrow the secular regime and establish Islamic caliphate (this is essentially what Hizb-ut-Takhrir is being prosecuted for). Some of these materials imply that there is a direct connection between Sufians and Akhmadians. The latter are branded in these materials as "Sufi cashiers" because it is allegedly via them that money for the "Sufi turnover" is coming from abroad.
The Akhmadians themselves never responded to the innuendo. They should have, apparently, because they have encountered trouble in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan ever since their appearance in these countries. The Akhmadians number about 400 people in Kazakhstan nowadays. The first missionaries from Pakistan appeared in this country in the early 1990's. The community was founded and had its charter registered in 1994. Its full name is the National Akhmadian Moslem Jamagat of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Prominent writer Rollan Seisenbayev, ex-advisor to the president, became its first leader.
As a matter of fact, this religious school was put on the list of extremist organizations in Kyrgyzstan in 2004. It was later recognized to have been a mistake and the list was amended. The Kazakh authorities did not put Akhmadie on the list of outlawed organizations but the Religious Directorate of Kazakh Moslems (it represents official Islam) released a fetvah ordering Moslems to stay clear of Akhmadie - just to be on the safe side. The list of undesirable organizations also included the Ismailites, Sufians, and even Bakhais for some reason (these latter have never aspired for the status of a sect of Islam).
The Akhmadians themselves believe that they know what the matter is. They are convinced that the Religious Directorate of Kazakh Moslems is out to monopolize Islam on the territory of the country and therefore would not wince at applying political pressure at its adversaries. This assumption is corroborated by a mass campaign against independent mosques mostly located in southern Kazakhstan. They number 130, and over 90 mosques have already succumbed (of their own volition or under duress) to the Religious Directorate of Kazakh Moslems and accepted its jurisdiction and patronage. Only the mosques of small but far-reaching international movements (the same Akhmadians, Sufians, or Ismailites) have withstood all pressure so far.
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