"Asia and Africa today"
- is a scientificl monthly journal (in Russian)
of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Included in Russian Science Citation Index on
WoS platform, and EBSCO Publishing.
ISSN 0321-5075. Published since July 1957.

 

 "Asia and Africa today" № 1 2010

 

Azia&Afrika 01 2010-s

 

 Top Problem

The PROJECT «REPUBLIC of INDIA»: HISTORY of SUCCESS. by A.V.Akimov. PhD (Еconomics).
Keywords: India, economics, development, resources
The Indian civilization has the most ancient history, but here we have Republic of India – an absolutely new state formation. One might say that such a state is really a man-made project because such a country, in such borders, with such form of state system and management never existed before.
Economists widely use the so-called SWOT-analysis method for the analysis of such long-term projects. They analyze strength, weakness, opportunities, threats or risks. We believe that this kind of analysis could be useful for systematization of successes and achievements of India, as well as problems facing it, and new opportunities.
The author claims, that the model of a society built in India is resistant to external influences, has great potential of self-development, but there are also a lot of threats for the future above all: permanent growth of the population while the natural resources of the country are limited. Nobody knows whether India will have time to become a developed country which could solve all technological problems in case of aggravation of deficiency of natural resources before growth of the population will lead to ecological catastrophe which will develop into social catastrophe and may eliminate all previous achievements.

 

 Policy, Economy

US – CENTRAL ASIA: TRANSFERRING POINT OR JUMPING-OF PLACE? by D.A.Faizullaev. PhD (Еconomics).
Keywords: Central Asia, Russia, US, military cooperation
The Central Asian region today is one of the important areas of Russian-American geopolitical rivalry. Regardless the so-called "reloading" of relations, the policy proclaimed by the B.Obama administration, the process of essential expansion and strengthening of military presence of the US is going on. The Central Asian countries are doing their best to take adventure from this rivalry. They receive cash and other kind of assistance from the countries of NATO for granting them their territory, air space and military objects which are used for transit of cargoes to Afghanistan.

ISLAMISATION, ISLAMISM AND EXTREMISM
INDONESIA. ON the JUNCTION of CIVILIZATIONS. by M.N.Gusev. PhD (Еconomics).
Keywords: Indonesia, islamism, Benedict XVI, dialogue of civilizations
In Indonesia – the world's largest country with the Muslim population has developed rather heterogeneous confessional and ethnic pattern. Moreover, distinctions in levels of social and economic development between various regions quite often become the main source of coflicts.
The problem of coexistence and interaction of two civilizations, Islamic and Christian, became particularly acuteness in Indonesia in the 90ies of the last century. It is no more simply a theoretical or everyday life issue. It has passed to the category of the painful threatening to national safety. Unrest, revolts, the acts of terrorism "camouflaged" in religious contradictions, in most cases reflect unsettled social and economic conflicts. Unfortunately, behind religious slogans there is practically always a political or economic interest.

TURKEY. ISLAMISTS VS ARMY. WHO WILL WIN? by A.A.Razlivaev. PhD (Political science).
Keywords: the Republic of Turkey, islamists, army
Turkey is suffering a serious ideological split. On the one hand, there are «Kemalists» - supporters of secular development of the state, and on another – supporters of gradual islamisation of public and political sphere of the Republic of Turkey.
Kemalists believe that Justice and Development Party (JDP) is doing its best to destroy the Republic and secular character of its regime. Having won the majority in the Turkish parliament the JDP has initiated numerous changes in the legislation, strengthening civil control over the army. Nevertheless, actions of the party remain essentially limited by the army, by the bureaucracy, and by a significant part of large business.

TWO COLORS of the RED MOSQUE. EVENTS AROUND ISLAMABAD’s MOSQUE. TWO YEARS LATER. by E.A.Pahomov.
Keywords: Pakistan, islamists, army
Two years ago the Red Mosque, a well-known center for radical Islamic teaching  and the ideological headquarters of radical Islamic opposition, has become the most known mosque in Islamabad.
 In July, 2007 islamists for the first time in history have organized an armed rebellion, the army also for the first time conducted the military operations in Islamabad, using helicopters and heavy arms. After fighting around the Red Mosque many believed that radical groups might soon capture the power in Pakistan and in such a case religious extremists would have the nuclear weapon in their hands.

ОCEANIA IN the BEGINNING of the XXI CENTURY. by S.E.Pale. PhD (History).
Keywords: Oceania, development, diplomacy
 South Pacific Region reaches from the eastern coast of Australia up to the Western coast of America. In the region there are about 10 million inhabitants living in 15 Island states which gained independence in 1960-1980, and in 10 dependent territories of France, the USA, New Zealand and Australia.
The only legal sources of incomes for islands are granting of permission for fishing in coastal waters and ecological tourism, which is not demanding great initial investments. Sale of stamps and release of exclusive coins for prosperous philatelists and numismatists also makes the certain profit. However the governments of the Island states find also alternative sources of incomes. Being members of the United Nations, they try to use their voices with the maximal benefit. They just trade with voices in the United Nations.

 

 Point of View

WHAT IS «The TAIWAN IDENTITY» and SPIRITUAL DECOLONIZATION of TAIWAN? by V.TS.Golovachyov. PhD (History).
Keywords: Taiwan, identity, China
More than a century Taiwan is living in a condition of the uncertain present, the "transitive" or "split" identity. It is both Chinese and "island" identity, but not his own.

