Who's Guarding the Flock? Higher Islamic Education in Russia

“I…feel that a priority in the activities of Islamic organizations themselves should be placed on the positive image of traditional Islam as an important spiritual component in the common identity of the peoples of the Russian Federation…this significantly impacts the nurturing of our youth. This is extremely important for young Muslims, who have, unfortunately, become the target audience of those who wish us harm.”[1]

One of the most important functions of any church or religion is the education of its clergy. An educated clergy preserves not only the traditions, beliefs, and ordinances of a religion; it also protects it against radicalism.

Islam’s history in Russia has ancient roots. The first Islamic missionaries arrived in the seventh century and three hundred years later, around the Tenth Century, the Volga Bulgaria became an Islamic state. Then, in the Thirteenth Century, the Mongol Golden Horde conquered Kievian Rus’. This occurred at about the same time that the Mongols began converting to Islam and Berke became the first Islamic Khan. From this time onward, the Islamic presence on modern-day Russian territory expanded under Mongol rule.

In the Sixteenth Century, the Russian Empire began the conquest of Muslim lands in the Northern Caucasus, along the Volga River, and eastward. Russian Islam dates from this period. Widespread state repression characterized the first years of Russian rule over Muslims. However, in order to strengthen her hand against the Ottomans, Catherine the Great revoked restrictions on building stone mosques and other public Islamic buildings in 1767 and issued the decree entitled On the Tolerance of All Religious Confessions in 1773. This gave Muslims freedom of worship, officially making Russia a multi-confessional state.

At the time of the 1918 Revolution, thousands of madrassas and other Islamic centers of learning dotted the Russian Empire.  In the city of Orenburg alone, there were two specialized secondary theological madrassas, 122 regular madrassas, and 222 maktabs (Islamic elementary schools).[1]  The city encompassed a vibrant Islamic community, supported by a cadre of educated imams and other religious personnel.

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[1] The Slavic Legal Center. “The Repressed Madrassa: Interview with Ismail-Khazarat Shangareev, the Mufti of the Orenburg Oblast.” (Славянский правовой центр. Репрессированное медресе. Интервью с Исмагил-хазратом Шангареевым, муфтием Оренбургской области). Issue 1-2 (39) 2006.  Accessed 11 August 2014. In Russian. <http://www.sclj.ru/analytics/magazine/arch/detail.php?ELEMENT_ID=1265>.  Translation by author.

[1] Putin, Vladimir Vladimirovich. Official Page of the President of the President of Russia (Официальная страница Президента России). Opening Address of the Meeting with the Muftis of the Spiritual Confessions of the Muslims of Russia (Начало встречи с муфтиями духовных управлений мусульман России). 22 October 2013. Accessed 10 August 2014 <http://www.kremlin.ru/transcripts/19474>. Translation by author.

A Mile in Another's Shoes – The Value of Perspective

Developing a Global Mindset through Foreign Language and Cultural Immersion

"He who does not travel, does not know the value of men." Moorish Proverb 

An American negotiating team arrives in Riyadh.  They are sure their proposal will be a big hit with the Saudi negotiating team.  Their talking points are ready, and they feel they should have the whole thing sewn up by evening.  However, their best-laid plans begin to unravel as the Saudis refuse to act like Americans.  They just don’t seem to want to get down to business.  The meetings start with coffee and small talk without a mention of business, and continue with tours of the city and other social events.  The Americans are growing frustrated.  What did they miss?

The thing is the Saudis are not doing anything wrong.  Just as the Americans are acting like Americans, the Saudis are just being Saudis.  For them, you must show your guests hospitality and get to know your prospective partners before you start talking business – to do otherwise would be rude.  This approach to business, common in many cultures including Arab, Asian, Latin, and Slavic is often unfamiliar to Germanic and Anglo-Saxon cultures, where friendship is friendship, business is business, and the one does not necessarily have to exist for the other to happen.  For these cultures, time is precious and the thinking is, “We came on business so let’s get to it!”

This may be a fictional caricature of a common situation, but it illustrates the intricacies of cross-cultural interactions occurring daily around the world.  As the global economy continues to grow and integrate, more and more people are coming into contact with other cultures and finding that not everyone works, thinks, or acts as they do. 

Just a few decades ago, relatively few people had direct contact with people outside their own country.  Most of their acquaintances were just like them. 

Things have changed dramatically.  The Internet, social media, and modern transportation have changed the way we live and interact with the world outside our own communities.  The effects on everyday life are significant. 

In today’s globally connected virtual economy, anyone with a computer and an internet connection can find and find your business, leading to not only new customers and but also to new partners.

For example, acting on a friend’s suggestion, a farmer set up a website to help grow his feed sales.  His website succeeded beyond his expectations when a customer placed a large order from China.  This farmer found himself in a crash course on international trade.

Checkpoint Charlie and Warning Sign in Cold War Berlin

As the world continues to integrate, the exchange of ideas, capital, and goods across borders has reduced hostility and border controls between countries.  As William Shurtz, the second president of Thunderbird School of Global Management pointed out, "Borders frequented by trade seldom need soldiers."[1]    

Border posts now stand empty across Europe and free trade agreements are proliferating around the globe.  Even when conflict does arise, as it has between Russia and Ukraine, it is often moderated by economic ties and potential loss of markets. 

With all these global opportunities, what can provide a competitive advantage? 

A common characteristic of today’s most successful companies is their ability to leverage diversity and foster the free exchange of ideas.  Those brave enough to seek out and welcome ideas that challenge their own paradigms find benefits, which would be unachievable in a mono-cultural setting. 

For example, Google’s famous free lunches and recreation rooms are more than perks.  They are part of a larger strategy to facilitate contact between people from different backgrounds, specialties, and functions.  Providing settings, where their employees can exchange ideas with people outside their normal social or professional spheres allows Google to mobilize the capabilities and perspectives of different people to resolve problems, create new innovative products, and find ways to increase the customer base.    

