Informal Islamic education in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union

Akhmetova, Elmira (2017) Informal Islamic education in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. In: Rethinking Islamic Education in Europe 2017, 14th-16th Sept. 2017, Bosnia. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

This paper aims at reviewing informal Islamic education among Russia’s Muslims since the fall of the Communist regime in 1991. The decade of absolute religious freedom enabled various types of Islamic ideas and guides to flow into the country, as its Muslim population was thirsty for any type of knowledge about Islam after long years of anti-religious propaganda. Within few years, the country experienced the mushrooming of Islamic madrasahs and various kinds of religious literature, financed by foreign organisations and riches. The paper finds that the majority of these early Islamic educational institutions, which played the crucial role in formulating the Islamic worldview and Muslim elite in Russia, were informal without formal registration, nor having of proper curriculum or textbooks. The paper also finds that the majority of Muslims in Russia today obtain knowledge on specific issues in Islam through social networking and internet, where the government tries to control the stream of foreign ideas into the country by banning of Islamic movements, certain Islamic books and ideas. These restrictions on Islamic literature and activities had been proliferated after the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and affected the well-being and security of local Muslims. Another kind of informal Islamic education in Russia is carried out by local preachers and mullas. The paper also discusses the issues related to the recognition of certificates obtained at different foreign Islamic institutions. Lastly, the paper suggests that, at large, Russia’s Muslims obtain the basic knowledge about Islam in their families and communities, as well as through social media and other means of informal Islamic education. Only limited number of local Muslims enrol at formal Islamic educational institutions.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Invited Papers)
Additional Information:	7311/58443
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Islamic education in Russia, informal education, religious tolerance, social media, minority rights, extremism
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc > BP1 Islam > BP173.65 Islam and religious liberty J Political Science > JF Political institutions (General) > JF491 Legislation. Legislative process. Law-making L Education > LB Theory and practice of education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2361 Curriculum L Education > LF Individual institutions (Europe)
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of History & Civilization
Depositing User:	Dr Elmira Akhmetova
Date Deposited:	25 Sep 2017 11:05
Last Modified:	25 Sep 2017 11:05
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/58443

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