Abdul Vakhed Niyazov Profile.
Born 23 April 1969
Omsk, Russia
Occupation General Director of Salamworld, President of Public Division
of Russian Muftis Council,
President of the Islamic
Cultural Center of Russia
Notable award(s) Military Medal "For
Distinguished Service» II degree, Medal for "For the construction of Baikal-Amur Mainline
Abdul-Vahed Validovich Niyazov (Russian:
Абдул-Вахед
Валидович Ниязов, born April 23, 1969 in Omsk. Tatar), Founder
and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Salamworld,
President of public division of Russian Muftis Council, President of the
Islamic Cultural Center of Russia.
Life
and career
Born April 23, 1969, in Omsk. Tatar.
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. Has medals For Distinction in Military Service
of second class, and For building of BAM. Married, has two children.
Activity
in the Islamic Cultural Center of Russia (ICCR)
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 broadcasted.
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.
In the early 1990s he, as a head of
the ICC of Russia, initiated entrance of Russia into the Organization of the
Islamic Conference (now – the Organization 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.
Russian Muslim leaders about A.V. Niyazov
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.
Mukaddas Bibarsov, President of Muslim
Spiritual Directorate of Saratov Region, Co-President of Rissian 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.
General Director of Salamworld
Abdul-Vahed Niyazov is one of the founders of International IT project of
Islamic social net Salamworld 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.
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Russia mufties Council
etc.
In consenquence 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,
Great Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, KH Said Aqil Siradj etc.