As with any great opportunity, diversity also presents its own problems.  Working with those who think and act differently increases chances for conflict and misunderstanding.  To navigate these waters, we must take time to understand the cultures and people we will be working with, we must build an appreciation of the diversity in the world around us, and foster a spirit of adventure to explore it.  We need to build a global mindset.[2] 

Monsour Javidan, the Executive Director of Thunderbird School of Global Management’s Najafi Global Mindset Institute, describing the Global Mindset in 2010, writes:

“Leaders with a strong stock of Global Mindset know about cultures and political and economic systems in other countries and understand how their global industry works. They are passionate about diversity and are willing to push themselves. They are comfortable with being uncomfortable in uncomfortable environments. They are also better able to build trusting relationships with people who are different from them by showing respect and empathy and by being good listeners.”[3]

Empathy and trust comes through good communication.  Therefore, learning another language and its associated culture is key in building a global mindset.  In 2004 Christine Uber Gross conducted a survey of Thunderbird graduates, who must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language before graduation, on the impact of foreign language study on their professional life.  She found that 82% of graduates rated the impact of language and cultural literacy in their professional life as significant.[4]  While learning a language is only the first step in gaining a global mindset, it strengthens our ability to empathize with others.

Until we learn to express ourselves in another’s language and see the world from their perspective, we have a hard time seeing beyond our own cultural biases.  In other words, we must spend time walking in another’s shoes.  As we learn about the cultural landmarks, of their art, history, religion, and language, we find that ours are not the only way to see the world around us.  This opens our perspectives and makes us more tolerant of others, even those with whom we do not share a common language.  Language study does more than teach communication – it expands our horizons, opening our minds to new ways of seeing the world and relating to others.

In fact, research has shown that people, who learn to express themselves in another language, learn to see issues from a broader perspective.  This impacts how we learn and positively influences intellectual development.  This is especially evident in bilingual children.  Therese Sullivan Caccavale, President of the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL)[5] points out that:

“Studies have shown repeatedly that foreign language learning increases critical thinking skills, creativity, and flexibility of mind in young children. Students who are learning a foreign language out-score their non-foreign language-learning peers in the verbal and, surprisingly to some, the math sections of standardized tests.” 

The way we communicate influences our view on the world and reflects our cultural norms.  However, the interaction between language and culture flow both ways – language is also a product of a society’s shared historical and cultural legacy.  For example, Russians seldom use the verb “to possess something,” but rather say that something is near them.  This is a product of a history where the only person who truly owned anything was the sovereign who could take their possessions away at will.  Conversely, this conception of ownership also influences how Russians themselves view ownership and authority.  In gaining an understanding of others’ perspectives, we can better understand them and build productive relationships.

Building this understanding requires focused study, exposure to different ways of thinking, and immersion in language and culture.  Awareness of this is not new.  Programs like the Middlebury Language Schools[6] and the American Graduate School of International Management (today Thunderbird School of Global Management) [7] pioneered education in language immersion and internationally focused business management in the first half of the 20th Century.  However, with the growth of globalism and international trade have created a greater awareness of the need for cross-cultural and global leadership skills, resulting in a growing number of programs similar to those pioneered at Middlebury and Thunderbird.

Language and international business courses abound using a wide variety of methodology.  However, not all are equally effective.  While school courses, books, and computer programs can provide a basis for cultural and language proficiency, the watershed event in one’s education involves some kind of immersion.  Whether this is formal study abroad or working in a factory with native speakers, only when one is regularly exposed and required to function in a language and navigate the culture, will true proficiency develop. 

Furthermore, higher-level proficiency requires more than grammar and vocabulary.  Whereas much of the higher-level communication takes place in using abstract ideas, cultural context, and inferred meaning, this requires complementing the mechanical aspects of language with an understanding of the target culture.  This requires an immersion, building a sound knowledge of its art, history, religions, climate, political system, values, and many other factors.

Living in another country for an extended time, where you must function not only linguistically, but in daily interpersonal and cultural interactions infuses those aspects of culture, which are impossible to learn in a classroom.  Long-term interaction with the people, their language, and culture reinforces an understanding of the locals’ worldview and norms of interpersonal behavior.  Only then do the deeper, abstract meanings of their conversation begin to make sense.

We live in a world where global trade is no longer the undisputed domain large multinational firms with their substantial war chests of capital allowing them to leverage global markets.  Today, the Internet and cheap and efficient global delivery services allow even small businesses to export their goods around the world, requiring these much smaller companies to work with partners, clients, and legal systems around the world whose native cultures, laws and regulations, and languages are different from their own.

In the modern globalized world of business and mass communication, the ability to understand not only what people say, but also how they feel, their values and desires is vital in maximizing the synergistic potential of our multicultural world. When we can accept others’ way of thinking and living not as wrong, but simply as different from our own, we begin to understand that we can learn and benefit from looking at the world from their perspective. We are then on our way to a richer more fulfilling life as we are better equipped to succeed in business, resolve thorny political issues, to appreciate the wonderful diversity of our world, and build lasting relationships based not on coercion and threats, but on mutual respect. 

While we will not always agree and our interests will not always mesh, when we understand how others see the world and accept their right to do so, we can then find ways to make it a place we all can live in.  Studying not just foreign languages, but various cultural perspectives allows us to enter another’s soul – to walk in their shoes.  This helps us gain a deeper understanding of not only other cultures but our own as well.  The first step to true emotional intelligence is self-awareness.  This is impossible without the reflecting pool of our multicultural world.  When we see our culture and views juxtaposed against others, we can better understand ourselves.  This new understanding will lay the foundation for a truly global mindset and unlock the potential the diversity of our world has to offer.

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[1]  Thunderbird School of Global Management. About Us. 2 April 2012. 7 April 2012 www.thunderbird.edu/about_thunderbird/thunderbird_good/about/index.htm.

[2] For more information on what a global mindset is and how it influences our ability to interact with the diversity in today’s world, see Thunderbird’s Najafi Global Mindset Institute at http://globalmindset.thunderbird.edu/

[3]  Javidan, Mansour. "Bringing the Global Mindset to Leadership." Harvard Business Review (May 19, 2010): https://hbr.org/2010/05/bringing-the-global-mindset-to.html#.

[4]  Grosse, Christine Uber. "The Competitive Advantage of Foreign Languages and Cultural Knowledge." The Modern Language Journal (Vol. 88, No. 3 (Autumn, 2004)): 351-373.

[5] Duke University. "American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)." Fall 2007. Cognitive Benfits of Learning Language, Vol 8, Issue 1. http://www.actfl.org/advocacy/discover-languages/for-parents/cognitive#sthash.gk6l0BzU.dpufIf. 1 November 2015.

