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2011 Asia and Africa today

 

DISASTER IN JAPAN: NATURAL FURY AND HUMAN MISTAKES by Y.M. Rusakov, PhD (History)
Keywords: Japan, 2011 earthquake, tsunami, Fukushima Daiiti nuclear accident
Japan had been preparing for a cataclysmic earthquake for a long time. Yet it caught the country by surprise. On March 11 the bulk of victims was swept away by tsunami. And the biggest headache was caused by accidents on Fukushima Daiiti nuclear power plant inadequately prepared for the disaster. Its operator TEPCO was slow in response to overheating of nuclear reactors and evasive in disclosing details about the plant. In this tragic situation, Japanese people demonstrated remarkable resilience and courage. But the government didn’t live up to their expectations in managing the disaster even comparing with Soviet authorities dealing with Chernobyl catastrophe.
The losses caused by the disaster are manageable in view of economic power of Japan, 33 руб.tr foreign currency reserves and 558 руб. tr household savings. Hopefully, this tragedy may trigger off Japan’ awakening from two decades of economic stagnation and political sclerosis.

THE REBIRTH OF THE CULT OF CONFUCIUS IS TAKING PLACE: THE SPIRITUAL COMPONENT OF SOCIALISM WITH THE CHINESE SPECIFIC NATURE by V.G.Burov, Dr.Sc. (Philosophy)
Keywords: the People’s Republic of China, Confucianism, traditions and modernization, modern Chinese ideology
In modern China along with the impressive achievements in economy there are some serious problems in the social and ideological spheres.
That is the reason why the rebirth of the cult of Confucius is taking place in the People’s Republic of China lately. Confucius’ principles have become a basis of Chinese traditions and beliefs. He championed strong familial loyalty, respect of elders by their children and the family as a basis for an ideal government.
The ethical norms of Confucianism which emphasize personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity stand high in the Chinese leaders’ esteem.

EDUCATION IN AFRICA: PROBLEMS, DEVELOPMENT, PERSPECTIVES by E.B.Demintseva
Keywords: Africa, education, poverty, gender, discrimination, conflicts, AIDS, UNESCO
One of the most urgent problems the African countries are facing today is the necessity to improve their system of education. The article reviews the roots of alarming situation in this sphere: poverty, gender inequality, lack of competent personnel as well as
reluctance of some governments to pay necessary attention to the problem of eradication of illiteracy.

ISLAMIZATION, ISLAMISM AND EXTREMISM

POLITICAL ECONOMY OF MODERN ISLAM: EXPERIENCE OF TURKEY by N.J.Ulchenko, PhD (Economy)
Keywords: Turkey, Islamic economy, the Justice and Development Party
The article covers the main trends of the social and economic policy of the ruling Turkish Justice and Development Party. The author examines the influence of the concepts of Islamic economy and of Islamic ideology in general on this policy, stressing that it is aimed at winning broad social support of the electorate of this pro-Islamic party as well as at lessening the co- operation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

ISLAMIC SECTOR OF BANKING OF SYSTEM OF PAKISTAN by A.A.Iskandarov, the post-graduate student of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Science
Keywords: the Islamic financial law, the international Islamic banking system, Pakistan, usury
The Islamic banking system is an important part of the bank system of Pakistan. There is no direct competion between traditional and Islamic banks in the country. The author concludes that for Pakistan, with its steadily growing Muslim population, there are good reasons for having this kind of model of the banking system.
Though the Islamic sector of economy does not play an important role, and its share in banking operations is still small, the balance between the traditional and Islamic banking systems will be changing, in opinion of the author, in the next decade in favour of the latter.

TRANSBOUNDARY MIGRATION

THE NATIVES OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH IN ENGLAND: MYTHS AND REALITY by O.N.Merenkova (St.-Petersburg)
Keywords: transboundary migration, Bangladesh, the Great Britain
Nowadays more than 20 million of Indians, Pakistanis and natives of Bangladesh live outside of the Indian subcontinent while keeping in touch with their homelands. In the article a special attention is given to the analysis of problems of three generations of immigrants living in England.

