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The tragic events of 11 September 2001 in New-York raised the question of the further destiny of humanity in the new third millennium. What is it - a forboding of unprecedented cataclysms, bloody disputes and clashes on boundaries of civilizations, in particular, between the Christian West and the Islamic East. Was it a beginning of the realization of that scenario of development, which some years ago was described by Samuel Huntington?1. Does it signify a signal for humanity on the necessity for a fundamental renewal of the present form of interrelations between North and South, and West and East? Politicians themselves are seeking new political concepts that will provide answers to these fundamental appeals, which have presented themselves before humanity. Thus, the well-known right-radical assistant and political scientist Patrick Buchanan, who worked as the head adviser of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, in the beginning of this year, issued a book titled “The Death of the West”. The subject of the book is about an invasion of immigrants, the fall of birth-rates and the loss of belief, which destroys our culture and statehood.2 The future Apocalypse will have the form of a swallowing up during the next half and century of European Christian civilization by Islam-Arabic-African, and North-American by Mexican. The basic tenants of Buchanan’s conception were criticized by many well-known members of the staff public “think-tanks”, first of all, by the director of the Center for International Development of Harvard University, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, who proved convincingly the groundlessness of the claims of P. Buchanan and that his minions have baseless prognoses of the incapacity of the Islam world to have modernization and progress, and its backwardness and aggressive character.3

Nevertheless, another idea about the essence and consequences of the events of 11 September and the present situation in the development of humanity is on the forefront. The challenge, which was thrown down to the world community on so-called “black Tuesday”, requires more than a firm struggle against any form of terrorism. As the prominent Ukrainian scientist, Ivan Dzuba, notes fairly, this challenge forcefully demands the creation of new mechanisms of cooperation between communities and civilizations, the rejection of the singular approach to so-called globalization, and large-scale world programs of struggle with poverty and diseases, and dialogue between the world religions on problems of religious values and ethical prohibitions and deep self-criticism of Euro-American civilization.4 It is very typical that cognizance of the necessity to build new bridges between Christian and Islamic offshoots of one common civilization, and that the search for real new and realistic humanistic forms of integration of both these worlds were maintained by those politicians, who at once after the September events almost called for a new crusade against Islamic East. So, for example, in January 2002 in London a seminar “Building of bridges: removal of obstacles on the way of Islam-Christian relations” was held. The representatives of Islamic and Christian clergy from 12 countries took part in this seminar. The prime-minister of Great Britain, Tony Blair, stressed in his speech at the seminar that a dialogue and mutual understanding between representatives of different confessions leads to strengthening and stabilization in the world. He also stressed that religion is the inexhaustible source of wisdom and kindness. It is necessary correctly to understand and preach it, because its distortion is dangerous for all of humanity.5 Almost, at the same time, the prime-minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, condemned attacks against the world religion Islam. And this occurred 6 months after his statement on the advantages of western civilization over the Islamic world, which aroused a general indignation among Moslems. In Rome, Berlusconi together with the ambassadors of Arabic states visited mosque, and addressed with statement that: “It is impossible to attack a religion, which is confessed by over billion inhabitants of the Earth, only that a small group of persons, who use it as a cover, conduct acts of violence”. He also added: “I want to assure everybody that neither I, nor the government of Italy, nor the Italian people are going to run a campaign against Islam. And my words have been quoted out of touch with full context”.

He completed his speech by words: “Italy - is a peaceful land for all religions”.6 In spite of numerous objective and subjective obstacles the leading tendency in the world is for an increased understanding and a new phase of constructive cooperation and mutual influence of the Christian West and Islamic East. The mentioned question becomes more topical for the Ukrainian state. The subject at hand is the increased influence both on internal political life, as well as on state foreign policy by the Islamic factor - the boiling world of Islamic civilization as a unique human community (mindset) with its basic religious-moral principles and values, way of life, troubles, demands and expectations.

