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Islam, Identity and Politics: Kazakhstan, 1990–2000

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2018

Azade-Ayse Rorlich
Azade-Ayse Rorlich*
Affiliation:
The University of Southern California, USA, arorlich@hermes2.usc.edu
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Extract

The organizers of the international conference entitled “The Cultural Contexts of Kazakhstan: History and Contemporaneity,” held in Almaty between 7 and 10 September 1997, chose as the logo of their conference one of the stills from Rustam Khalfin's film Lazy Cinema (Lenivoe Kino). It was the still representing a handful of earth. The choice was far from whimsical, for, as the writer Auezkhan Kodar, one of the organizers of the conference noted, the intention was “to underline the amorphous state of contemporary culture which needs to acquire a precise shape, characteristic to Kazakhstan alone.”

Type
Articles
Information
Nationalities Papers , Volume 31 , Issue 2 , June 2003 , pp. 157 - 176
Copyright
Copyright © 2003 Association for the Study of Nationalities 

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References

Notes

1. Auezkhan Kodar and Zama Kodar, eds, Kul'turnye Konteksty Kazakhstana: Istoriia i sovremennost' (Almaty: Nisa, 1998), p. 4.Google Scholar

2. Antonio Gramsci, Prison Notebooks (New York: 1994); Clifford Geertz, The Interpretation of Cultures (New York: 1963).Google Scholar

3. In 1998, the largest ethnic group after the Kazakhs was the Russians, who numbered 4,905,000. See Zh. A. Kulekeev, ed., Istoriia perepisei naseleniia i etnodemograficheskie protsessy v Kazakhstane (Almaty: 1998), p. 47.Google Scholar

4. Human Rights and Democratization in the Newly Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Washington: Commission on Cooperation and Security in Europe, 1993), pp. 196–197.Google Scholar

5. Amantay Azatov, “Svobodna li Kazakhstanskaia pressa, ili razmysheleniia o Kazakhskoi idee,” 450° po Farengeitu Irtysh, No. 8, 1999, p. 3.Google Scholar

6. Auezkhan Kodar, “My topim kul'turu v boltovne i iubilizmakh,” XXI Vek, 16 January 1998, p. 4.Google Scholar

7. Amangeldi Kengshilikuli, “Rukhani assimiliatsiia. Nemese qazaq ultining keleshegi barma?” Tribuna XXI Veka, 29 October 1998, p. 10.Google Scholar

8. Sapura Taubagilqizi Zhusipova, “Anani allap, azamatting rukhin kotereyik,” Aldaspan, Nos 1–2, 1999, pp. 10–11.Google Scholar

9. The following are articles representative of this category: Amangeldi E. Abilkhali, “Araqbarliq zhamanshiliq kilti,” Shapagat Nur, Nos 7–8, 1999, pp. 8–9; Yahiya qazhi Abdulla uli Ismail tegi, “Araqqa toqtau bola ma?” Shapagat Nur, Nos 3–4, 1999, pp. 6–7; “Qazaqtarding araqpen soghisi,” Omir, No. 3, 1996, p. 16; “Qazaqting uyi-araq dukeni,” Aq bosagha, No. 1, 1993, p. 3.Google Scholar

10. Murat Telibekov, “Veter s ulitsy,” XXI Vek, 25 December 1995, p. 6.Google Scholar

11. Nurbulat Masanov, “Kak obustroit' Kazakhstan,” Tribuna XXI Veka, 29 October 1998, p. 2. See also his Kochevaia tsivilizatsiia kazakhov: osnovy zhiznedeiatel' nosti nomadnogo obshchestva (Almaty: Sotsinvest, 1995) and “Fenomen kochevogo obshchestva kazakhov,” in Auezkhan Kodar and Zamzam Kodar, eds, op. cit., pp. 46–56.Google Scholar

12. K. Abuseitov and M. Laumullin, “Kazakhi i islam,” Aziia, No. 3, 1993, p. 6.Google Scholar

13. Nazira Nurtazina, “Eshche raz o probleme ‘Kazakhi i islam,’” Aziia, No. 6, 1993, p. 5 and also her “Rol'islama v dukhovnoi integratsii narodov Turkestana (end of XIX—beginning of XX centuries),” Poiski, No. 1, 1998, pp. 89–94.Google Scholar