[6]  Middlebury Language Schools. The Language Schools' Mission Statement. http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/academics/language-schools-mission-statement. 1 November 2015.

[7] Thunderbird School of Global Management.  Thunderbird History.  http://www.thunderbird.edu/thunderbird-history.  1 November 2015.

HR's Computer Ate My Resume! Getting Your Resume to Someone with a Heart

"So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.  If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.  If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself." - Sun Tzu, Art of War

After months of searching, I finally come across an ad on a well-respected job board.  The job is perfect. I meet all the qualifications, even the preferred ones.  I uploaded my meticulously prepared and tailored resume and cover letter.  I then fill out the online application and submit my application.  Six weeks later, I get a polite but obviously computer generated e-mail informing me that in spite of my impressive qualifications, my erstwhile prospective employer had decided to go with other more qualified candidates.

What happened?  I have done everything my employment counselors have told me, found the job I am qualified for and put together an outstanding resume and cover letter addressing their pain and my unique ability to relieve it, but still I am not successful.  Obviously, I have not made it past some gatekeeper, but who exactly is the gatekeeper? 

Today’s virtually connected world has changed the way employers and employees connect.  With sites like LinkedIn, Monster, Glass Door, Indeed, and a myriad of others, job hunters can find and apply for work in any position anywhere on the planet as well as research the work environment and compensation of their prospective employers.  No longer are we limited by what the local paper or the local Workforce Services advertises.  We have access to literally tens of thousands of open positions.  Employers, by the same token, are now able to recruit from a far larger pool of potential employees. 

This has presented new opportunities and new challenges for both sides.  The larger talent pool the employers can now access has made it much more likely the right candidate will see and apply for the position.  However, it also means that the human resources (HR) and hiring managers now get inundated with applications each time they advertise a new position. 

Similarly, applicants now have access to a wider variety of jobs from around the world but are also now competing with a larger number of similarly qualified applicants and much more picky employers.  So how do companies manage this increased number of applicants?

Enter ATS or applicant tracking system/software.

Just as Google and NSA use computers to comb through vast amounts of data to find those especially relevant nuggets of information, HR managers, teamed with software engineers, can now build an algorithm for the perfect employee.  They just need to enter the number of years’ experience in widget production, the right degree and certifications, and a few amorphous phrases such as, “Able to succeed in a fast paced environment,” or “Excellent communication skills,” and voila! Out pops an ad for the perfect candidate…sort of.

If ATS works so well, why do so many positions go so long unfilled and HR managers bemoan the deficit of qualified candidates?  Why do they continue to hire the “wrong people?”  Why do highly qualified candidates with “great” resumes go so long without so much as a call for an interview? 

The first factor is that in reality, as my computer guru brother puts it, computers are stupid.  While they can crunch vast amounts of data in no time, they only do exactly what you tell it to and nothing more.  They cannot reason or read between the lines and are extremely poor at spotting potential or assessing many of the intangible qualities that make a great employee. 

The point is, the computer is good at filtering out all those who do not meet the specified criteria (or have not used the right words to show they do), even if that means no one gets through.  This means that while providing undeniable benefits to both sides, ATS has in fact become just another gatekeeper in the recruiting process.  This means that just like the Keeper of the Bridge of Death in Monty Python’s The Holy Grail, the words we use determine our success in making it to the next stage of our quest or not.

Unfortunately, this focus on words, certifications, and years of experience without the reason of a human mind early in the process often disqualifies many who may have that experience, but neglect to put it in their resume or do not use the verbiage the ATS is looking for.  This means that these otherwise qualified or promising candidates will never make it beyond this virtual gatekeeper to someone with a pulse.

Secondly, as pointed out above, the ATS is very poor at assessing things like aptitude or potential.  Everything either meets the established threshold or doesn’t.   The computer cannot see potential or other intangible qualities.  These can only be measured by face-to-face contact.  As a result, the current process all too often excludes those who have proven themselves capable of quickly mastering new skills in the past and combining it with their broad outside experience.   This adaptability may in fact prove more valuable than the widget-manufacturing expert’s 20 years of specialized experience.

Such stove piping of experience can be harmful to innovation.  Hiring practices that isolate out the hiring manager until 90% of the candidates are already eliminated ensure that he ends up with specialists with a proven track record in doing things as they have always been done.  Such methods may overlook the latent talent just waiting for a chance to meld their intellectual abilities, broad experience, and adaptability to bring a fresh perspective to a “proven” process.

While admittedly in this modern, fast-paced world where a company can recruit from anywhere in the world, the ability to scan through thousands of applications and winnow them down to the likeliest candidates is vital to a successful hiring campaign, it is obvious that it could use some adjustment, both from the employer and the prospective employee.

The problem is the ATS computers are not to blame.  As mentioned above, computers only do exactly what we tell them, no more, no less.  If the core requirements we input are unrealistic or the applicant does not properly list their qualifications, only those tech-savvy enough to play the game by the new rules will get through, leaving other, possibly more qualified candidates on the outside.

As a result, if HR and the hiring manager do not work closely enough together to ensure they produce an effective ad, the ATS filter will not be effective at identifying the best candidate and possibly any candidates at all.  The problem is that HR and the hiring manager each have a different piece of the puzzle.

The hiring manager knows what the position entails, what skills it requires, which qualities successful people in that position had in the past, and what obstacles the candidate must be capable of overcoming.  Meanwhile, HR must manage recruitment for each corporate function and thus often doesn’t have the same in-depth understanding of these factors. 

HR, however, has its own unique insights.  They know the talent pool outside and inside the organization.  They know how likely it is to find a bilingual marketing manager with eight years’ experience in foreign military sales, with an aerospace engineering degree, an MBA from an Ivy League school, and PMP, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and C++ certifications.  When the hiring manager provides the laundry list of everything the perfect candidate might have, HR is able to help them narrow it down to a list of realistic characteristics, which great candidates will have.

Only by both functions effectively communicating the requirement, can they come up with an effective ad and filter which clearly defines the real requirements of the position.  This would make it possible to create a manageable pool of first-cut candidates, which the hiring manager can winnow down through the interview process of speaking to and evaluating each candidate until the choice of the final candidate is made. 

