Shakhids to Come to Caucasus?

September 29, a round-table discussion on the subject “Caucasus is not a war” took place in Moscow's President Hotel. Aide to the RF president Aslanbek Aslakhanov was one of the most outstanding guests of the forum. He was the one to start the discussion.

Governmental official's opinion the Duma deputy said Caucasus could not be considered the center of terror because terrorism has no nationality. There are no weapons works in Caucasus, he says; what is more terrorists enjoy the support of some people wishing to commit violence in the region. These people time acts of terrorism to the dates considered sacred for most Russians - May 9, June 22, September 1.

At that, acts of terrorism are organized where they are particularly painful: in hospitals where women deliver their babies, at schools where children learn what the life is and during the Victory Parade. Aslakhanov says terrorists want to set up hostility between the people of Caucasus, to set Chechens, Ingushetia and Ossetia people against each other.

It is some other force outside Caucasus that provokes such conflicts, the Duma deputy says. Aslakhanov reminded of former interior minister Anatoly Kulikov who lost the position after he suggested spot attacks at bases where terrorists were trained. Were any anonymous forces
interested in that?

At the dawn of perestroika, the edition Glasnost published a text about the so-called “Chechen aviso” that never existed, Aslakhanov said. It seemed that a new slogan “Away with Chechens!” came instead of the old one directed against Jews.

Some time ago, during a round-table discussion on legislative support to fighting terrorism that took place in the Duma, Aslanbek Aslakhanov complained that tougher security measures could not help prevent more terrorist attacks. He said other things such as more investment to the Caucasus region could help solve the problem.

The presidential aide concluded the speech with the wise words of an old woman from Beslan, the place where terrorist violence broke out recently: “Cannot we now after the so tragic loss do anything to make all nations unite?” Aslanbek Aslakhanov said all nations of Caucasus should participate in such round-table discussions, not only Azerbaijani like this time.

Theologian’s voice Doctor of historical sciences Professor Gasym Kerimov spoke after Aslanbek Aslakhanov and appealed to history. He mentioned an Arabian traveller who said Caucasus was the most beautiful place on Earth, and explained the meaning of the words “jihad” and “shakhid”.

Jihad means “zeal in faith” and subdivides into three types: big, small and medium jihad. The big jihad is the most important one; it means permanent but internal war. This is the war between the divine and the Satanic in the man.

The medium jihad means personal courage and ability to tell the ruler the truth. The small jihad means not an offensive but adefensive war in both, the Koran and the Sunna (the story about Muhammad's doings and expressions). This may be a war to defend oneself or relatives in case of an attack. According to the Koran, any war is fire that must be extinguished.

A shahid is a martyr, but a martyr who died in the just war but not a man who kills the innocent. This is a sin to kill oneself; like majority of religions Islam condemns suicide. Shariat is the right way for a Moslem; Islam strongly prohibits killing children.

Indeed, the Moslem law subdivides crimes into two categories: those belonging to the God’s law and crimes falling under the man's law. Crimes against God cannot be forgiven at all. An apostate is deprived of absolutely all rights. Penalty is imposed for killing or mulitation. Unlike the Arab law that allows vendetta to the seventh generation of a killer's relatives, Islam is more humane and tells relatives of a victim to be moderate in the vengeance and forgive the killer if possible because Allah welcomes a pardon.

The outstanding Islam historian does not like the mass media spread wrong interpretation of some Islamic notions. Other participants of the round-table discussion also blamed the mass media for their deliberate and unintentional mistakes and for ideological diversion.

For instance, the mass media mention some Basque or Irish terrorists when acts of terrorism occur in Spain or Ireland, however Moslem terrorists are traditionally blamed for explosions that sound in other parts of the planet. Thus, mass media emphasize the religion of terrorists first of all.

The historian also spoke about the necessity of learning Israel’s experience. Gasym Kerimov suggested that Russia’s law enforcement structures would rather resort to the experience of the Israeli special services in liquidation of terrorists but not use the notorious Road Map the USA thrust upon Tel-Aviv. As for the situation in Palestine, the historian said: “If people live together on the same territory it means they are under the Prophet's Law.”

However, some statements sounded crafty. The Koran is indeed respectful toward the sacred books of  Jews and Christians. But it is still rather negative in some of its statements, especially those ones concerning Jews. The Koran blames Jews for their inclination to listen to all kinds of lies. As well as idolaters, Jews are called the greediest people on Earth. Jews are said to be so much wishing to live as if they plan to stay on the planet for thousand of years.

The Koran teaches believers not to have friends or patrons among Jews as well as Christians because both are close friends. Participants of the round-table discussion unanimously condemned terrorism, however they still failed to develop any universal strategy to fight it. It seems to be the disaster of the society in general today.

Igor Bucker