Россия и исламский мир.

Introduction
Chapter 1. The present level of cooperation between Russia and the Islamic world
1.1 Russia policy towards the Islamic world
1.2 Islamic policy towards Russia
Chapter 2. Threats and opportunities of Russian-Islamic cooperation
2.1 Mutual interests and the field for cooperation
2.2 The main problems and challenges and possible solutions to them.
Chapter 3. The influence of the process of the globalization on Russian-Islamic relations
Conclusion
Bibliography

Россия и исламский мир.

Terrorist acts of 9/11 have changed the foreign Russian policy greatly. It caused or made possible strengthening of military-political presence of Russians in Central Asia. Russia together with Uzbekistan and Afghanistan even decided to create community to counteract radical Islam.
There is a theory that a threat to lose its authority in Central Asia makes Russia “blackmail its neighbours using the factor of Islamic threat”7.
Nowadays Russia excepts the character of Muslims’ regimes and doesn’t pay attention to its’ secularity. It also supports the Islamic world in realizing their own way of development concerning Islamic traditions and beliefs.
1.2 Islamic policy towards Russia
The Islamic policy towards Russia has been different during the history. Usually the topic isn’t discussedin the press and by scientists as it is much easier to see and show the impact of great empires on small states. The inverse situation is not that interesting and much less predictable.
Usually the policy of Islamic countries towards Russia is influenced by this or that economical interest.
There is an opinion that Muslim policy is much connected with geopolitical interests: “Anti-Russian sentiments were by no means universal in the Muslim world, despite the impact of the Afghan and Chechen wars. The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (to give but one example) refused on more than one occasion to accord membership to Ichkeria, the political organization of the Chechen rebels. Once Russia withdrew from Afghanistan, it ceased to be a target of both Muslim propaganda and military (terrorist) action. There were individual cases of anti-Russian propaganda and even some sporadic, half-hearted preparations for terrorist action (for instance against Russian diplomats in Iraq). But there was very little general Muslim solidarity with Russian Muslims and their political demands. Likewise, Russian Muslims showed little interest in the affairs of their coreligionists in other countries. An appeal to contribute money to the victims of the Gaza campaign in 2009 yielded 100,000 rubles, not an impressive sum considering the presence of more than 20 million Muslims in Russia”.8