This mutual awareness of each other’s needs and capabilities harkens back to my article “The Blind Leading the Blind: Emotional Intelligence and the Unaware Leader.”[1]  By both functions being aware of the capabilities, limitations, and resources of the other, they can work together to fill in the gaps, benefiting both the company and its current and future employees.  This means that job ads are more realistic while at the same time more accurately reflecting the hiring manager’s requirements.  It also means that qualified prospective candidates are better able to determine their competitiveness for the job

So how do you ensure your resume gets to someone with a heart?  The answer is simple – know your enemy, and if the frontal defenses are too impregnable, find a way to bypass them.

There are a few methods to improve your chances of getting your resume through, for example: 

• Pay attention to how your resume comes through into the application when you upload it.  Many job sites parse your resume into what it thinks are the relevant blocks on the application.  If your alma mater turns up in the Name block, you may need to look at the formatting.
• Read up on SEO or search engine optimization.  Many of the techniques successful e-businesses use to get to the top of the Google search results can help you in crafting an ATS friendly resume.
• Don’t over-format.  While space and graphics may look good on a printed resume, they can confuse the computer.
• Finally and most importantly, follow-up your resume with effective networking.  The best way to get past the computer is to have someone with respect for the skills they have already witnessed in you pull your resume out of the black hole of resume death.

Networking still plays a significant role in the job search.  While ATS has automated the vetting process, people still hire those they feel they can make a connection to and who they feel will “fit in”. 

Finding a way to make yourself more than electronic file in HR’s database may give you just the edge you need.  Referrals from current employees are one way to move your application a little higher in the system.  Many systems will actually give you “points” if you are referred from within the company.

I had an opportunity to sit down with Edwin Sapp, who teaches professional and resume writing at the University of Maryland University College (UMUC).  He helped me tune up my resume and gave me a lot of excellent advice. 

When we were done, I asked him how to format my resume to get past the computer.  He pointed out that many of the programs used to manage the resumes are in-house creations.  He added that even the off the shelf ones are not standardized.  Add to the mix how the job is entered, and there is no way to find a perfect format. 

Concluding his explanation, Ed advised me to research the company and bypass the initial gatekeeper (the computer) as well as the second (HR), if you can.  The best way to get past the computer is to have someone reach past the computer and pull your resume through. 

According to commonly cited statistics, over three-quarters of jobs are not advertised, and of those that are, the person who gets the job often has someone on the inside.  So how do you find your own insider?  Here are a few tips:

• Get out from behind your computer and talk to people.  The classic job hunting manual What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles suggests talking to at least five people per day, explaining who you are, what you can do, and what you are looking for and then eliciting referrals of people they think might be interested in your skills.
• Visit companies or people in areas you are interested in.  You would be surprised how many people will be willing to sit down with you for a few minutes.  People want to help but don’t wear out your welcome.  Respect their time by making it short and sweet.  Finally, don’t forget to follow-up with a thank you card or e-mail.
• Volunteer – find a cause that you are passionate about and where you will be around people and companies in that field.  Prove your worth as a volunteer and your chances of catching their eye improve exponentially.

In conclusion, this article was born of my frustrations in my own job search.  I had applied to hundreds of jobs and tailored my resume to each.  The results were downright depressing.  I quickly realized that I needed to understand the system, and what better way than to write about it?  However, the more I studied the computer, the more I realized that, while it is an indispensable tool in today’s hiring environment, it still has not, nor can it replace the human-to-human connection.  Tailor your resume to the job, but ensure that your prospective employer sees the person behind the electrons in their database.  Reach out and breathe life into your resume through personal contact.  Only then will your resume mean something to the person on the other end of the computer.

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[1] http://brentsglobalmind.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-blind-leading-blind-emotional.html

The Blind Leading the Blind – Emotional Intelligence and the Unaware Leader

"The Blind Leading the Blind" by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1568)

File:Brueghel Blinde.PNG. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Fifteen years ago, my oldest son sat in front of the mirror looking at the little person staring back at him from the glass.  The baby in the mirror mimicked his every move.  He looked quizzically at the other child, then reached up and pulled his hat off.  Up until this moment, he had played with his reflection as if it were another baby, but now he had made a life-changing discovery.  He become aware of himself, taking the first step in becoming aware of those in the world around him.  This self-awareness is the first step in learning to interact with others – of learning to influence those around us. 

Recently, a reader asked what I considered the ten most important leadership traits.  The question has been on my mind since.  I repeatedly listed the defining characteristics of a true leader, but each list was a duplication of hundreds of others I have read.  I didn’t feel that adding to the already substantial and extensively studied genre would be as beneficial as taking a road a little less traveled.  Therefore, I decided to expand upon a factor I see as essential in any interpersonal relationship.

This came to me as I tossed and turned in bed trying to get my biological clock to figure out where I was and what time it was after another trip half way around the world.   As happens in the state between consciousness and unconsciousness, I experienced a moment of clarity.  Maybe it was a result of my overwhelming fatigue or because I sympathized with my wife’s efforts to sleep through my nocturnal gymnastics, but it occurred to me how important awareness is in our relationships with others.

A leader must influence others to contribute their time, efforts, and passions to achieve a vision.  Leaders can approach this one of two ways.  They can force or motivate.  While the former can work provided the leader has the brute force or authority to enforce their will, it is far from the most effective method.  In this environment, devotion to the cause is low and resentment to the leader high.  A beaten dog will lash out at its oppressor at the first opportunity.  People are no different. 

On the other hand, while motivating others to contribute their efforts to your cause willingly is much more nuanced and at times difficult, it is much more effective since it builds devotion and enthusiasm for the leader and their vision.  Motivated people are more willing to sacrifice and go the extra mile to reach the organizational goal.  However, motivating others requires that you understand yourself and the other stakeholders in the process.  It requires awareness on multiple levels.  It requires emotional intelligence or EQ.

British journalist Russell H. Ewing explained the difference between these two approaches.  He explained:

“A boss creates fear, a leader confidence. A boss fixes blame, a leader corrects mistakes. A boss knows all, a leader asks questions. A boss makes work drudgery, a leader makes it interesting. A boss is interested in himself or herself, a leader is interested in the group.”[1]

Dr. Travis Bradberry,[2] coauthor of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, divides emotional intelligence into two categories:  Self-awareness and social awareness.  These describe how we perceive ourselves and those around us.  This, in turn, determines how we manage, first ourselves and then others. 