14. The number of registered mosques was 59 in 1989 and had reached 134 in 1991, the year of Kazakhstan's independence. See V. Ivanov and la. Trofimov, Religii Kazakhstana. Spravochnik (Almaty: 1999), p. 19.Google Scholar

15. The following are examples of articles representative of the coverage of Islam in the print media: “Dukhovnoe pritiazhenie Mekki,” Kazakhstanskaia Pravda (hereafter K. P.), 6 May 1998, pp. 1, 8; Anel' Azimkhan, “Musul-manskaia sviashchennaia istoriia,” Novoe Pokolenie, 7 January 2000; “Qurban Ait-ush kundik ulik meiram,” Qazaq Adebieti, 17 March 2000, p. 1; Asker Isaqov, “Qudaining quli-khalqining uli,” Madaniet, 24 December 1993, p. 3.Google Scholar

16. V. Ivanov ana la. Trofimov, op. cit., p. 2i.Google Scholar

17. Kemel'bek Oyshibaev, “Samaia krupnaia mechet' v Tsentral'noi Azii otkrylas' v Almaty,” Samolichnoe Obozrenie, No. 9, 1999, p. 1.Google Scholar

18. Although Oyshibaev, in the article cited above, notes that the mosque can accommodate 10,000 worshippers, other authors have indicated that number to be 5,000. The discrepancy may be due to the fact that the higher figure might indicate the maximum attendance at the time of holiday observances. See N. Ernazar, “Baitaq elding bas meshita,” Shapayat Nur, Nos 7–8, 1999, pp. 4–5. The architects of the Almaty cathedral mosque are S. Baimagambetov, Zh. Sharapiev, and K. Zharilgapov.Google Scholar

19. S. Orinbekuli, “Merkede bar bir medrese,” Iman, 8 October 1992, p. 3.Google Scholar

20. Murat Kazhi Minbaev, “Obshchee schast'e dlia liudei—ne mif, a real‘nost’,” Novoe Pokolenie, 9 June 2000, p. 6; Elena Mitrofanova, “Kogo nravstvennye poiski vedut v Institul Islama,” K. P., 22 August 1996, p. 6.Google Scholar

21. Students have to pay a U. S.$700 tuition for the four years of study. Asel' Omar, “Liudi uchenye—Nasledniki prorokov,” Novoe Pokolenie, Vol. 1, No. 23, 1998, p. 4.Google Scholar

22. This information is based on data provided by Elena Mitrofanova in the article cited above.Google Scholar

23. As an example of their role as primers, the 8 October 1992 issue of Iman provided detailed information about one of the pillars of Islam, salat, including drawings to explain the prayer postures. The announcement about the change from Iman to Islam Alemi came in Zang (Law), 18 September 1996, p. 6. See Oserbay Orinbek, “Qilmiskerler alemine aynalmayiq,” Islam Alemi, No. 1, 2000, pp. 22–23.Google Scholar

24. Letter to the author, 24 September 1998, and A. Baigozhina, “Put' very otkryt kazhdomu,” Zhenshchiny. Vostok. Zapad, 11 July 1999, pp. 28–29.Google Scholar

25. See Elena Mitrofanova, op. cit., p. 6.Google Scholar

26. For a discussion of Wahhabism see P. M. Holt, A. K. S. Lambton and B. Lewis, eds, The Cambridge History of Islam (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1970), Vol. 2B, p. 638; Caesar Farah, Islam. Beliefs and Observances (New York: Barron's Educational Services, 1970), pp. 225–226; John Esposito, ed., The Oxford History of Islam (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), p. 518; and Fazlur Rahman, Islam (New York: Anchor Books, 1968), pp. 245–246.Google Scholar

27. “Mechet' v krovi . Otkrytoe pis'mo prezidentu Nazarbaevu,” HAQ, No. 2, 1992, p. 3. Collection of funds for the mosque began before official approval for the project was secured.Google Scholar

