Abdul-Vahed Niyazov

Niyazov was born April 23, 1969, in Omsk. Graduated from the Russian State University for the Humanities, Faculty of Public Administration and Office Management. Received a second university degree in Russian Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation. President of the Islamic Cultural Center of Russia – a public division of Russian Muftis Council – since April 1991. Deputy President of Executive Committee of Higher Coordination Center of Muslim Spiritual Directorates since February 1994. Co-President of the Union of Muslims of Russia since May 1995. Elected as a President of Council of All-Russian public political movement “Refah” (Prosperity) in autumn 1998. Elected as a deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the third convocation in the electoral bloc Interregional Movement Unity (Bear). Worked as a Deputy President of State Duma Committee for Regulation and Organization of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Work. President of the Political Council of Eurasia Party – Russian Patriotic Union since May 2001. Vice-President of the European Muslim Union since August 2005. Co-President and then a member of Federal Political Council of the political party Russian Patriots since September 2005. Vice-President of the International Muslim Film Festival Golden Minbar since April 2006. In 2007, the Islamic Cultural Center of Russia headed by Niyazov became a public division of Russian Muftis Council. Chairman of the Board of Directors of Islamic social network Salamworld since 2011. He was awarded the Medal "For Distinction in Military Service" 2nd class and the Medal "For Construction of the Baikal-Amur Railway". He is married and has two children.

Abdul-Vakhed Niyazov and Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu

During A.V. Niyazov's presidency, the ICC of Russia is working closely with authorities, public associations and mass media. Thanks to the ICC, the Days of Muslim Culture in Russia became traditional, the first Muslim TV programs All Koran Suras and Thousand and One Day: Muslim Encyclopedia were broadcast.[2]

In 1990s the ICC of Russia actively assisted the development of Hadj system in Russia, built more than 70 mosques in various regions of the country, participated in creation of educational infrastructure, assisted unification of Muslim clergy into Russian Muftis Council under spiritual guidance of which it still works.

Developing interconfessional and interethnic dialogue and cooperation, A.V. Niyazov has established functional relationship with the main Russian religions representatives, and above all with the Russian Orthodox Church. Under his guidance the ICC of Russia has also developed strong relationship with the Vatican, the Dalai Lama and other world religious centers.

For the past 20 years A.-V. Niyazov has been initiating interconfessional meetings, conferences and panel discussions, participating in programs of intercommunity cooperation, and in programs of opposition to international terrorism, extremism, nationalism, growing islamophobia and xenophobia, assisting the settlement of conflict in the Chechen Republic.[3]

In the early 1990s he, as a head of the ICC of Russia, initiated entrance of Russia into the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (now – the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC), which he views as not only strategic, but also economic profit for Russia. This initiative has gained support from Russian Muslim community and, due to the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s goodwill, in June 2005 Russia received a status of observer in Organization Islamic Cooperation. The ICC of Russia has always supported complex development of Russian foreign policy and balanced cooperation both with East and West.

In accordance to this principle, constructive cooperation with major Muslim international organizations, including the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Muslim World League, and World Islamic Appeal Association was established. The ICC constantly supports business contacts with Muslim community in more than 20 European and 40 Muslim countries. In almost 19 years the ICC of Russia has held about 20 major international conferences and forums, several dozens of panel discussions, symposiums and other events that met with a wide response in Russia and abroad.

During the past year the ICC of Russia under A.V. Niazov's guidance participated in projects vital for the Russian Ummah. They include International Conference Russia – Muslim World: Partnership for Stability in September 2009; preparation of a concept of a Muslim TV channel, which was initiated by the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in 2009; and launching of big project on unification of centralized spiritual Muslim structures of Russia, which was blessed by all three key leaders of Russian Muslims – head of Russian Muftis Council Rawil Gaynetdin, head of Central Muslim Spiritual Directorate Talgat Tadzhuddin and head of the Coordination Center of North Caucasus Muslims Ismail Berdiyev.

Damir Gizatullin, First Deputy of the ICC President.