 

 Foreign Expert Opinion

CONFLICTS IN the AFRICAN WAY: DYNAMICS AND METHODS of DISPUTE SETTLEMENT. Book’s digest written by S.V.Kostelyanets, the post-graduate student of Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Science.
Keywords: Africa, conflict, peacemaking, security
Numerous attempts to settle the military confrontations in Africa, undertaken by the African governments, by separate political groups and international organizations, meet as a rule very serious difficulties.
That issue has been investigated by Karin Dokken, the professor of the Oslo University in the monograph «African Security Politics Redefined». The digest of the book is presented in this article.

 

 Political Portrait

FIRST PRESIDENT of GHANA. by A.N.Bragin.
Keywords: Ghana, independence, colonialism
Кwаме Nkrumah – the legendary leader of the African national-liberation movement, one of the basic ideologists of Panafricanism. In July, 2009 the African Union decided to celebrate widely the 100th anniversary of the birth of the first president of Ghana in all the African states. September 21st was declared a national holiday - «The Day of the founder of Ghana». The article goes with main periods of political career of K.Nkrumah, his contribution to winning independence of Ghana.

«ANBA MOSCU» IS RESUMED AGAIN. by Y.N.Zinin. PhD (History).
 Keywords: Moscow news in Arabic, Arab world
At the end of 2009 after 17-years break, RIA-Novosti relaunched «Anba Moscu» - the «Moscow news» newspaper in Arabic. Issued yet early in Soviet epoch in 1969. The edition was one of the first information channels of Moscow for access to Arab readers.
«Anba Moscu» while inheriting the best features of the predecessor will be a publication of new Russia by its contest and performance. The total circulation of this monthly is planned to be 150000 exz. The area of distribution is 15 countries of Middle East, North Africa and Persian Gulf.

PUSHKIN`S JUBILEE IN ETHIOPIA. M.L.Volpe. by PhD (History).
Keywords: Ethiopia, Pushkin, cultural cooperation
The article deals with the publication of Alexander Pushkin's selected poetry and prose in Ethiopia in Amharic translations. This unique book was presented in Addis Ababa during the celebration of the great Russian poet's 210th anniversary in June, 2009.

 

 Russia and The East

CEYLON PARADISE AS ANTON CHEHOV HAD SEEN IT. by D.T.Kapustin. PhD (History).
Keywords: Ceylon, Chekhov, travel
Anton Chekhov visited Ceylon in November, 1890, coming back from his well-known trip to Sakhalin, an island in Far East. From Ceylon he brought a lot of souvenirs, photos and cards. But, certainly, the greatest value Chehov brought from travel - the story "Gusev".

«MY FRIEND, LET’S REMEMBER AFGHANISTAN...» by A.J.Urnov. PhD (History).
Keywords: Afghanistan, USSR, war, diplomacy
Afghanistan has added a tragic page to history of the Soviet Union. The reasons which made the USSR to send an army to Afghanistan are analyzed. Military operation was not supposed to last for a long. It was planned, that the Soviet troops would take under the control only the cities. As it has turned out there was no military decision. Nevertheless the Soviet Union has got involved in the war which could not be won.

MILITARY INTERVENTION IN CONGO. by G.M.Sidorova. PhD (History).
Keywords: Congo, United Nations, conflicts, diplomacy
The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of those states, «where process of modernization slips or even goes back». Nevertheless the Western powers take the keen interest in this country which is rich with natural resources.
The author goes back to the Congolese crisis of the beginning of 1960ies and to history of colonization of Congo so that we could understand better the processes occurring to this country in the XXI century.

 

 Traditions, Customs, Morals

ABOUT SOME HAUSA TRADITIONS. by A.S.Verezemskaja, V.M.Korosteleva.
Keywords: Hausa, traditions, family
The Hausa people is one of the numerous ethnicity of the Western Africa living mainly in the northern part of Nigeria. One of the features of this nation is that they have no surnames.

 

 Culture, Literature, Art

OMARET YAAKOBYAN (FRAGMENTS FROM THE NOVEL. by Alaa Al Aswany.
Keywords: Egypt, literature, Omaret Yaakobian, Center of humanitarian cooperation
The Arabian prose and the poetry are developing very intensively last decades and became now an integral part of the world literature. One of brilliant names - Egyptian writer Alaa Al Aswany. His novel «Omaret Yaakobyan» has sustained six reprinting in the homeland, a film version of the novel has been made and to the beginning of this year is translated into 34 languages of the world. Fragments from this novel which will be published in the nearest three numbers of our magazine are offered to attention of readers.

 

 Travelings, Meetings, Impresions

THE EAST IN THE EUROPE. by R.G.Landa. PhD (History).
Keywords: Balkans, Islam, Ottoman Empire
The Balkans is that part of the world where the East and the West, Asia and the Europe not simply converge, but closely intertwined into each other, forming extremely original, complex, sometimes confused combinations. In culture, architecture, language, features of art of Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina which has remained for several centuries parts of the Ottoman Empire one distinctly feels the influence of the East.
The folklore of southern Slavs, music, dances, kitchen, clothes, architecture of their countries are closely connected with Turkish traditions and customs and not much different from them. The author offers readers to make a fascinating travel across the Balkans and to learn a lot of new.