Our ability to influence others is predicated on our understanding of their needs, preferences, strengths, and weaknesses.  However, to understand others, we must first understand ourselves.  Hence, self-awareness is the first step.  Psychologist, scientist, and journalist Daniel Goleman wrote:

“If your emotional abilities aren't in hand, if you don't have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can't have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far.”[3]

Self-awareness ensures we understand our own strengths, desires, and limitations.  Without this, we cannot possibly lead anyone else. 

Knowing what we are and are not capable of is only part of the equation.  We also must have a vision of where we want to go and why.  If we don’t know where we are going and have a compelling reason why others should follow us there, how can we lead them?  We are merely blindly leading the blinded.  Carl G. Jung said: 

“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”[4]

Self-awareness is even more vital in a team environment where we must mobilize individual talents and manage the inevitable conflicts.  Until we know who we are, what makes us tick, our strengths and weaknesses; we cannot begin to understand and effectively manage ourselves, let alone others.  Until we know and are able to admit what we can and cannot do, we cannot begin to see the value others can contribute to our vision and goal accomplishment.  No amount of education or number of honorifics after our name can possibly ensure we know everything.  We need others to fill in the gaps. 

Furthermore, no one wants to work with someone who insists they have no faults and cannot see beyond his or her own ego.  If you are not able to acknowledge your limitations and recognize the relative strengths of others, those with better insight, the ones you really need on your team, will refuse to follow.  Even if you happen to be charismatic enough to attract people to your cause, you can only berate them or lead them into a ditch so many times before they stop following.  On the other hand, a climate that fosters respect for the contribution of others breeds devotion and cooperation.  The late co-founder of Hewlett-Packard David Packard pointed out:

“A group of people get together and exist as an institution we call a company so they are able to accomplish something collectively that they could not accomplish separately – they make a contribution to society, a phrase which sounds trite but is fundamental.”[5]

As part of a team, we need to feel needed – to feel we can make a real contribution.  We also need to feel that our opinions matter – that even the leader is open to feedback and advice even if it questions their decisions.  Only a truly self-aware person can take critical feedback without taking offense.  Even unjustified and malicious criticism has the potential to help us improve. 

Once we have a fair and unbiased awareness of ourselves, we can begin learning to understand others.  Knowing what motivates every member of our team can unlock the enormous potential contained therein.  Motivation is highly personal.  Some are motivated by material rewards while others by praise or accomplishment, but most people will give their all to be part of a winning team, even if the fiscal rewards are higher elsewhere.   Simon Sinek, the author of Start with Why explains how different rewards motivate.  He says:

“When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute,” [6] furthermore, he also pointed out that, “We follow those who lead not because we have to, but because we want to.”[7]

How do we make people want to follow us?  Effective motivation is relationship based not transactional.  While earning a paycheck is one of the main reasons we work, the non-monetary rewards of working on a great team that accomplishes great things often has more influence on where we choose to work, how long, and how much effort we are willing to expend for that employer.  

For example, Fortune ranks Google as the best company to work for in 2015.  They write that while employees consider its famous perks a plus, employees most often point to the opportunity to work with great people and accomplish great things as the greatest perk of all.  In fact, Google goes to great lengths to facilitate interactions between its employees.  The free food and fun are engineered to create opportunities for employees from all over the organization to interact, building a strong corporate team.  The cafeteria lines run just slow enough that one has to stand in line, giving an opportunity to chat with others around you.  The tables are long and set close together causing strangers to sit near each other.[8]  These factors cause people to interact with others outside their own circle.  The result?  A cross-pollinization throughout the organization that breeds enthusiasm and innovation and a company that attracts and utilizes the best and brightest.

Similarly, a leader must get to know their people and learn what motivates them.  This is a vital first step in getting the most out of the team.  When we take time to know them and let them know we are interested in them as a person their devotion and motivation increases.  My father recently retired from Swanson Enterprises.  He fondly tells of corporate leadership visits to his machine shop.  The CEO and head of human resources would spend a significant amount of their time wandering around the shop floor talking to the workers.  He said they knew each of them including details of their families.  My father felt part of the team, he felt his leaders knew him and cared about him. Even in retirement, he is still a company advocate.

As Dr. Bob Nelson, an expert on employee motivation said: 

“An employee's motivation is a direct result of the sum of interactions with his or her manager.”[9]  

As with motivation, this interaction can be positive or negative.  Positive motivation results from the employee feeling valued and the leader helping them succeed by effectively utilizing their talents and abilities.  When in touch with his or her people, the leader speaks to what is important to the employee and sets them up for success.

Leaders’ awareness does not end with those they lead.  It extends up, down, laterally, and outside the organization.  John C. Maxwell’s The 360° Leader explores this concept in depth. He points out that:

“Ninety-nine percent of all leadership occurs not from the top, but from the middle of an organization.”[10]

This means that leaders must be aware of the needs of all stakeholders and be able to influence people above, below, lateral, inside, and outside their organization.  Ignoring any one of these groups could leave them without the knowledge and resources they need to succeed. 

Those above us set the vision, but not usually in a vacuum.  Being aware of their desires and needs not only helps us align our efforts to their vision, but also helps us to shape that vision.  People are more likely to listen to those who listen to them.  When we take time to understand our leader and their vision, we tell them we care about it and want to help achieve it.  This does not mean we blindly accept their vision but we rather try to understand it so as to be able to align our efforts to the leader’s and framework our proposals to fit it.  This puts us in a position to improve the joint vision. 

This concept applies to those below us.  When we are aware of the needs and desires of our subordinates as well as what they are able to contribute, we can assimilate this into our vision and ensure those above us are able to do the same with theirs.  This applies to our lateral relationships.  Knowing the resources and needs of those in other parts of our organization allows us to marshal their resources as well as support their efforts in achieving organizational goals.  In this way, all in the organization are pulling in the same direction.

