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Interconfessional dialogue is the basis of stability in Kazakhstan

15 December 2015

There is the active work in Karaganda State Medical University in 2012-2015 on prevention of religious extremism and terrorism which are ones of the main world threats in the present times.

From October to December of 2015 there were the planned meetings of first-year students with representatives of informational-propagandist groups in KSMU aimed to explain values of traditional religions, to form conscious attitude to radical and destructive religious organizations. There were five meetings on the state and Russian languages during this period where issues of worship, confession and tolerance as well as the necessity of religious literacy’s increasing were discussed. In the year of the twentieth anniversary of the Assembly of Kazakhstan’s Nation it is important to know and say that Republic of Kazakhstan is the center of interconfessional dialogue.

All meetings were organized and conducted by Commission on prevention of religious extremism and terrorism at the Council of educational work of KSMU with Department of history of Kazakhstan and social-political disciplines.

During this period the following persons met and talked with first-year students: deputy imam of Karaganda regional central Mosque Jarimbetov Mukhit Mikhailovich, deputy imams of city Mosque #1 Beissenbayev Khairulla Zhakhyanovich and Aiylkhan Duman Ryspekovich, head of Diocesan department “Church and society” Archpriest Mikhail Alexandrovich Patrikeyev, inspectors of KSA “Center of study and analysis of interconfessional relations’ problems” Nikolay Sarsembayev and Yerzhan Bederov.

Meetings’ participants paid attention to the world religious panorama and to Kazakhstan (including Karaganda region), to legal bases of religious associations in Kazakhstan, to discussions of role of Islam, Christianity and other traditional religions in development of humanity, to history and development of Islam in Kazakhstan, to implementation of behavioral practices in traditional and non-traditional religions. According to speakers, traditional religions (Islam, Christianity, etc.) are always oriented to peace, agreement, love, help and cooperation, but not to destruction of world and humanity. Destructive religious ideologies destroy physical and spiritual integrity of a person and society in all external and internal activities, impede of development, and threaten of livelihood. It was noted many times that every Muslim and Christian must fight with their own sins and bad habits but not with other ones, and change the world through transformation and improve of own inside world.

Each meeting had interesting comments and examples of representatives of Department of history of Kazakhstan and social-political disciplines: head of the Department K.A. Temirgaliyev, docent B.G. Nugman, senior teachers A.B. Dolgopolov and K.M. Sissengaliyeva, S.A. Nikiforova.

Students asked many questions on the present religious situation in the world and Kazakhstan, peculiarities of canons’ explanations in traditional and non-traditional religions, the scope of extremist ideologies’ extension. Students interested with reasons of a person’s involvement into destructive religious groups, methods of recruitment of neophytes, how to help friends and relatives who become dependent on destructive ideologies and organizations.

Students have got competent answers from members of informational-propagandist groups which strongly recommended students to ask explanations of unclear moments only from representatives of traditional religions and professionals who have rights on such work and activity. Students were also informed about prohibited destructive groups and extremist organizations in Kazakhstan as well as it were told about sanctions for illegal activity.

Students were satisfied with meetings’ results and expressed their readiness to continue this dialogue.