The ICC of Russia is not only a public division of RMC, but also the oldest public organization of Russian Muslims. The Center consistently implements large-scale projects on the consolidation of Russian Muslim community, spreading a true image of Islam in the Russian society for almost 20 years, and for the last few years it does it as a social sector of RMC.

President of the ICC of Russia, Abdul-Vakhet Niyazov, is one of the most experienced and successful public figures of the Russian Muslim ummah. We are most thankful to him for his hard work in the Muslim education. For the past years, the Union of Muslims of Russia with assistance of A.-V. Niyazov has launched dozens of projects and strengthened contacts with world Muslim leaders. Our brother has been assisting peaceful settlement of Caucasus conflicts, the agreement of views among Russian Muslim leaders, the development of interethnic and interconfessional dialog.

We are confident that Russian Muslims know who is truly zealous in the way of the Almighty and cares about our ummah and the entire Russian society, and that this historical process for which Russian Muslims have been waiting for decades will complete the consolidation of the Muslim community of Russia, promoting development of our entire society and strengthening our Fatherland.

Ismail Berdiyev, President of the Coordination Center of North Caucasus Muslims, President of Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Karachay-Cherkessia and Stavropol Region.

As for Abdul-Vakhed Niyazov, I must remind you that the ICC of Russia is a subdivision and public division of Russian Muftis Council. And Niyazov was authorized to represent the interests of RMC at negotiations with other spiritual structures, public organizations and public figures by RMC President, Rawil Gaynetdin. In the past years Abdul-Vakhed Niyazov has been doing a great service to Islam in Russia. Dozens and hundreds of conferences, meetings with religious leaders, politicians and public figures were held only due to his unremitting efforts, his ability to establish good relations with people, and to reconcile brothers.Biography

Mukaddas Bibarsov, President of Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Saratov Region, Co-President of Russian Muslim Council.

Abdul-Vakhed Niyazov is a legitimate leader of the oldest public Muslim organization in Russia (the ICC was founded in 1991). The ICC of Russia is a public division of Russian Muftis Council, and we must remember that the decision on including this structure into Muftis Council was made collectively at one of the RMC meetings – meaning that it received support from the most RMC muftis.

The ICC of Russia conducts a great job to revive Islam, but unfortunately there is no other Muslim public person of Niyazov’s scale in our country. Our ummah needs people like him. Nafigulla Ashirov, President of Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Asian Part of Russia, Co-President of RMC

Muslim spiritual centers unification is exactly what most of Muslims want, this unification is essential, it is vital. Niyazov’s work is extremely useful to the ummah.

Akhmad Abdullayev, President of Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Republic of Daghestan.

For all those years that I know brother Abdul-Vakhed he wishes to serve the Muslim community of our country bringing it only benefit. He is truly concerned about all Russian Muslims and does everything he can to make their lives better. He is also concerned about the place of Islam in our country and actively assists Spiritual Directorates to achieve better understanding and unity. During his latest visit to Dagestan he spoke about closing Sunni mosques in Azerbaijan with greatest compassion, and this is only one example of how he cares about the ummah.

Ali Yevteyev, President of Muslim Spiritual Directorate of North Ossetia – Alania.

Abdul-Vakhed Niyazov is the President of the ICC of Russia – a public division of RMC – and that means that all his work is conducted under the supervision and blessing of the President of Muftis Council, Rawil Gaynetdin, Niyazov expresses not his own point of view, but the point of view of RMC, and he should be regarded as acting on behalf of Rawil Gaynetdin. As for his work in the uniting process, I would like to thank Abdul-Vakhed Niyazov for the work that he is doing for uniting Russian Muslims. Our brother is very capable of working and he loves to work, he is deeply concerned about Muslim unity.

Rashid Khalikov, President of Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Mordovia Republic

As for Abdul-Vakhed Nyazov, he was one of the first who took Talgat Tadzhuddin’s initiative of uniting and has made a huge effort to reach this goal. But Niyazov does not act on his own – he is a President of public division of RMC and acts only after Rawil Gaynetdin’s authorization. In my opinion, Rawil Gaynetdin is the true leader of Russian Muslims.