The success of an organization, however, is not independent of external factors.  We all have customers, suppliers, government regulators, and those impacted by our operations.  While it is impossible to know everything, being aware of the needs and potential contributions of all these players is vital to our own and our organization’s success.  Products flop because companies ignored the voice of the customer. Expenses spiral out of control because companies fail to keep abreast of what is going on with their suppliers. Businesses lose access to markets or bases of operation when locals, upset at exploitation or negative environmental impacts on the population, rise up against the company as happened after the Union Carbide disaster in India in 1984, which killed almost 4,000 and injured over 550,000.

Being aware of all these stakeholders allows us to take their needs, opinions, and desires into account when setting goals and working towards them.  Managed correctly, we can mobilize the assets they have to offer in pursuing mutually beneficial goals while minimizing negative impacts, which increase their opposition to our operations.  It is said that a rising tide lifts all boats, but this is not necessarily good if the rising tide is a tsunami.  While steamrolling the opposition can work in the short term, it often blows back on us down the road.  Those we steamrolled may be our future employees, suppliers, or customers.  Cultivating good relationships will rarely backfire.

When we swallow our pride and look try to become aware of others, our horizons expand, our resources increase, and our vision of what is possible becomes clearer as we include more and more perspectives and points of view.  None of us made it this far alone and our continued progress depends on our ability to marshal those around us to our cause and help them make it theirs as well.  Myopia will only lead to the ditch of disaster, a broad view puts us on the pathway to success.

---

[1] Font Stream Admin. Font Stream. 20 January 2014. Webpage. 5 April 2015. <http://www.frontstream.com/30-inspirational-employee-engagement-quotes/>.

 [2] Bradberry, Dr. Travis. Why You Need Emotional Intelligence To Succeed. 12 January 2015. 4 April 2015. <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-you-need-emotional-intelligence-succeed-dr-travis-bradberry?trk=object-title>.

[3]Goleman, Daniel. Brainy Quote. 2001-2015. 3 April 2015. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/d/jwCJZcZVpbHRyy0W.99>.

[4] (Jung) Jung, Carl G. Good Reads: C. G. Jung Quotes. 2015. http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/38285.C_G_Jung. 18 April 2015.

[5] Font Stream Admin. Font Stream. 20 January 2014. Webpage. 5 April 2015. <http://www.frontstream.com/30-inspirational-employee-engagement-quotes/>.

[6]  (Font Stream Admin)

[7] Sinek, Simon. "TED.com." September 2009. Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action. 5 April 2015. <http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en#t-11422>.

[8] Colvin, Jeff. "Fortune 100 Personal Bests - The 100 Best Companies to Work For." Fortune 15 March 2015: 32-36. Print.

[9] Nelson, Bob. Brainy Quote. 2001-2015. 5 April 2015. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/bobnelson194814.html>.

[10] Maxwell, John C. The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005. E-book.

Кто охраняет стадо? Исламское высшее образование в России

See the English version here.
(Отредактированная Юлией Кацнелсон)

Считаю…, что приоритетом в публичной деятельности самих мусульманских организаций должны быть выработка положительного образа традиционного ислама как важной духовной составляющей общероссийской идентичности…это имеет огромное значение для воспитания молодёжи, что крайне важно, как для мусульман, так и для всей страны, крайне важно для российской мусульманской молодёжи, которая давно, к сожалению, стала целевой аудиторией для наших недоброжелателей.  (В. В. Путин)[1]

Исламская духовная школа-интернат  (Сисатли, Дагестан)

http://smartnews.ru/regions/sevkav/3411.html#ixzz3VDXVBUNZ

by АбуУбайда - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 viaWikimedia Commons -

          Образование духовенства является одной из важнейших функций любой церкви или религии. Образованным духовенством сохраняются не только традиции, обряды и вероисповедание, но и охраняются верующих от радикализма.
           У мусульманства – древняя история на территории России. Первые мусульманские проповедники появились еще в VII веке, а 300 лет спустя, примерно в X веке, когда Волжская Булгария стала исламским государством, их число значительно увеличилось. В XIII веке монгольский народ начинала принимать ислам и глава Золотой орды Берке стал первым мусульманским ханом. С этого времени, исламское присутствие на территории современной России распространилось при татаро-монгольском правлении.
          В XVI веке Российская империя расширялась на мусульманские территории у Волги, на северном Кавказе, и дальше на восток. С этого времени начинается Российское мусульманство. Первые годы правления Российского государства над мусульманами сопровождались широкими государственными репрессиями. Однако, чтобы закрепить свою позицию против Османской империи, в 1767 г. Екатерина II сняла ограничения на постройку каменных мечетей и общественных исламских зданий, а в 1773 г. издала указ «О терпимости всех вероисповеданий», давший мусульманам право вероисповедания. С этого времени Россия начала считаться многоконфессиональным государством.
           Во время революции 1917г., на территории Российской Империи были тысячи медресе и других заведений исламского образования. Только в Оренбурге находилось два средних специальных духовных медресе, 122 медресе, 222 мектебе.[2] Таким образом, существовало светлое исламское сообщество, поддержанное образованными имамами и другими церковными служителями.
           В советские времена система высшего образования всех религий пострадала от антицерковной политики властей. Ислам не был исключением. Пока некоторые христианские образовательные заведения продолжали функционировать, все мусульманские заведения на территории современной России были ликвидированы. Только в 1945 г. совет муфтиев СССР добился открытия построенного в XVI веке медресе при мечете Мир-Араб в Бухаре, Узбекистан. Этот институт, вместе с открытым в 1971 г. Исламским институтом имени имама Аль-Бухари в Ташкенте, остались единственными заведениями высшего духовного образования в СССР. Показательно, что большинство ведущих муфтиев России закончили Мир-Араб.

Пои-Калян мечеть и медрессе Ал-Араб 

by Patrickringgenberg - Own work.

Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 viaWikimedia Commons

Поэтому, до 1988 г., когда открылся медресе «Исмаилия» при Московской Соборной мечети, будущим имамам было негде учиться и следовательно, у многих из них не было формального духовного образования. В результате нехватки учебных заведений – при гласности, когда стало возможно открывать институты и медресе, не хватало квалифицированных преподавателей.

Как и с христианством, с гласностью и распадом СССР, появились иностранные мусульманские миссионеры и проповедники. Хотя многие из этих проповедников играли ключевую роль в восстановлении мусульманства и в создании новой системы духовного образования в России и ближнем зарубежье, были среди них и подвижники более радикальных толкований ислама, которые исторически были чуждыми в России.  