Ukraine is located just at the crossing of both worlds - Christian West and Islamic East, in the epicenter of the Great Silk Route, which combined these worlds for a long time by various trade-economical and cultural-spiritual ties. Due to its geopolitical location, the Ukraine constantly was involved in close and active relations between both these worlds. There were different and complicated pages in the history of these interrelations. There were destructive campaigns and expansion actions of the Ottoman Empire. But there was also a significant assistance of Crimean Khanate during the struggle of liberation of the Ukrainian people in 1648-1654s. Namely, the Hetman Ivan Mazepa found political shelter and his last resting place in the territory of the Turkish state, in Benderi, and in the same place, some time latter the Ukrainian hetman in emigration, Fillip Orlyk, wrote first Ukrainian Constitution.

A new phase of development in the relations of our country with the Islamic world began at the moment of our gaining independence and becoming a player on the international scene on the basis of the historical process that established equal rights. The creation and intensification of the southern direction of Ukrainian foreign political course is based on an understanding by Ukraine it's strategic interests in the Middle and Central East, in Persian Gulf, Central Asia and other regions of the Islamic East7. Tragic events of 11 September 2001 in USA not only changed the mentioned line of the Ukrainian state, but also affirmed the timeliness of the Ukrainian course for intensification of it’s presence in Middle and Central East8. At once, after the September events Ukraine joined in the global opposition to terrorist operations, and immediately proposed to provide its available forces and means to participate in effective opposition to terrorists9. At the same time, the Ukrainian state stated that it is impossible to link Islam with extremism or terrorism. And that it intends to develop relations with Islamic states in the future and play an active role in searches for peace in the Middle East. The concrete manifestations of this policy were evident in the creation of a Special Representative of Ukraine to the Middle and Central East, the successful visit of a Ukrainian delegation headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, A.Zlenko, to the states of the Persian Gulf, the extension of diplomatic and trade-economical relations between Ukraine and the states of the Middle and Central East, proposals of Ukraine concerning conducting of peaceful talks between Israel and Palestine in Ukraine, and the official visit of President of Ukraine, L.Kuchma, to Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. It is necessary to indicate that although it is impossible to compare the possibilities and resources of our country with possibilities of USA, Ukraine has its own definitive advantages, which are recognized by all parties. Our country is not burdened by a colonial past, and we have no geopolitical ambitions in this region, though Ukraine directly has its interests in the region.

Ukraine keeps kind and balanced relations as with Israel, as with Arabic states, and they perceive it as an equal partner, which wants sincerely to assist. This creates a favorable background for a significant role of the Ukrainian state in achievement of peace in the Middle East 10. The intensification of foreign political activity of Ukraine in the Middle and Central East directions fully meets long-term state economic interests. Intensive cooperation in the economic area with states of the Islamic world allows Ukraine to solve the following tasks:

to provide a real opportunity to achieve the diversification of sources for oil, because a number of states of the Middle and Central East, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, and Iran are the largest world oil exporters. to provide an active role for Ukraine in forming of new system of transportation routes in the Eurasian region and movement of energy resources between Europe and South Asia; to create conditions for investments worth many millions in Ukraine under very profitable, unique conditions; to open a seller’s market of many kinds of military, industrial and agricultural productions; to promote an increase of assistance of states and international organizations of Islamic East for solution of many problems of resettlement, adaptation and integration of the Crimean Tatar people into Ukrainian society. In addition this opens wide prospects for cooperation between Ukraine and the states of the Islamic East in humanitarian area, in particular in training of national cadres, development of medicine and public health, exchange of cultural values and property, mutual enrichment of spiritual life, and development of common informational space.

Ukraine in its turn, as a result of its unique geo-strategic location, is able to play an important role in the development of interrelations between East and West as a big transportation hub, part of the infrastructure framework, which will be support global needs for the XXI century. Already, now Ukraine plays a vital significant role in providing Europe with secure power, by opening up the potential of the Middle East and Black Sea and Caspian region through creation of the transportation infrastructure.

Namely, in this context the efforts of Ukrainian leadership to elevate to a higher level cooperation of our state with the states of the Middle and Central East and Central Asia are logical and farsighted. In these states they well remember, that a significant part of the economic and financial assistance, which the former USSR gave to these states, came from Ukraine. It was Ukrainian industrial equipment, Ukrainian specialists, and Ukrainian goods. As the last contacts and talks of the Ukrainian side with public and business circles of the mentioned states showed, they highly appreciate Ukrainian technological and industrial potential and with readiness will use it for the solution of questions of their further development11.

