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Kazakhstan’s tolerance experience is not universal for all OIC countries

Politics Materials 22 December 2010 17:55 (UTC +04:00)
Tolerance of the Kazakh society can serve as a good example for all OIC countries where there is a religious and national intolerance, but the Kazakh experience is not universal, Eduard Poletaev, political analyst and chief editor of the “Izvestia-Kazakhstan” newspaper, believes.
Kazakhstan’s tolerance experience is not universal for all OIC countries

Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 21 / Trend E. Ostapenko /

Tolerance of the Kazakh society can serve as a good example for all OIC countries where there is a religious and national intolerance, but the Kazakh experience is not universal, Eduard Poletaev, political analyst and chief editor of the "Izvestia-Kazakhstan" newspaper, believes.

"One should admit that the Kazakh experience [in the achievement of inter-religious and interethnic consent] is unique, but not all formulas for tolerance developed in Kazakhstan are applicable to other regions, for example, to Palestine," Poletaev told Trend on Tuesday over phone from Astana.

A conflict continues for decades in the Middle East region, particularly in Israel and Palestine; the society of both sides become embittered. Moreover, according to Poletaev strong powers are drawn in the processes on this small area of land, and many political forces take advantage of contradictions, which, according to him, significantly complicates the reconciliation process.

Kazakhstan next year will assume the presidency in the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) - the largest international intergovernmental Muslim organization, bringing together 57 Muslim states. OIC was established in 1969 at Saudi Arabia's initiative.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced earlier about Kazakhstan's activity priority during its chairmanship in the Organization, saying that his country will promote inter-confessional dialogue.

Strengthening of social stability - civil peace, interethnic and inter- confessional harmony - is a foundation stone of Kazakhstan's policy.

According to Poletaev, Kazakhstan since Soviet times was known as a country of peoples' friendship. People belonging to various ethnic and religious groups could find tolerant ways of coexistence.

But the problem is that the promotion of inter-confessional harmony in Kazakhstan is not universal, Poletaev believes, as a technical possibility for other countries to get acquainted with the Kazakh experience and take it into consideration is not always available.

"In information term, Kazakhstan is not a superpower. The Kazakh channels are not known everywhere, are not watched everywhere. Only one channel is broadcasted via satellite," he said.

On the other hand, according to Poletaev, it is important to understand that the world still has a country where the ethnic problem is somehow solved.

"In those regions where frozen or smoldering conflicts continue for a long time, it is useful at least to have an idea about such experiences in other countries," he said.

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