Islam in Georgia

Introduction

Because of the diversity and plurality of the nations, nationalities and languages, Caucasus is called the aquarium of nations in the world.
And the Republic government of Georgia as one of the most important countries in the South Caucasus has a unique position in terms of ethnic, racial and linguistic diversity.
Regardless of some ethnic movements in the early years of independence of the Republic of Georgia, there was a Peaceful coexistence of several religions and faiths in this small but important country that had a significant geostrategic position in liberty of all religions.
Azeri and Armenians as the largest ethnic minority in Georgia
Have an almost permissible interaction in Georgia so that some people consider it interesting due to the long-standing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
On the other hand Christians, Jews, Muslims (both Shia and Sunni) and even the followers of the Paganism cults have created an example of a tolerant society in the geographical area that is called Georgia.
The special geographical position of Georgia has put it in a continuous interaction with the Muslim world.
And the presence of a sizable population of Muslims in this country has led to research on Islam and Muslims by Georgian research centers whose results are relatively manifested in books, articles, theses, dissertations and academic researches.
This translated article is written by one of the Georgian authorities of Middle Eastern history that includes a synopsis of the research and studies and has been introduced under the title of Islam in Georgia. I hope that the translation of this article is a small step in introducing the most considerable research potential in the South Caucasus, particularly in important areas such as Islamic Studies in Georgia.

Islam in Georgia

From early medieval times, the Christian Georgia has a significant exposure and communication with the Muslim world. Communication with the Muslim world requires knowledge of Islam and Islamic elements that play an important role in international relations today. The Geopolitical interests of Georgia, Muslim communities in Georgia, an increasing influence of Islam on the political - religious processes of the world and the growth of religious identity of Muslim citizens of the former Soviet Union are all encouraging factors for Georgian scholars to study the history of Islam. In the historical studies of the Soviet Union and the subsequent studies in the Soviet Georgia and in the ideological censorship conditions, the Koran and other Islamic jurisprudence texts were not studied. Hence, during many years, considering the Islam in Georgian especially the leaflets related to religious issues, meet the needs of antireligious propaganda which was formed based on the negative and simplistic approach to Islam. However, during the 60s and 70s of the 20th century, some projects were defined as a "the vestige of religious thought and ways to deal with it" but at the same time the researchers of historical issues have a serious approach to other types of Islam ology Near East in the Middle Ages.
East of the main centers of Islamic studies at Georgia are the Institute of East and the State University of Georgia. Several experts in various periods in the history of Arab, Iranian and Turkish Studies have been educated in the Department of East under the direct supervision and guidance of the Director of this Department who was studying the cultural issues of the Near East in the middle Ages. He divided this culture into different periods of development. This scholar believed that the first development period of Near Eastern culture was the historical period between the seventh to the tenth century (not the sixth to tenth) since he regarded it as the formation and development of the culture by and Islam. Furthermore, it should be noted that unlike East European experts, Gabashoily used the term "Islamic culture" and the Arabic culture, "according to its use.
During the ages 11 and 12 AD, the concepts of" Muslim Arabs "are replaced with the culture of ''Muslim Iranians" that is a conditioned and constrained concept. Later Persians or Iranians became a general term used to refer to (Muhammad Muslims). This investigator has studied the relationship among Iranian refugees with Ismaili movement and he observed this subject that Aarons alternately has formed religious sects (Sunni and Shiite Iranian). Gabashoily also investigated the Iran's religious policy towards the cartel (Georgia).
A Partial translation from Arabic literature entered the "Proceedings" of L.nadyradzeh that is still the basis of study about the tax system of Muslims and it is used by scholars.
Other topics of Islamic history were studied in the articles of Georgian experts who studied East such as E.sykharvlydz•h, O.tskytyshvyly and G.japarydzeh: based on their research in Persian and Arabic sources some characters were detected who wore "Nysbaaltflys" so they were related to Tbilisi in an era. Professor K.kutsya was concerned with religious factors in relations between Iran and Georgia.
In a research that was conducted by G.bradz•h there is a Shia Hadith attributed to Imam Ja'far Sadiq peace on him (d. 765) and according to this Hadith, Tbilisi is one of the three distinctive cities: Kufa, Qom and Tbilisi.
This researcher also analyzes the information related to the railway of Caucasus and the holy Islamic places in the 19th century.
In the 80s of the twentieth century, training of specialists began in Islamic history. In 1987, Maggie Metroly defended her Candidate Sciences’ thesis about Druze community and she published a book under the same title.