POWER: THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE

“THE BIG GAS TREE”: PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES by S.A.Startsev, PhD (Economy)
Keywords: the Gas OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), the international cooperation, competition

In October, 2008 Russia, Iran and Qatar have signed the agreement on cooperation in the gas sphere.
Since Moscow, Teheran and Doha control more than half of natural gas of the planet a new word- combination - «The Greater Gas Three» and a new neologism - «The Gas OPEC» have become current. The problems and perspectives of a new alliance are analyzed in the article.

CHEKHOV’ DAYS IN COLOMBO by D.T.Kapustin, PhD (History)
Keywords: Chekhov, the literature, Sri Lanka
The Russian cultural center which is one of the centers of intellectual life of Colombo, and the Society of fans of the Russian literature of Sri Lanka have organized the solemn celebration of the 150-year anniversary Chehov’s birthday and have held a scientific seminar about creativity of the writer with participation of leading literary critics of Sri Lanka.
As it is known Chehov who has once upon a time visited the island was really delighted with its exotic beauty.

AMIDST BOMB EXPLOSIONS: VIETNAMESE MEMOIRS by A.S.Zajtsev, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation, PhD (Economy).
Keywords: aggression of the USA in Vietnam, bombardments of Hanoi, the Soviet-Chinese relations
A.S.Zajtsev shares his impressions on his work in the Soviet Embessy in Vietnam during the American aggression

MY HOMELAND IS THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE by E.A. Ikonnikova, Dr.Sc. (Philology), T.K.Pavlova, (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk)
Keywords: Sakhalin, the Korean Diaspora, the Japanese literature, Anatoly Kim
The works of Soviet writer Anatoly Kima has been repeatedly translated into more than 25 languages, including English, Spanish, Italian, German and others in the countries of Asia and the Far East. We present you the interview with Yuko Ariga, the Japanese translator of Kima’s novel Squirrel.

THE SOVIET UNION AND THE CONGOLESE CRISIS, 1960-1963 by S.V.Mazov, Dr.Sc. (History)
Keywords: foreign policy of the USSR, the cold war, history of Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
In the western historiography, two approaches to Khrushchev’s policy in the Congo prevail. One sees him as an «adventurist», who emotionally reacted to the events being motivated by the ideology. The others believe that he was fighting with tied up hands because of his cynical attitude to Congolese nationalists whom he treated as «good for nothing».
The archival documents studied by the author give the basis to challenge both of these estimations.

LITERATURE OF AFGHANISTAN IN THE XXI CENTURY: NEW ACHIEVEMENTS by A.S.Gerasimova, PhD (Philology)
Keywords: Literature of Afghanistan, a genre of realistic novel, contemporary writers
At the end of the last century and at the beginning of the new one Afghanistan’s was a hard lot. No wonder that all this has given rise to many problems mass exodus of people included. The culture of Afghanistan has been substantially weakened the country has lost the most educated part of its population.
No wonder that lately literature as well as other spheres of culture have been developing mainly outside of the country.
The author analyzes the artistic career of the leading contemporary Afghanistan writers living outside the country, and, nevertheless, play a leading role in shaping the genre of the modern Afganistan novel.

«THE MESSAGE OF LOVE AND TENDERNESS» by D.A.Mubarakova (Uzbekistan)
Keywords: Egypt, the literature, Gamal al-Gitani
Egyptian writer Gamal al-Gitani is one of the brilliant representatives of a new trend in Arabian modern literature. In his artistic career he is guided by national cultural heritage as well as traditions of the medieval Arabian literature, widely using historical documents, legends, historical images. In the article a special attention is given to his novel «The Message of Love and Tenderness» which has been written under impression of a trip of the writer to Uzbekistan.

BOTH THIS AND THAT by M.Bey (Algeria)
Keywords: Algeria, the literature
Our magazine publishes the second part of an essay of the well known Algerian writer M.Bey in translation of S.V.Prozhogina, Dr.Sc (Philology).

THREE HUNDRED YEARS IN ONE BOOK by N.I.Petrov
The review of the book «Russia and Southern Africa. Three centuries of relations» (2010, 232 pp.).

Summary