Добавляя масло в огонь, конфликты на Северном Кавказе привлекали военизированных представителей радикальных исламских движений, таких как иорданец Хаттаб. Эти боевики были не только полевыми командирами, но и подвижниками радикального ислама. Более того, некоторые местные боевики прошли тренировку в Афганистане и других местах, где не только изучали тактику партизанской войны, но и радикальные идеи исламистов. Эти российские исламские экстремисты воевали в войнах на северном Кавказе и в других горячих точках, таких как Афганистан, Сирия и Ирак в формированиях Ал-Кайды, Талибана и Исламского государства. Как участники или под их влиянием, эти экстремисты и их ученики совершили теракты в России и других странах.

Еще один фактор – Богатые арабские государства и частные лица часто спонсировали образование этих учеников из бывших советских республик. Хотя это помогло восстановить подготовленное исламское духовенство в России и других бывших советских странах, эти ученики часто учили более радикальные направления ислама не свойственные в России или попали под влияние людей с радикальными взглядами. По возвращению на родину, они распространили эти идеи среди местных мусульман. Более того, интеграция в истеблишмент усложнилась и тем, что их дипломы зарубежных духовных программ не имели, и до сих пор не имеют официальную государственную легитимность.[3]  В результате, эти образованные мусульмане оказались вне системы, где их образование могло бы быть адаптировано к нуждам исламского сообщества и где они могли бы употребить свои знания.

Владимир Путин встечает с Советом муфтиев России в Уфе (Kremlin.ru)

          Так как многие советские имамы не могли пройти формальное духовное образование, у них не было достаточно способностей и знаний противостоять этим радикалам. Поэтому, их философия слишком часто распространилась среди мирян. Влияние этих людей, распространение «импортных» направлений ислама и бессилие имамов перед этими идеями беспокоили (и до сих пор беспокоят) правление традиционных Российских мусульманских конфессий и власти. Во время встречи с муфтиями в Уфе в 2013 г., В. В. Путин сказал:

«Некоторые политические силы используют ислам, а точнее его радикальные течения, кстати сказать, исторически не характерные для российских мусульман, в целях ослабления нашего государства, для создания на российской территории зон управляемых извне конфликтов, внесения раскола между различными этническими группами, внутри самой мусульманской общины, для разжигания в регионах сепаратистских настроений».[4]

          Как было замечено выше, есть опасение в том, что отечественные имамы не достаточно подготовленные, чтобы противостоять радикальным течениям. Журналист и директор Центра стратегических исследований религии и политики современного мира Максим Шевченко говорит:

«Есть подозрение, что большая часть имамов вообще не способна полемизировать с экстремистами или с людьми, которые попадают под влияние экстремистской идеологии. Если ставить людей имамами, то надо ставить людей, которые умеют проповедовать, которые умеют ввести полемику, которые является учеными».[5]

          Одна не менее важная проблема – мусульмане, особенно молодые в современном мире и в современной России столкнутся в интернете, в путешествиях заграницу и у себя на родине с разными толкованиями ислама и обратятся к своему духовному лидеру для разъяснения. Если имам не может соревноваться с этими источниками, его ученик попадет под влияние более толковых людей или движений. Как объяснил Мукаддас Бибарсов, муфти Саратовской области в апреле этого года:

«Мы живем в век информационных технологий, когда информация, которую раньше обсуждали только в узких кругах, среди ученых, стала доступной для всех. Но не везде, в том  числе на Кавказе, ею сумели воспользоваться правильно. Начали возникать дискуссии, споры, трения, приведшие к трагическим событиям, которые мы наблюдаем в регионе».[6]

Чтобы понимать ситуацию, надо понимать роль имамов в мусульманском обществе. Так как структура ислама – нецентрализованная, имамы играют ключевую роль в жизни прихожан. Некоторые главные обязанности имамов включают в себя: 

• Руководство молитвами, 
• Совершение религиозных обрядов,
• Урегулирование семейных отношений,
• Разделение наследства 
• Разъяснение основ Ислама и предписаний мусульманского правительства
• Давать советы и помогать прихожанам в жизненно важных вопросах.[7]

          Чтобы справиться с этими задачами, и особенно с последним, имаму необходимо не только понимание Корана и учений религии, но и более широкое образование. Ректор Московского исламского университета Дамир Хайретдинов сказал на Международной научно-практической конференции «Формирование духовного пространства современной России», прошедшей 31 мая – 2 июня 2012 года:

«Сегодня российским мусульманам нужны не только медресе, но и элитарные вузы, которые воспитают наиболее квалифицированные кадры и дадут им путевку для успешной карьеры…ибо нашей сверхцелью является создание высокопрофессиональной российской мусульманской элиты, обладающей как религиозным, так и светским образованием!»[8]

Далее, В. В. Путин говорит:

«…одна из важнейших задач – воссоздание собственной исламской богословской школы, которая обеспечит суверенитет российского духовного пространства и, что принципиально важно, будет признана большинством мусульманских учёных мира. Эта школа должна откликаться на самые актуальные события и в России, и в мире в целом, давать свои оценки, которые будут понятными и авторитетными для верующих».[9]

Государство и Совет Муфтиев вложили деньги и усилия в установление и усовершенствование исламсой образовательной системы. Сейчас в России работает большое количество медрес и больше восьми исламских университетов и институтов.[10]  Эти заведения обучают и выпускают большое количество образованных студентов в светских и духовных профессиях, но как утверждает и В. В. Путин и Дамир Хайретдинов, качество преподавания до сих пор не отвечает международным стандартам, и таким образом все еще не конкурентоспособно с зарубежными заведениями. Дамир Хайретдинов даже полагает, что, несмотря на вложенные деньги, результаты в образование имамов ухудшились с 1990 гг. Он объясняет:

«Число выпускников учебных заведений того периода (1990 гг.), ставших имамами, было более 50%. Но этот показатель с каждым годом ухудшается. Мы больше не видим выпускников с горящими глазами, готовых уехать в дальний регион и начать работу с нуля: просвещать, налаживать отношения, создавать общины, строить мечети, выступать с проповедями».[11]

В создание качественной системы высшего исламского образования, которое может конкурировать с зарубежными институтами, Россия сталкивается с некоторыми проблемами. Пока эти проблемы остаются не решёнными, Россия будет зависеть от других стран, чтобы выполнять свои обязанности перед своим исламским населением.