28. Aron Atabek, “Partiia ‘Alash’ i sovremennaia politika,” HAQ, No. 2, 1992, p. 1; Bolatbek Ahmet Ali, “Zvezda ili polumesiats?” HAQ, No. 1, 1991, p. 3. In some Western publications, Nutushev's name is erroneously given as “Yutoshev.” See Mehrdad Haghayeghi, Islam and Politics in Central Asia (New York: St Martin's Press, 1995), p. 86.Google Scholar

29. A. Atabek, “Velikii—Turkestan: Islam-Turkism-Demokratiia,” HAQ, No. 1, 1991, pp. 1–2. HAQ was the name of the ephemeral publication of the Alash party. It means “Truth,” but at the same time, for Muslims, it represents one of the “99 beautiful names of God.”Google Scholar

30. Aman-ata Il'iasov, “Chto vazhnee: vera chistaia i pravdivaia ili somnitel'naia chest' chalmy?” Novoe Pokolenie, No. 6, 1997, p. 3.Google Scholar

31. Ali Haji ibn Usman Al-Apsheroni, “Islam protiv nasiliia,” Ogni Alatau, 21 May 1994, p. 3.Google Scholar

32. Ali Haji ibn Usman Al-Apsheroni, “Islamskii fundamentalizm v Kazakhstane: mif ili real‘nost’?” Birlesu, No. 19, 1994, p. 5.Google Scholar

33. Dzhanibek Suleev, “Pridet li radikal'nyi islam v Kazakhstan?” Soldat, No. 16, 1999, p. 10.Google Scholar

34. RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 3, No. 187, Part I, 24 September 1999, p. 5.Google Scholar

35. RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 3, No. 207, Part I, 22 October 1999, p. 5.Google Scholar

36. Bazarbek Atighaev, “Qarasu meshiti nege zhabildi,” Qazaq Adebieti, 10 March 2000, pp. 1, 11.Google Scholar

37. V. Ivanov, Ia. Trofimov, op. cit., p. 5.Google Scholar

38. “Political Reform and Human Rights in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan,” report prepared by the Staff of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, March 1998, pp. 37–38.Google Scholar

39. Bazarbay Sugralin, “V Kazakhstan prishla beda,” Qazaq Uni, No. 11, 1999, p. 7; Sergei Gorbunov, “Chuzhie bogi ili prochemu v Kazakhstane vol'gotno sektantam,” K. P., 23 April 2000.Google Scholar

40. This information was collected from material prepared for internal use: See Spisok predpriiatii proshedshikh registratsiiu. Gorod Almaty, 16.X, 1998, pp. 3–11.Google Scholar

41. This ad appeared in Bizness Kur'er, 9 October 2000.Google Scholar

42. Aigul Akhanbaiqizi, “Monaster' bar ma qazaqta, men oghan barar edim …,” Zhas Alash, 22 April 1999.Google Scholar

43. On conversions to Islam, see Marat Kalenov, “Islamdi lagerde qabildaghan oris,” Shapagat Nur, Nos 5–6, 1999, p. 13; Laziza Nurpeisova, “Larisa apaigha riza boldim,” Shapagat Nur, No. 6, 1998, p. 28.Google Scholar

44. V. Ivanov, la. Trofimov, op. cit., p. 2i.Google Scholar

45. C. Farah, op. cit., pp. 241–243.Google Scholar

46. P. M. Holt, A. K. S. Lambton and B. Lewis, eds, The Cambridge History of Islam (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1970), Vol. 2A, p. 88.Google Scholar

47. Islam. Ego vest' vkratse (publication of the Ahmadiya of Kazakhstan, not dated, but probably 1998).Google Scholar

48. Temirlan Zhiengaliev, “Ne nado delat' iz Islama pugalo,” Soldat, 2 November 1999.Google Scholar

49. V. Ivanov and la. Trofimov, op. cit., p. 2i. The complaint of the imam of Sariozek mosque in Almaty about a young bard, Amangeldi Tolibaev, who uses his talent to spread religion through song may be yet more evidence about the manifestations of popular Islam. See Nurakhmet Baybolattegi, “Aqinba elde missioner me?”Google Scholar

50. Kazis Toguzbaev, “Demokratiia v religii,” 450° Po Farengeitu. Irtysh, No. 9, 1999.Google Scholar