This book analyzes the movement of Druze with emphasis on the process of formation and consolidation of Druze society. This book is based on the Arab and European sources. The subject of Thesis of G.sanykydzeh was "the establishment of an Islamic state during the tenth and eleventh centuries" which was conducted in 1990 with the guidance of L.nadyradzeh.
In this thesis, the main focus is on the study of particular and constituting factors in the Islamic Movement.
The title of Candidate of Sciences thesis by M.vakhtangadzeh was as "some of the original characteristics of Islam", which was conducted in 1990 under the guidance of T.nadyradzeh. In this study, the following issues were discussed: the Muslim community of Medina and its relations with the community of Islam (pagan) Arabs, the establishment of the first Islamic state and taxes of Muslims in the first Islamic society.
In 1994 G.japarydzeh defended her doctoral dissertation titled "Georgia and the Islamic Near East in the 12th century until the first third of the 13th century" and this thesis was published as a separate study. This study is based on the first-hand sources in Georgian, Armenian, Arabic and other languages considers the political aspects of relations between the Kingdom of Georgia and the Islamic World (Great Seljuk Empire, the Seljuk sultans of Iraq and the Turk Khanates who were ruling on the north of Mesopotamia and Armenia ( the dynasty of Ayoubi and Rome) in the 12th century until the first third of the 13th century. And also he has discussed the issues related to the ideological conflict between the Christian Georgia, Muslim worlds, the tolerant policy of David called David IV (1125-1089) and his successors in Heavenly towards other faiths, including Muslims, and this had led the followers of the two religions coexist peacefully in the kingdom of Georgia. Many research activities of G.japarydzeh are devoted to the history and culture of Islam.
The work on the scientific-research project of "Georgians and Near Eastern religious systems" was Led by Academician Tamaz Gamkrlydzeh and performed at the Institute of East Studies. This work has been carried out within the research program of "the International Center for Research on relations between east and west" which was established under the East Geological Institute by G.tesertly. This project has been divided into different sections. One of these sections is related to Islam and the issues surrounding it. This section includes research on Islamic subjects and also research on the political, ideological and cultural aspects of cultural relations between Georgian and the Muslim world. The research conducted in this area led to the compilation of a resource was Encyclopedia.
This reference source contains 450 articles which are arranged alphabetically and it is about the contemporary and classical Islam. The views and opinions of Islam, phrases, names, schools, different Islamic sects and communities have been introduced in this series. In addition, in this Encyclopedia the multi-century interactions of Georgia with the Muslim world have been emphasized, its dark corners have been revealed and wherever possible the Georgian sources and materials have been delivered. This reference book introduces the Islamic government and political figures in the state of Georgia. This reference book includes information about the OIC member countries, the chronology table of important events in Islamic history and the relationships between Georgia and the world of Islam.
The International Center of Research on the relationship between East and West that is a non-governmental institute has organized numerous and different researches on subjects of the general communication of East and West mainly focused on religious, ethnic and geopolitical subjects. This center had published the research of Islam and Muslims in the current Georgia done by Sanykydzeh. In this work the author has considered the current history and statues of Islam and Muslims in Georgia, the specific aspects of promoting the Islam in Georgia, the position and the role of Islam in a country with a Christian majority, relations between Muslims - Christians, Muslims, different ethnic groups among Muslim Georgian and their religious beliefs and practices, relations between Sunnis and Shiites in Georgia, Georgia's relations with the Muslim world and the place of religion in this relations ( the current history and status), the process of globalization, Islam and the Caucasus. This book is based on historical sources, archival sources, field studies in Muslim parts of Georgia and sociological questionnaires. G.sanykydzeh has also published numerous articles in the same issue outside the Georgia. The study of Islam and Muslims in Georgia today is focused on the morals and rituals of Muslims in the current Georgia. this article has discussed the relations between Muslims and other religious groups, the effect of religion on the routine life in Georgia, the relation between national and religious identity and the challenges among the followers of permissible kind of Islam which was traditionally fulfilled and also the kinds called pure and Salafi that typically but not necessarily returns to Wahhabism in the Soviet era.
In 2005, G. Sanykydzeh published a paper titled ''Shia and government in Iran''.
In this paper, the author has analyzed the evolution of Shia religion in the following periods: during the twelve Imams, during the expansion of the beginning of cultural interaction of Islamic community up to the invasion of Mongol, the Safavi era to this day.
Mehrab Tykadzeh in 2003 defended his doctoral dissertation titled "The Ottoman Turks conquered Syria and Islamic institutions (conservatism and signs of evolution)" he has considered in different seasons of his research the Islamic religious scholars in the social structure of Syria during the conquest of Ottomans and he has shown the position and function of Mufti in the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. The author claims representatives of religious organizations and institutions, or Islamic intellectuals have no interest in engaging to the process of fundamental changes but in order to maintain social stability, they defended pro-reform movements. The conservative characteristic of Ottoman regime prevented the persistence or progression of these processes. Numerous articles on topics related to the thesis of scientific bulletins and journals have been published.
