Kazakhstan model of ethno-confessional consent

The article presents the results of a study aimed at identifying common trends and features of the creation and functioning of the model of ethnic and religious harmony in Kazakhstan. The source base of the study was a complex of published free sources: normative-legal acts, program and administrative documents, documents of office work, methodical recommendations of public authorities and religious organizations, statistical reports, materials of secular and Church periodical press. The development of a special model was due to the threat of socio-political stability, a sharp change in the ethnic and religious structure of the population in the post-Soviet period, multinational and multi-religious nature of the state. The process of creating a legislative and institutional framework for the model was complicated by the activation of groups representing radical Islamic movements and new “non-traditional” religions that used opposition forces. At the end of the XX century, Islam in the region was revived and on its basis in many states attempts were made to form a new cultural and value system, while Muslim communities began to develop beyond state control and borders. The author gave a detailed description of the place and role of the Russian Orthodox Church (hereinafter - ROC) in the functioning of the model, revealed the mechanism of interaction between the state and religious organizations, described the current religious situation, described the problems and made a forecast of the possible development of the situation. ROC in Kazakhstan is a “Russian factor of influence”: a tool to support the Russian population, the spread of Russian culture and language, which is why it commands the continued support of the leadership of the Russian Federation. The leadership of Kazakhstan successfully uses the ROC in domestic policy as a tool for modernization of the current model of interethnic and interreligious harmony in the state, as well as in foreign policy as one of the points of strengthening good-neighborly relations with Russia. But there is a high probability of limiting the rights of the Russian population and changing the attitude to the ROC by the ruling elites in the event of the victory of opposition parties, whose ideology is based on the “Kazakh national idea” (or the idea of “ethno-cultural nationalism”). At the studied stage, the model has shown its effectiveness in solving the problems of development of the state and society. The main trend in the creation of the model was the strengthening of the role of the state in the management of the religious sphere and the introduction of restrictive rules. The peculiarity of the model is the reliance on traditional Islam and balancing between the interests of the Kazakh population, mainly professing Islam, and other nationalities through active interaction of the state with Christian and other religious organizations. The existing model contains a contradiction between the priority of one religion and nationality and the Declaration of the creation of a new civil-national identity. The authority of the President of Kazakhstan N. A. Nazarbayev allows to maintain balance. The changes in the political life of the state taking place in 2019 will be a serious test of the model for viability and efficiency.

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