Clergies and modern technologies
In the republican conference on regulation of national traditions and customs the president of Tajikstan Emomali Rahmon criticized many things in everyday life of the Tajiks. Besides proposing a ban on lavish weddings and funerals Rahmon laid structures on clergies for being “out of date” (rus). Although Ataman Rakin and some other visitors of this blog do not like the way the Russian information agencies report on Central Asian affairs I have to refer to Regnum again because I have not found any other source which reported on this. All other sources were busy with reporting on ban of lavish weddings and funerals.
…the head of the state criticized clergies, saying that 90% of imams and theologians [in Tajikistan] do not have postsecondary education. He gave orders to take in ward of the state the Islamic university. Henceforth, along with the religious courses, students of this university will learn foreign languages, philosophy and computer science. Starting from 2008 the Islamic university will get funding from the state budget.
Therewith Emomali Rahmon wants to raise the standard of knowledge of the population in Islam.
President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon commissioned the government and the Academy of sciences to develop a project of establishing an Institute of Islamic Studies and translate the [Holy] Koran into literary Tajik language. Funding for printing of the [Holy] Koran will be allocated from the Surplus fund of the president. The copies of the [Holy] Koran will be distributed free of charge among the population during the Holy Ramadan.
Also it is worth to remind that previously, president Rahmon asked the Tajik wealthy people to stop building mosques and invest the spare money into new enterprises and schools.
on May 28th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
“Although Ataman Rakin and some other visitors of this blog do not like the way the Russian information agencies report on Central Asian affairs”
My friend, it is a fact that Russian media, both based in Russia and Russian-language media in CA itself, have contributed a lot to the psychosis about ‘Islamic extremism’ in CA at the detriment of the Muslims in the region.
This Moskovskii Komsomolets piece (http://www.mk.ru/blogs/idmk/2004/07/19/mk-daily/35127/ ), probably a zakazuha, is but one example.
Just like the Akiners, Starrs and similar bozos have done that in the West.
on May 28th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
our clergy still thinks that earth is flat, lol.
on May 28th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
I wonder how much “surplus” fund our president has got.
on May 28th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Not to be the conspiratorialist, but what elements of Rakhmon’s govervment have official or unofficial relationships with the ruling elite in Iran? Could it be, that as Iran softens up (and I use the word very subjectively) the relationships with the west - establishing ministerial level negottiations with Condi Rice, softening AL Sadr’s rehotric - they are moving in different direction then Pakistan - promoting extremist elemetns that may, in the future be used to destabilize a Kabul governemnt with moderate policies towards both Afhghanistan and Iran.
on May 29th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
“our clergy still thinks that earth is flat, lol.”
And do you think they’re the only ones? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_is_Flat
;)lol
I agree that part of the sycophantic official clergy, village mullahs and all those conservative aksakals and bobos excel in idiocy. That is also the fact in Uzb and other Stans. On the other hand, I personally met young mullahs in both Taj cities and rural areas who were very dynamic persons and quite progressive – I mean progressive on essential things such as social justice and the position of women not on import fancies like gaylesb rights.
“Therewith Emomali Rahmon wants to raise the standard of knowledge of the population in Islam.”
The question is *which Islam* they want to promote: international Islam, or a recuperated, castrated form that legitimizes the elite and the status-quo? As I said under another thread, it always makes me laugh when a bunch of former Soviet apparachiks are reinventing traditions and try to boost their ‘Islamic’ credentials. In Islamic jargon that is called munafiqun (hypocrites). On the other hand, the mere fact that they do the latter indicates, that somehow, they realise all too well that more Islam is unavoidably part of Central Asia’s future like it or not.
Besides it is a fallacy to even think that Islam and modern technology can not co-exist. That is simply one of these compleletly worn-out Soviet mindsets. As I said before in another discussion, the practing Muslims who I know personally do not live in mudhouses with a turban and no clean water but use mobile phones, laptops and sat TV.
To name another example of Islam’s compatibility with modern technology, just look at media initiatives to spread and promote the religion through very modern and global means: internet, sat TV (eg. Islam Channel www.islamchannel.tv ).
IMO, there are vectors of Islamic knowlegde in CA that are under-estimated. First, there’s the couple of thousands of young CAsians (and estimated 1,000 to 3,000 in Taj) who studied in Pakistan, Turkey and Arab countries, often speak fluent Arabic (sometimes also English) and who know the Quran and Ijtihad processes much better than many traditionalist pirs and bobos.
Second, strange as it may sound, are sources on Islam in/from Russia: things like the Islam.Ru and Kontrudar portals, Muslim literature that is easier to get in eg. Kazan than in Uzb or Taj, etc.
Last but not least, foreign institutions but not from Arab countries but Turkey like the Fetüllaçi movement.
To Andrew: what do you mean, that Rakhmon tries to boost his traditionalist-Muslim credentials to strenghten relations with Iran? I think that’s too far-fetched really.