In Kiev Islamic Centre discussed Phenomenon of "Arabian Spring"

Last Wednesday in the premise of the Kiev Islamic Social Cultural Centre took place the scientific colloquium devoted to the role of Islamic movements in political transformations of the Middle East, which received the lyrical name "Arabian spring".

The meeting of scholars under the title "Main trends of the Islamic world against revolutions" passed in the Arabian countries on September, 28th, at the initiative of the AUSO "The Ukrainian Centre of Islamic Studies" at organization of the AUASO "Аlraid". In the meeting participated scholars-orientalists and Islamists, philosophers and religionists, who attempted to comprehend and analyze those deep processes which take place in the modern Islamic world.   The Mufti of the RAMU "Ummah", Said Ismagilov, noted that in due time to analyze development of the situation and action of its participants is important both for the Muslims of Ukraine, and for the Ukrainian scholars. Absence of objective and actual analytics does not allow representatives of the government adequately and operatively to react to conditions change in the Middle-Eastern region.   Law   The vice-president of the all-Ukraine Social Organization "Institute of Islamic Studies", PhD, Vyacheslav Shved, in the report on the topic "Muslim Brotherhood" in modern political process of Egypt and the Middle-Eastern region" expressed opinion that these events became a consequence of the deep processes which take place in the Arabian societies, instead of being inspired from the outside.   The analyst emphasized that established in due time on the territories of these states models of board and ideology of the post-colonial modes were in certain degree alien to mentality, traditions and values of the people living in the region. Therefore it is quite natural that at possibility of choice of the mode of life and state apparatus, these, mainly Muslim people, will sooner or later come to the model of the state based on Islamic principles and values.   Revaluation of "Muslim Brotherhood" Movement   The Master of Shariah sciences, Seyran Arifov, presented to attention of the listeners the report "Continuation of analytical cycle about trends in the Islamic world" in which he mentioned history and phenomenon of "Muslim Brotherhood" movement, and also the reasons of its perception by the world community during the long period of history.   He mentioned that the West got used to estimation of the given organization according to those dictatorial modes which persistently forbade any heterodoxy and did not encourage development of pro-Islamic movements and forces. Accordingly, activity of the last was out of the law, and the information on them from official sources was biased. Therefore spheres and methods of activity of the "Muslim Brotherhood" appeared to be unexpected for the West; after all the most part of activity of this organization concerns works in humanitarian and educational sphere, not an appeal to the armed opposition.   Analysts faced comprehension of the fact that the treatment of this organization was often biased and generated on prejudices, not on the real facts. Just recently world powers and communities started to reconsider it and to establish official contacts with the "Muslim Brotherhood", thereby actually recognizing their legitimacy.   Representatives of moderate views in Islam   He emphasized that the "Muslim Brotherhood" is not so much organization, as moderate views in Islam spread by them. Therefore in the world there are much more followers of their ideas, rather than members and representations of the movement.   Some people, however, understand the term “wasatiya”  (moderation in Islam) in a wrong way, and accuse adherents of these ideas of innovation. Those who consider as moderation  refusal from a part of religious doctrine and religious practice, are mistaken too; as those who consider moderation as full discharge of Muslims from protection of their rights, interests and territory.   There are two extreme measures: or excessive simplification and refusal of a complex of its obligatory elements; or excessive complication of life of believers and putting on them additional obligations, which are absent in religious dogma, that leads to difficulties. Moderation is that golden mean which avoids both extreme measures, thus keeping belief, religious practice and other cultural wealth of a society.   Information vacuum   Speeches of both lecturers caused brisk discussion among the gathered, after all as many of them noted, Ukrainian Islamic studies and oriental studies strongly lags behind processes which take place in the world and consequently in the given sphere certain information vacuum was formed.   Because of insufficient working out of these issues by domestic scholars, statesmen of the country frequently do not know in what way to build relations in connection with the updated political picture of the Middle East; and Ukraine as the participant of the international relations stays in a certain indecision concerning the further policy in this region.   In the discussion the participants came to a conclusion that uniqueness of Islam as human life comprehensive program consists in the fact that the idea of democracy and pluralism of opinions is completely not alien to Islam, but on the contrary — it results from it in a logical way. However one should not forget that the different people put in the concept of "democracy" different sense; and therefore it is not necessary to expect that the Arabian democracies will be a tracing-paper of a social order and values of the countries of the West.   Thus even participants of discussion of other creeds noticed that Islam is not just a system of ceremonies and representations about arrangement of worldly life and afterlife. This is a comprehensive program of human life and construction of a fair and tolerant society. Also Islam is religion which learns its followers to be responsible for their own destiny. The choice of sphere of self-realization of a man does not depend on his origin; and also there is no concept of a congenital sin.   Therefore, if the population of states undergoing spiritual and political revival of the "Arabian spring" could manage to build the model of the society based on Islamic principles and values it will be qualitatively new stage of life of the region and the powerful factor of its revival and occupying by it worthy place on the international scene.   Let us remind that it is not the first colloquium within the precincts of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Kiev. In 2007 here passed a colloquium about true understanding of Jihad, and in the end of 2008 within the limits of the colloquium modern Islamic ideologies were discussed.   Staff reporter.