Religion and Culture, emerging Chechen Islam': Muslims in Russia bring home an Olive Tree linked to the Prophet Muhammad and produce the first hand-written Quran

Religion and Culture, emerging Chechen Islam': Muslims in Russia bring home an Olive Tree linked to the Prophet Muhammad and produce the first hand-written Quran

    Wednesday, July 27, 2022   No comments

The president of the Republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, visited the Mufti of the Republic, Salah-Khadji Mezhiev. The visit, the president said, "is undertaken when wise guidance is needed. He shares his knowledge with me, gives advice, tells a lot of interesting things about our religion. For me such meetings are very valuable."

He learned that after performing the Hajj, the Mufti visited Jordan for an olive tree sprout, "under which the venerable Prophet Muhammad ﷺ rested." Through the efforts of Sheikh Salah-Khadji, "a piece of this beautiful, centuries-old tree is now in our republic. Without any doubt, his work for the benefit of the Muslims of the Chechen Republic is noble and priceless," said Kadyrov.

The Mufti also shared with the president the result of the painstaking work of the renowned Syrian calligrapher of Chechen origin, Shukri Kharacho, who was tasked by the president to create a handwritten Quran, designed in Chechen styles. Shukri Kharacho managed to realize the unique style of Arabic writing and at the same time maintain simplicity for reading. After authority checks and reviews by an independent commission, this work will go into mass printing, the president explained.

Since the end of the war and the election of the first Kadyrov to the presidency, officials have embarked on two-track strategy: economic development and spiritual growth. Both plans involved support from the federal government of Russia. In order to limit influx of youth joining the Wahhabi-Salafi fighters, the leaders realized that they need to provide economic opportunity while redefining Sunni Islam in a way that does not conflict with local customs and historical legacies.

Ten years ago, Ramzan Kadyrov, during a meeting with religious leaders, he stressed the need to match spiritual development to the pace of economic development:

"The republic's economy is developing, cities and villages have been restored, but without a spiritually developed and highly moral society, the republic cannot have a future. Spiritual and moral education should be a priority for you. Therefore, you need to clearly coordinate your work and involve public organizations in it."

The level of growth in both areas is stunning as these images illustrate.

  

Chechen leader says his forces have deployed to Ukraine; why and how?

Chechen leader says his forces have deployed to Ukraine; why and how?

    Thursday, June 09, 2022   No comments

In February, as reported by Reuters, the leader of Russia's Chechnya region and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin,Ramzan Kadyrov, said that Chechen fighters had been deployed to Ukraine and urged Ukrainians to overthrow their government.

In a video posted online, Kadyrov said that Chechen units had so far suffered no losses and said Russian forces could easily take large Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, but that their task was to avoid loss of life.

More than 3 months later, the Chechen leader continues and even increased his forces in support of the operation in Ukraine. What turned this rebel republic into a central force in Russia's reach and power?

This video shows the radical transformation of the country, Checheniya, and the role played by its current leadership.

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More indepth analyses show a long strategy at work that changed the relationship between Muslims and the Russian leadership, including regional events and global trends.

  

Paper: Turkish government exploring plans to "initiate a dialogue with the Syrian government"

Paper: Turkish government exploring plans to "initiate a dialogue with the Syrian government"

    Tuesday, April 05, 2022   No comments

 The Turkish newspaper, Hurriyet, reported on Monday that the Turkish authorities are currently in discussions to initiate a dialogue with the Syrian government, which would restore relations between the two countries to normal.

The newspaper quoted informed sources as saying that "the policy of balance recently adopted by Turkey, and the role that Ankara has played in recent months, especially toward resolving the war in Ukraine"... makes the current timing good for resolving Turkey's crisis in Syria.

The sources pointed out that Turkey, "in all its contacts with the Syrian administration," emphasizes 3 indispensable things, namely "preserving the unitary structure and the unity of the Syrian territories, and ensuring the security of refugees returning to their country," in addition to "the activity of the Kurdistan Workers' Party."

According to the newspaper, Ankara conveyed these important messages to Damascus, especially before the visit of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the UAE.

This development is one in many initiated by Erdogan's government to stablaize the economy before the elections. Turkish economy suffered due the the Syrian war, which Erdogan assumed would end fast. That did not. Now the Turkish economy is under stress due the war in Ukraine.

A Reuters poll showed, Monday, that "the annual inflation rate in Turkey is expected to rise to 61.5% in April, and only decrease to 52.2% by the end of the year, due to the country's impact on the crisis in Ukraine and the rise in commodity prices."

The average estimate of 17 institutions for annual inflation in April was 61.5%, with expectations ranging between 58.25% and 62.7%, and the decline of the lira and the rise in food and energy prices pushed inflation in February to its highest level in 20 years, recording 54.4% This is despite tax cuts on basic goods and government support for some electricity bills to ease the burden on household budgets.

Turkey's consumer price index has risen since last fall, with the lira weakening after the central bank in September began the 500 basis point cut cycle that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had long sought.

Economists pointed to "expectations of global consumer price inflation, in the wake of the Russian military operation, with energy prices reaching their highest levels in several years after the West imposed sanctions on Moscow," explaining that "Turkey imports almost all of its energy needs."