Al-Risala (English), May 1990

Islam In The Soviet Union

1990 5 May 2-3 Islam In The Soviet Union (541) Twenty years ago Time magazine’s representative was expelled from Moscow. But now, with Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev’s open-door, glasnost policy, no less than eleven reporters and five photographers from Time magazine have been allowed to spend four months cris-crossing the country to observe and study various aspects of Russian life as affected by the new policies. A detailed 62-page report prepared by the Time team has been published in the issue of April 10, 1989.

This report, which gives up-to-minute information on various aspects of life in the Soviet Union, devotes 12 pages to the present state of Islam throughout the country. This section is entitled, ‘Islam Regains its Voice’ and carries three coloured pictures showing Muslim religious life. Both the layout and printing of these two pages are so superbly done, and the result so attractive, that I fell to thinking that there was not a single magazine run by Muslims anywhere in the world which was in a position to produce such a well-researched and beautifully presented report. Journalism is one of the key features of nation-building in present times. No community which lacks powerful journalism can be assured of a place in the field of life in today’s world. The only place such a community can be assured of is in the nearest graveyard.

The report begins: “‘Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar’! The call to prayer echoes forth from a minaret in Tashkent”.

One of the things the report says is that nowadays the government is more tolerant of Islam. When the communists took over in 1917, most of the country’s 26,000 mosques and 24,000 religious schools were shut down. Now 1,400 mosques have been opened to Muslims. Besides re-opening mosques, the regime has virtually ended official anti-Muslim propaganda… Islam, like the country’s other religions is a major beneficiary of “new thinking,” (p.59)

Whatever the various reasons for this change in the Soviet Union’s system, it has thrown open new avenues to Muslim activism. But the Russian Muslims will be able to avail of this opportunity only when they have learnt that the present freedom is not limitless. They must learn to carve out their plan of action strictly according to what is possible, rather than strain after the impossible.

The main cause of Muslims’ ruination in present times can be traced to their ill-considered activities. They are not content with what is possible, so they chase after the impossible. They set their sights on things which in all conscience are simply inaccessible.

Moreover, the Muslims speak out where they should maintain an imperturbable silence. They opt for violent agitation where the problems need to be solved through discreet negotiation. They create an atmosphere of hatred and conflict where they should foster an atmosphere of love. They launch campaigns leading to clashes and confrontation where they should follow the policy of patience and restraint. When they stay quietly at home, they take to the streets to shout slogans.

In this world, action has to be in terms of the possible. Straining after the impossible is simply a waste of time and energy, and in the long-run is counter-productive. This is a very simple fact of life, but, to date, it seems to have eluded our leaders, both great and small.