Kazakhstan's Muslims Call for Harmony and Dialogue Amid Cries for Jihad

Kazakhstan to Host International Conference on Peace and Harmony Feb. 13. The country's Muslims celebrated Kurban Ait (Eid al-Adhha) on Feb. 11 and called for peace among religions and civilizations

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 - As Muslims from throughout the world converged on Mecca for the final days of hajj pilgrimage amid concerns with the possible war in Iraq and increasingly belligerent voices of some against "infidels", the Muslims in Kazakhstan celebrated the beginning of Kurban Ait (Eid Al-Adhha) Feb. 11 and added their voice to those in Islam who preach peace and harmony among religions.

The country's religious and secular leaders said Ait is the time to embrace and promote tolerance and good relations with the followers of other religions not only in Kazakhstan, but, more importantly, in a wider world.

"We respect other people who follow different religions and speak different languages," said Abdsattar Hajji Derbisali, the Supreme Mufti of Kazakhstan's Muslims. "The Quran calls upon people to be worthy of the great name of a human being irrespective of any differences, to embrace each other remembering our common origins and to not entertain ideas about superiority of anyone's religion."

Visiting the mosque in Almaty, President Nursultan Nazarbayev said Ait was "a very bright and important holiday, when all the Muslims must ask Allah for forgiveness" and "when all the people must address each other with friendship and trust".

Ethnic Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Uighurs, Tartars, Turks, and Chechens, and people of other ethnic groups, making up the two-thirds Muslim majority of Kazakhstan's 15 million population, marked the day with prayers in mosques and calls for peace with people of other religions.

Kazakhstan has seen an unprecedented revival of religious freedoms since 1991 coupled with notable tolerance amongst followers of various religions. Since its independence, more than 3,000 religious associations appeared in the country, with 1,500 new mosques, 170 Russian Orthodox churches and more than 30 cathedrals built in the republic. Recently, news reports also said more than a dozen of new synagogues were constructed.

"This means that while Kazakhstan is a Muslim-majority nation, it respects other religions," Nazarbayev said.

Kazakhstan's experience of peaceful coexistence of various religions will be highlighted during the upcoming international conference on peace and harmony in Almaty. Leaders of several Muslim-populated nations and major international Jewish organizations, from the U.S. and Israel, will discuss ways to promote good relations and dialogue among civilizations at a forum that takes place Feb. 13.

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