N.Glovani has studied in the field of Islamic History, Islam and gender in the Arab world. He published a Georgian language paper entitled Woman in Islam in Tbilisi in 2005, through ages 7 to 10 AD. This research includes the religious, social, political and economic role of women in Islam such as: the status of women in pre-Islamic era, women's participation in the religious life of the Islamic community, women in the Qur'an and the Hadith, Mary - the ideal woman of Qur'an and as a common ground of dialogue between Muslims and Christians, the true position of women in Islamic society, law (marriage, divorce, inheritance and education) and duties of women based on religious texts. He has put these subjects in a new way as historical, social and cultural phenomena. This research has devoted special attention to the relationship between women and the state because this is already very visible in the East Muslims, and it requires modification and revision in the most important issues.
In the field of Quranic studies and researches, studies of Arabic language have been effective in the spread of Islamic knowledge. In 1977, Apollo Sylagadzeh translated number of verses of Quran. And his guidance a number of issues were raised and defended in this field. In 1990, Nana Argmalydzeh defended his candidate's thesis titled '' Rhythmic structure of Qur'an'' under the guidance of Sylagadzeh. In 2004 Georg Lubzhanydzeh defended his thesis Candidate of Sciences entitled "Jesus and Mary in the Holy Quran" under the guidance of Sylagadzeh. He in his study has delivered the Qur'anic description of Jesus Christ by comparing it with the understanding its Christian description.
Simultaneously, he delivers a successful analysis of the differences between the Christian definitions of Jesus in relation to the Quranic definition. Lubzhanydzeh In his study analyzes the concept of Jesus and Mary in the Holy Quran regarding the views of Muslim theologians in the later stages. In this study, the phenomenon of Jesus and Mary in the Holy Quran have been analyzed by systematizing the elements of story associated with these characters which enable us to decode them as perceptual symbols derived from the abovementioned stories. Lubzhanydzeh has also published a number of scientific papers on the subject of his thesis. The important work of Lubzhanydzeh in the field of Islamic Studies in Georgia is the Georgian translation of Qur'an with its translation and explanation.
Two graduate students for receiving their grade of sciences’ candidate defended their dissertation under the guidance of George Sanykydzeh. The Thesis topic of Tynatyn Karvsanydzeh was "Islamic fundamentalism in Contemporary Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood's strategy and organizations of Islamic Extremist". Defense of this thesis was carried out in 2006. This research is the first activity in this field of research in the area of Georgia’s history that has examined the development of Islamic fundamentalism in Egypt. The author has analyzed the letters and writings of Hassan al-Banna and Seyyed Ghutb, two Arab ideologists who have presented the ideology and structure of Muslim Brotherhood. This study also is based on a Arabic book of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the most-wanted Egyptian terrorists in which the activities of Egypt's Islamist Extremist have been described.
The topic of Sciences’ candidate thesis of Tamar Japarydzeh was "the peace process, the Palestinian Authority and Islamic radicalism in Palestine" (2006) the parts related to Hamas of this study (formation of Hamas, the Islamic radicalism leadership in the Palestine, strategy, tactics, goals, its position on the peace process and the Palestinian Authority) is the first example of Georgian efforts in the field of research to understand the Islamic extremist organizations. It was the first time that Hamas was translated to Georgian language. The important results of this study have been reflected in other published articles.
The Department of Asian and African Studies of the State University of Tbilisi has published numerous articles and books on the history of Islam. Z.manetshashuyly has published several books on the ''history of Islam in the North Caucasus'': the regeneration of Islam in the South Caucasus and Central Asia, Tbilisi, 1999 (in Russian) and Islam in the North Caucasus, Tbilisi, 2006 (in Georgian).
The author reminds in his work that the phenomenon of Islamic revival in the Caucasus has been affected by the historical, cultural and geographical complexities, the history of Islam and Christianity promoting, access to the elements before the oneness era in the beliefs of people, the spiritual aspects before Islam, the traditions and communication of different cultures in this region. He believes that the reconstruction of Sufism is based on certain principles. The author concludes that Islam in the North Caucasus and Central Asia depends heavily on the element of nationality and it is not displayed as a political Islam.
Researchers in this department have published numerous articles on Islamic fundamentalism in the contemporary Arab world. The above mentioned Leaflets contain some of the most important ideas and undoubtedly they can be used in the general and practical process of dialogue between cultures.