“We should not and cannot be against mixed marriages”
December 03, 2018
The strategy of the Tatars is being written in complex discussions and contradictions.
At the World Tatar Congress (WCT), discussions keep going around the preparation of the Strategy for the Development of the Tatar People. At this time, an extended round table with the participation of more than 55 representatives of the WCT, historians, journalists, community activists, writers, authorities and leaders of Tatar public organizations is held within the walls of the Kazan National Cultural Center.
The meeting was moderated by chairman of Milli Shura and Deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan, Vasil Shaikhraziev. On his left, historian Damir Iskhakov sat at the table, and on his right chairman of the World Congress of Tatars, Rinat Zakirov, and a member of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan, Daniya Zagidullina.
The event began with a report from a journalist and social activist Rimzil Valeev. It was called “30 questions to the Tatar people.” With these questions, the speaker expected to motivate those who had gathered to reflect on exactly what challenges the Strategy should meet. The issues were complicated: how is it possible, presently, to assess the state of the Tatar people, at what stage of development are the Tatar media, what happens to the Tatar youth and so on. By the reaction of the participants of the round table, it was clear that the questions put by Rimzil Valeev give rise to ambiguous answers.
Nevertheless, the speaker later admitted that he did not include “What to do with the Russian-speaking Tatars?” in the list of questions.
– These Tatars are ours too. Moreover, we can have both English-speaking Tatars and Finnish-speaking Tatars, ”argued Rimzil Vilayev. The question seemed to him rather provocative, and the reaction of the participants in the round table was unpredictable.
Vasil Shaikhraziyev, being head of Milli Shura, made it clear to the audience that the topic concerning the Russian-speaking Tatars does not require discussion, an opinion on them has already taken shape.
– Today in Russia there are just over 5.3 million Tatars. We do not ask what kind of religion our people has, whether it is Islam or Orthodox, whether he is an atheist or not. For us it does not matter. All the same, we are Tatars. We do not wonder how many of these 5.3 million Tatars write, read and can reason in the Tatar language. There are after all those who cannot write and read Tatar, but can speak Tatar. But we are still the Tatars, ”said Shaikhraziyev.
He believes that according to the results of the future Tatars census there should be more – already not 5.3 million, but 5.5 million people.
– What to do with those Tatars who do not know the Tatar language? They are not to blame. But we have to prepare such a Strategy, after maintaining which in the Tatar soul something has to move, there should be an interest, – says Vasil Shaikhraziyev.
He told a recent story when he went to visit the Tatars living on Sakhalin. There, he encountered the imam of a mosque from Bugulma, who was asked to help conduct the farewell ceremony on the last journey of an elderly Tatar woman. Imam told Shaykhraziyev that he had to see the 60-year-old daughter crying, who complained that she absolutely did not know the Tatar language and Muslim traditions, but begged to spend her mother on her last journey according to all the Tatar-Muslim customs. A religious leader could not deny her this right. Knowledge of language is not necessary for this.
Historian Damir Iskhakov said that ideas about creating a Development Strategy for the Tatar people among the public and intellectuals have been around for a long time. Back in 2002, when the population census took place in the country, a discussion ensued between Tatarstan and the Federal center. Sociologists and authors of the questionnaires then introduced, as it seemed to Damir Iskhakov, a large number of different sub-ethnic groups that destroyed the unity of the Tatar nation.
Then Rustam Minnikhanov, still being Prime minister of the republic, ordered and allowed a group of scientists to create an ethnological monitoring center. They were also assigned the task of developing data and documents for the Strategy of the Tatar people. But then the Center moved from the WCT to the Mardzhani Institute. The activity of the project team was then folded, then restored again, but inside the WCT.
And in 2017, before the 6th WCT Congress in August, again the issue of the need to prepare the Strategy was raised. Mardzhni Institute of History, which itself has become a member of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan was tasked to prepare a draft document before the Congress. But the delegates did not see it.
Then Damir Iskhakov turned to the difficulties associated with the preparation of such documents as the Strategy. First, the speaker complained that there were very few prominent Tatar social scientists. Even fewer in the regions, districts and other localities outside Tatarstan there are those who could provide up-to-date information on the situation of the Tatars in their territories to Kazan. Secondly, the scientist urged not to rely solely on sociological data when drawing up the document.
No less ardently, he insisted that the creation of such a complex document as the Strategy for the Development of the Tatar People is only up to the expert community. Now the project has several working groups that have different visions, and maybe even opposite ones. Therefore, the speaker continued to say, in the work it is necessary to create a “project office” that would act as a moderator between the groups, reduce their works to a single and common denominator. When the selection of a project variant begins, the rejected developments should be classified so as not to become public knowledge, and as a result – an odd reason for gossip.
Vasil Shaikhraziev promised that from December all his business and work trips would be completed, and he will start working on the Strategy thoroughly. Since December 10, he would like to familiarize himself with all the calculations and developments of the working groups.
On January 15, the document developers will divide Tatarstan into several zones, send delegates there for discussion. And after February 15, they will start driving around the territories where the Tatars live are outside the republic, in particular, the regions of Russia are meant.
As a result, approximately by the middle of August 2019, representatives of the WCT should present the already prepared Strategy to the public, having previously discussed its position at the Muslim Religious Leaders Forum, which is traditionally held in summer before the “Bolgar Zhyeny”.
At the round table, several delegates of the WCT raised the question of the role of the Tatar family in the maintenance, preservation and development of the people. One of the speakers asked to specify in the Strategy somehow the problem with mixed marriages, when the Tatars marry representatives of other nationalities. A delicate question was addressed to Vasil Shaihraziev.
Chairman of Milli Shura answered him with a quote from Mother Teresa: “I will never join the anti-war movement. Call me when the peace movement comes. ”
– We should not and can not be against mixed marriages. But we can defend and support marriages within our nation. Of course, every Tatar girl should marry a Tatar guy, and a Tatar find her Tatar, ”answered Vasil Shaikhraziev.
As an example, he cited the story of a recent trip to the UK. There, a local Tatar lady activist for a long time could not marry her son. Then she has managed to create a youth Tatar organization “Zaman”. In fact, this structure has become a club of interests where all Tatars living in Foggy Albion gather. About a year later, the son finally found himself Tatar girl in the UK, they held nikah and wedding.
“This is the family strategy that the Tatars should have,” concluded Vasil Shaikhraziyev.
Ilnur Yarkhamov