Chapter 2. Threats and opportunities of Russian-Islamic cooperation
2.1 Mutual interests and the field for cooperation
Some experts mention that the most important issue in Russian-Islamic cooperation is oil. Here two aspects seem to be the most important ones – cooperation with Organization of Petrol Exporting Countries (OPEC), which mostly consists of Islamic countries and cooperation with such countries as Algeria, Iraq, Libya.
Speaking about OPEC, it should be mentioned that “over the past decade and a half, OPEC has welcomed the support to its market-stabilisation measures from Russia. Due to the fact that Russia is the world’s second-largest crude oil producer and exporter and that it is the number-one gas producer and exporter, this has greatly enhanced the effectiveness of these measures”9.
Even though it is known that OPEC and Russia are competitors it seems that they both are interested in a constructive dialogue. “In the beginning of the year 2000 Russia takes part in meeting organized by OPEC as observer and after the 11th September 2001 agreed to reduce oil supplies to the market”10.
Speaking about relations with different Islamic countries, it is important to mention relations with Saudi Arabia. “In the end of the 90th huge hopes on potential possibilities of this country to invest money in Russian Fuel and Energy Complex appeared”11. Till the year 2002 the relations seemed to be stabled and showed not that many outstanding results but in the year 2002 the situation changed. Because of geopolitical counteraction between Russia, Saudi Arabia and the USA. In the end of the conflict the Russian party showed that it doesn’t want to compete with Saudi oil on American market and the relations became again stable.
The relations of Russia and Iraq had positive results till the year 2002 when the contract with LukOil was recalled because of contacts of LukOil with the parties which were in opposition to Saddam Hussein12.
Cooperation of Russia and Islam countries in the sphere of weapons is much dependent on political atmosphere which exists at the very moment.
Total sum of weapon purchase to Muslim countries in lower than to the main partners of Russia – China and India. From 1995 till 2005 Russian export of weapons reached $ 48,7 billiard, almost 60% of which are for China and India13.
In 2004 export of weapons to Middle East and North Africa has reached only 10% of the total figures14.
Nevertheless, Russia yet doesn't wish to exclude possibility of sale of the weapon to Iran, Syria, Sudan or Venezuela. It can be explained in the following way15:
- Iran. Russia doesn’t want to sell the weapon breaking multilateral arrangements or internal laws, and to export products which can raise ability of Iran to create weapons of mass destruction. At the same time, sale of such systems of air defense as Torahs-M1, justify that their appointment – defensive (range of defeat of 12 kilometers). Though the representative of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kisljak has told on October, 18th plans of saling to Iran С-300 don't break neither Russian, nor the international laws or arrangements.
- Syria. Russia also asserts that its sales have defensive character, and specifies in the decision to stop sailing MANPAD. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserts that the Russian weapon used by "Hezbollah" in 2006, wasn't a subject of deliberate transfer of the Syrian government as it was the weapon left by the Syrian armies after they left Lebanon.
- Sudan. The Russian authorities deny any forms of trafficking arms with this regime, asserting that Russia doesn't break sanctions of the United Nations or Putin's declaration.
- Venezuela. Both officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Russian experts consider that behind a position of the USA there is a mentality of "the doctrine of Monroe", and not the real concern about regional stability.
2.2 The main problems and challenges and possible solutions to them.
Nowadays problems exist in the relation of Russia and Islamic world. But still there is a chance to overcome them and make the relations more or less stable. As it was said: “We are threatened with the same dangers. To cope with this harm, it is necessary to develop dialogue between the countries, so-called «partnership of civilizations». Though these are not civilizations which face the calls but extrimists who want to use religion in the egoistical purposes. That is why now it is nearly impossible to develop a dialogue of civilizations, and the crisis becomes obvious? The West looks down on the Muslim world; Berlusconi, being the prime minister of Italy, has directly told that Islam represents the lowest civilization, the West stands considerably above. And after all many adhere to such opinion. And, of course, at similar thoughts there is not a dialogue, and aspiration of one countries to impose the values of others. Americans have entered Iraq, Israelis tried to break Hizballah … It is necessary to search for political decisions. And in this question we with the Muslim world quickly come to the general denominator concerning the given problem we are with the Islamic states not just partners, and allies: without their assistance to cope with terrorism – this thunder-storm of the XXI-st century - is impossible”16.
Chapter 3. The influence of the process of the globalization on Russian-Islamic relations
On boundary of XX-XXI centuries the Islamic world has appeared in the center of globalization processes, more and more developed on a planet and consistently replacing the scientific and technical character on sociopolitical. After events of September, 11th, 2001 even direct military intervention of the USA and their allies took place. The purpose was a democratization of the Islamic world and formation of “the New Middle East”17.
However globalization processes isn't limited to the aforesaid. Globalization, being an objective process, stimulates and generates the Islamic world in the most different tendencies, including quite constructive ones. These transformations are of special interest, since they not only seriously change a picture of the Islamic world, but also influence international order.
At the moment the concept of the Islamic world has gathered a geographical measurement. Thanks to globalization the Islamic world became not so much a community of the countries who distribute Moslem doctrine, but an ex-territorial supranational welfare and religious-political phenomenon which makes an application on serious participation in world affairs18.
Under influence of globalization processes new transnational identity of Moslems and ideology were formed. Now almost in any point of the Islamic world it is possible to meet such “new Moslems”. Their consciousness is characterized with globality and aversion of “national”, patriarchal and archaic forms of of religion. They are adjusted on critical judgement of own and universal heritage, equally being well informed. Their problem - to reformat ideological base of the Islamic world, having offered original ways of modernization. This category of people can make the essential contribution to change he person of the Muslim countries and diasporas of the XXI century.
Globalization leads to openness, modernizations, liberalizations, to scientific and technical development, cultural enrichment of the Islamic world, its integration into the world community. With it the authoritative modes dominating in the majority of the Muslim countries should be considered. In new conditions they are simply compelled to go for the big democratization.
Under the influence of globalization processes cultural, ideological, social and economic communications of the people of the Islamic world have amplified also, there is a formation of Moslems’ transnational political consciousness. Today any Muslim country or a community can't ignore what happens in the world, and especially, in the neighbourhood. There is also an intensive judgement of actual world problems, including youth and female, making powerful impact on Islam development, on development of Muslim identity. That is partially why the number and qualitative level of the international non-governmental Islamic organizations has increased in new conditions19.
At the same time globalization leads to appearance of panarabic mass-media, making use of experience and achievement of the western journalism, there is a formation of the general cultural-information, ideological and even theological spaces. Their influence isn't limited to the Arabian countries. These mass-media are representatives of all Islamic world since the Arabian language has become the language of international dialogue of all Moslems20.
Conclusion