A big importance is the Islamic contribution to the national interests of Ukraine as its present weight will increase. Currently, the number of Moslems in Ukraine constitutes under different estimations from 1,2 to 2 million persons. It constitutes about 4% of the population of Ukraine. In Crimea it is over 12%. In the near future Ukraine will join with five European states, which have a more significant percent of Moslems in composition of their population12. Under ethnical composition, it is first of all, the representatives of Turkic-speaking, Farsi and Caucasus-Iberian groups (Crimean Tatars and Tatars situated on the Volga, Bashkirs, Turkmen, Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Azerbaijanians, Chechens, Dagestanians, Osetinians, Abkhazians and others), and also Afghans, Persians and Arabs, whose number lately was significantly increased. On January 1, 2001, in Ukraine were registered 386 communities and 30 more are in process of registration. In Ukraine there are 5 educational institutions, including 2 universities in which study about 440 Islamic clergymen13. The unique peculiarity of ties of Ukraine with the Islamic world is that on its territory, in Crimea are the returned Crimean Tatars, who are the Indigenous people in our state.

Actually, no one European state has such peculiarity, in which Moslems constitute a significant part in composition of their population. All of the above mentioned topics raise before the state a number of interconnected questions. First priority is provide the Islamic community a stable social-political environment, and prevent the transformation of the Islamic factor into a force for destabilization in Ukrainian society, or its use by certain internal and foreign forces in destructive plans. Secondly, integrate the Crimean Tatars into Ukrainian society, in a way that on the one hand will provide achievement of the optimal form of home rule for the Crimean Tatar people within framework of Ukrainian state and achieve their political-legal, socioeconomic and spiritual necessities, and on the other hand will promote strengthening of interethnic harmony and peace on Crimean peninsula.

Thirdly, to use effectively the opportunities, ties, traditions of Moslem people of Ukraine to bring about market reforms, including strengthening of positions of Ukraine in the regions of the Islamic East. It is necessary to note that a business in states of the Middle East traditionally takes into account the postulates of the Koran and gives advantage in cooperation with non-Moslem world of those states, where Moslem minorities live or the Moslem population constitutes a significant part of the population, using them as necessary communicative link.

Tragic events of September 11, 2001 in New-York, in particular, at first phase, resulted to certain strengthening of anti-Moslem moods not only in USA, but also in many European and other states. The military campaign of the USA and its allies in Afghanistan, new plans for the next force actions of Washington in some regions of Islamic world, and the tense situation around the Palestine question have negative influence on the situation in the Islamic world as a whole, including relations between states of the Christian West and Islamic East. In this connection, one recognizes the need to deal with the question and the need to maintain the social-political stability among Moslems of Ukraine. It is necessary to note that as a whole there has been success in providing a calm situation in this area. The speeches of the President of Ukraine, L.Kuchma and other officials and the statements of leaders of Moslem communities had a positive significance, which clearly set forth the government positions on the impossibility of equating Islam with terrorism, and the necessity for development of all-round cooperation of Ukraine with the Islamic world. Also lately have appeared new negative tendencies, which can destructively influence social-political stability in the Islamic community. So, during the last electoral competitions some political forces have tried to use in the pre-election struggle a bugbear of “Moslem threat”, which supposedly is inevitably expected by Ukraine. For example, “Kyiv fortress” (association of candidates in deputies of Kyiv municipal council) proclaimed that its main goal is not to allow an invasion of Asian refuges in Kyiv14. In the end of 2001 - beginning 2002 the capital of Ukraine was inundated by post-cards of “Kyiv fortress”, in which it was claimed that supposedly the EU, NATO and MMF had persuaded Ukraine to receive about 8 million refugees from Central Asia, and a half of them want to settle in Kyiv and Kyiv oblast. The inhabitants were threatened with the provocative menace that: “Asians will come and say to the Ukrainians to go to the deserts of the Middle East”15. Certainly, a similar dirty technique was used in the Crimean peninsula as well. Certain political forces, first of all, Crimean communists headed by their leader, L. Hrach, also tried to use actively the worn myths of a threat of Islamic extremism” on the part of the Crimean Tatar Movement or tried to provoke Crimean Tatars into mass protest meetings because of their (Communists) appeals for joining of Crimea to Russia16.