Mansur Dzhalyaletdinov, Imam-Muhtasib of Kazan.

To say that Abdul-Vakhed Niyazov plays a very positive role in Russian Muslim community’s life is to say nothing. I know brother Abdul-Vakhed since the 1990s and deeply respect him. I must say that the Russian Muslim ummah lacks such modern and effective public figures that can easily establish relationship with government authorities, deputies and spiritual leaders. I would like to mention that when he heard the appeal of Central Muslim Spiritual Directorate President Talgat Tadzhuddin to unite Russian muftiats, Abdul-Vakhed was one of the first to respond. He studied opportunities and prospects of such unification by the order of Rawil Gaynetdin. Niyazov is convinced that Russian Muslims should reach unity.

Anarbek Zhunusov, Bash Muhtasib of Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Asian Part of Russia (Omsk)

We have known our brother and compatriot Abdul-Vakhed Niyazov for a very long time. He has done a lot not only for the Muslims of our Region, but as well for the establishment of the largest Muslim organization in Russia – Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Asian Part of Russia.

Abdul-Vahed Niyazov is one of the founders of International IT project of Islamic social net Salamworld.[4] Specifying in the reasons on which he has decided to advance the project of a Muslim social network, Abdul-Vahed Niyazov noted

Today young Muslims want to socialize and entertain in the proper way.So we wanted for Ummah members to form safe and halal connections between each other; and that this was both the starting point and main goal of Salamworld. Before our children can even walk, they learn to usethe Internet. There are700 million Internet users across the Muslim world; thus, we hope to provide Internet content for everyone, particularly for children and the youth. At this point, especially the young people need the right kind of assistance. They want to spend qualityleisure time and be engaged in appropriate activities.Therefore, in order to address these urgent and significant responsibilities, we want to set upa social network that will meet the needs of Muslims and interconnect the entire Ummah.[5]

During 2011 Abdul-Vahed Niyazov made important trips to Muslim countries had gained support from leaders of Muslim communities around the world.

SW General Director

Among them:

- Indonesian Nahdatul Ulama As it pointed Dr. Said Aqil Siradj, General Chairman of Nahdatul Ulama

Out of the 284 million population of Indonesia, 40 million are active Internet users. And all our 60 million members of Nahdatul Ulama are looking forward to loint Salamworld[6]

- Indonesian Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. SirajuddinSyamsuddin, Chairman of the Muhammadiyah Doctrine

Today is the best time to implement such a global project. On one hand, we are faced with major threats and an immenselack of global peace; on the other hand, there is antremendous vacuum and responsibility regarding Muslims. As an umma, we have a population of 1.5 billion and thus the potential to fulfill this responsibility. Not only do we possess natural resources, but we also have ‘value resources’. Islam is essentially a religion of witnessing; thus, we must fulfill this responsibility, using the resources of value that we possess. In this respect, Salamworld must be open to all.While we do not approve of the unlawful, the ‘haram’, we still should not exclude non-Muslims. This is what our responsibility calls for. For this reason, we must render this product as competitive as can be, so that our product is sought-after and appealing.[6]

- European Muslim Union

Andreas Abubakr Rieger, Chairman of the European Muslim Union

We are not frightened of the circumstances, but we also know our boundaries. Therefore, we are capable of making meaningful and notable contributions to this area. This is why Salamworld is a great opportunity for us in eliminating this danger and overcoming this challenge,” to highlight the significance of the Salamworld project.[6]

- International Muslim Scholar Alliance

Head of International Muslim scholar alliance Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi:

I ask Allah for success to this project and hope it be useful for the Ummah.[7]

- Russia mufties Council etc.

In consequence of dynamism of international activities of Abdul-Vahed Niyazov the project Salamworld joined such eminent persons as ex-Prime Minister of Malaysia Doctor Mahathir Muhammad,[8] Great Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi,[9] KH Said Aqil Siradj [10] [11] etc.

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