Прежде всего, образовательная система должна отвечать потребностям жизни в современном российском сообществе и в то же время сохранять мусульманскую духовность и идентичность.[12]  Сложность в этом – баланс. Имамы и образованные мусульмане должны совместить глубокое духовное основание и широкое светское образование. Для этого требуется тесное сотрудничество государства и церковных руководителей. Россия до сих пор не нашла этот баланс, и некоторые, включая Дамира Хайретдинова, считают, что из-за перехода к децентрализации, ситуация ухудшилась. Он объясняет, что это результат уменьшения роли исламского духовного направления в ВУЗах и их подпадания под влиянием «третьих посторонних организаций, зачастую связанных с местечковыми нуждами».[13]  Проблема состоит в том, что система исламского образования остается децентрализованной и не стандартизированной. 

Вторая проблема касается плодов эффективной системы высшего образования – исследование и литература. Одна важная функция здоровой образовательной системы – распространение знаний вне стен института через академические произведения. В развитом духовно-академическом сообществе, ученые изучают не только историю, традиции, священные писания и учения своих предшественников; но они и исследуют проблемы и вопросы, актуальные для своих соотечественников. Их исследования издаются в журналах, книгах, учебниках и сейчас в интернете в статьях и видеоклипах. К сожалению, это духовно-академическое сообщество все еще находится в стадии развивания. Поэтому, большинство исламской литературы до сих пор является зарубежной. Отечественной литературы мало. В результате этого, россияне и в частности, российские мусульмане, ищущие информацию об исламе, часто не могут найти литературу, которая соответствует их реалиям и потребностям. 

Третий, и главный вопрос, был выдвинут на собрании ректоров исламских ВУЗов с Председателем Совета муфтиев России шейхом Равилем Гайнутдином в марте 2012 г в Москве. Он «выразил свою озабоченность тем, что за долгие годы работы так и не была создана цельная концепция исламского образования в России».[14] 

Хотя создан и работает Совет по исламскому образованию, этой организации до сих пор не удалось создать стандартизованную систему исламского образования. Более того, она не смогла наладить эффективное сотрудничество между своими институтами. Один из главных факторов в результативной системе высшего образования – это открытое, взаимосвязанное академическое и административное пространство, которое воспитывает эффективное использование ресурсов и обмен идеями и знаниями. У одного взятого университета нет всех необходимых ресурсов. Это сотрудничество может, и, по мнению автора, должно включить институты других конфессий в тех областях, которые касаются всех. Это не только сэкономит ресурсы отдельных институтов, но и поможет воспитывать взаимопонимание и толерантность между будущими священнослужителями разных религий.

Мечеть Кул-Шариф в Казани

Леонид Кружков (https://www.flickr.com/photos/cust/)

В истории, религия часто играла роль в разжигании и решении конфликтов. Но даже не сама религия является особенно уязвимой к радикальным идеям, а необразованные люди слишком часто становятся пешками в этих конфликтах. Их первая линия обороны – образованный священнослужитель. Хорошо образованный священник, обученный не только церковным верованиям и обрядам, но и с хорошим пониманием светского интеллектуального мира является самой хорошей защитой против радикальных религиозных идей. Муфтий Мукаддас Бибарсов четко объяснил это. Он сказал, «Я хотел бы призвать читателей получать знания. Поскольку без знаний нет движения вперед. Жизнь показывает, что дело «не в количестве, а в качестве». И мусульмане должны быть грамотными во всех сферах, стать примером для окружающих».[15]  Самая важная инвестиция страны – это его следующие поколения. Образование – самая важная государственная инвестиция. Чтобы стать просвещенной страной, России необходимо решить эти проблемы, влияющие на последующие поколения самых уязвимых этнических сообществ. Как показывают недавние события и в России и по всему миру, где исламисты из России совершили теракты и участвовали в террористических движениях, будущее России и даже будущее всего мира зависит от эффективного решения этой проблемы.

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[1] Путин, Владимир Владимирович - Официальная страница Президента России. Начало встречи с муфтиями духовных управлений мусульман России. 22 октября 2013. 10 августа 2014 <http://www.kremlin.ru/transcripts/19474>.

[2] Славянский правовй центр. Репрессированное медресе. Интервью с Исмагил-хазратом Шангареевым, муфтием Оренбургской области. Номер 1-2 (39) 2006. 11 августа 2014 <http://www.sclj.ru/analytics/magazine/arch/detail.php?ELEMENT_ID=1265>.

[3] Хайретдинов, Дамир. Проблема развития мусульманского профессионального образования носит общеобразовательный характер. 4 июня 2012. 11 августа 2014 <http://www.muslim.ru/articles/110/1100/>.

[4] (Путин, В. В. «Начало встречи с муфтиями».

[5] Бейлин, Борис. ВестиFM. 27 сентября 2013. 10 августа 2014 <http://radiovesti.ru/article/show/article_id/107732>.

[6] Тикаева, Фатима. Система исламского образования в России должна готовить мусульманских богословов мирового масштаба - муфтий Мукаддас Бибарсов. 16 апреля 2014. 11 августа 2014 <http://www.muslim.ru/articles/96/5397/>.

[7] Islam Today. Мусульманское духовенство, глава мусульманской общины . 2014. 10 августа 2014 <http://islam-today.ru/muslim-clergy/>.

[8] (Хайретдинов.  «Проблема развития»)

[9] (Путин, В. В. «Начало встречи с муфтиями».

[10] Портал межвузовского совета СНГ по духовному образованию. История и культура ислама - Высшие учебные заведения государств-участников СНГ. 2014. 11 августа 2014 <http://duhobr.ru/Islam/institutions.php?PAGEN_1=2>.

[11] (Хайретдинов.  «Проблема развития»)

[12] Хайретдинов, Дамир. Инновационные процессы в исламском образовании. 1 декабря 2013. 9 августа 2014 <http://islameducation.net/article/innovation.html>.

[13] (Хайретдинов.  «Проблема развития»)

[14] ДУМРФ. Встреча ректоров российских исламских вузов в Москве. 23 марта 2012. 10 августа 2014 <http://www.dumrf.ru/dumer/event/2931>.

[15] (Тикаева)