Namely, L. Hrach and those like him the ex-prime-minister of the ARC, adviser of President of Ukraine, S.Kunitsin, had in mind when he said: “I cannot understand those politicians which for achievement of own political goals involve society into conflict, and kindle inter-ethnic confrontation”17. Propaganda of religious jealousy of Moslem hatred in some Mass Media which are distributed in Ukraine was strengthened. For example, in the newspaper “Secret materials of the XX century”, which is published especially for Ukraine in over 45,000 copies a large article, was published, titled “Koran says - kill! Black light of half moon”, in which Islam was discussed as “most aggressive of all existing monotheisms”, and in which the content of the Koran leads to execution of adherents of different faiths. The history of Islamic civilization itself is described as an awful history of continuous slaughter of followers of other religious by Moslems18.

The publication “Stolichniye novosti” (Capital news) contained materials, in which Palestinians are characterized as “Palestinians-killers”, and the creation of a Palestinian state is a “mortal danger for Israel”, and the solution of this crisis is the “wide-scaled campaign” of Israel19. It is significant that the next number of this publication with the mentioned article was issued on the threshold of the adoption by UNSC of a resolution on the situation in the Middle East, in which was firstly recognized a state of Palestine.

In recent times a power struggle for leadership and monopoly of influence on believers between some basic Islamic centers and groups became intense. After the events on September 11, 2001, the majority of the Moslem population was displeased by the efforts of foreign Islamic centers to take actual control over all aspects of religious life of the Moslem community of Ukraine. Thus, in the Statement of the IV Kurultay of the Crimean Tatar people “On rebirth of religious life of Crimean Tatars and preservation of religious tolerance in Crimea” it was noted that: “Separate efforts of foreign missionaries to revise Islam, from the way in which for a long time it was confessed in Crimea, and agitation to abandon national traditions and spiritual values is perceived by the Crimean Tatar community with condemnation”20. A big concern in Moslem community is caused by the foreign missionaries and preachers, who often arrive in Ukraine by invitation of appropriate Islamic organizations and then bring to Ukraine those problems, which exist between religious organizations in their states and that result in aggravation of relations between religious communities in our state. As a result, efforts have appeared for creation of another Islamic center - the Supreme Coordination Center of Religious and Moslem communities of Ukraine, which would be headed by an Ukrainian citizen - a representative of so-called “mild” Islam. Thus, the national interests of Ukraine require a development of an appropriate state policy on increased influence of the Islamic factor on its internal political development and foreign policy. This is fundamentally a new problem for our state, so now, in the process of development of basic governing postulates of such a political course, it is very important not make destructive mistakes, including those, which were made already by some other states at the present time, and to study closely the best positive experience of integration of Islamic communities into society of a number of western states and the Russian Federation and to establish a safe barrier against Islamic extremism. One should give also especial attention to the making of effective mechanisms for the realization of strategic interests of the Ukrainian state in regions of the Middle and Central East and Central Asia.

The official bodies of government are to proceed from clearly defined national interests of Ukraine, and form, namely, the pro-Ukrainian policy as regard to the Islamic factor and the Islamic world in general, and avoid that our state and its official bodies of government would turn into mechanical executors of foreign political, strategic and tactical goals of other states, contrary to own national interests. As was fairly noted at the meeting of the scientific Council of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on October 10, 2001, entrance of Ukraine into the Middle Eastern and Central Asian space “connected with diplomatic flexibility, linked with out ability to balance in the area of confrontation the big states and powers, which we observe on the part of other undesirable competitors. A penetration of Ukraine in named region can be balanced, gradual and also successive21.”

It is also important to provide for the close mutual co-ordination of our domestic and foreign aspects of policy of the Ukrainian state on the Islamic factor. A gradual line for providing for rights and necessities of the Moslem community will promote an increase of the authority of the Ukrainian state in the countries of the Islamic East and will create optimal conditions for providing for our national interests in mentioned region.

Vyacheslav SHVED,

Candidate on historical sciences

on "Center of Information and Documentation

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