New Kazakhstan Patriotism
New Kazakhstan Patriotism
One cannot build a full grown state without its confidence in the future. It is vital that the objectives of the State and citizens coincide in all directions. This is precisely the task the State should set forth.
Citizens trust the State if only there are prospects and opportunities for development including personal and professional growth. The state and the people should understand this and work together.
We should instill a new Kazakhstan patriotism in ourselves and in our children. We must take pride in our country and its achievements. But today at a new stage of the matured state this understanding is not enough. We should pragmatically review this issue.
We love our country and we are proud of it, if the State guarantees quality of life, security, equal opportunities and prospects for each citizen. It is this approach that provides us with a pragmatic and realistic vision of patriotism and its education. By 2050 we need to build a political system that each citizen of Kazakhstan would be firmly confident in the future. Our children and grandchildren should also prefer to live at the homeland, because it is better for them here than abroad. Each citizen of Kazakhstan should understand they are a part of this land and our people.
Equality of citizens of all ethnic groups
We are all Kazakhstan citizens, having equal rights and equal opportunities. The new Kazakhstan patriotism is something that should unite all of society without any ethnic differences.
We are a multiethnic society there should be no double standards when it come to interethnic relations. All citizens should be equal in the eyes of the State no one should be discriminated against on the basis of ethnicity or other features.
This issue for me is not negotiable. If anyone in our country is discriminated against then we should assume that all Kazakhstan citizens are discriminated against.
There should not be any preference given to any ethnic groups. Our rights and liberties should be universal – they apply to all of you.
We are building a society with equal opportunities, a society where everyone is equal before the Law. We should never allow a thought that college enrollment, employment or career promotion could be influenced by someone’s ethnicity.
I demand that the Government and governors bring order to our labor policy. Only the best should be employed – especially in local government – irrespective of ethnicity. If people must be judged on single criteria
it is this: they must conform to the highest standards of ethics and professionalism. We must fix the lopsidedness evident in hiring process of the ministries and local administrations at all levels. There should be no “unnecessary” or “aliens”, “ours” and “theirs” in our society. We cannot leave behind a single citizen of our country. Every Kazakhstan citizen should feel the support of the authorities.
Whoever attempts to “drive a wedge” into the interethnic harmony of the nation should be prosecuted by Law.
And here we Kazakhs bear a special responsibility.
We must understand that the epoch of single-ethnic states has gone. Kazakhstan is our land. It is a land that has belonged to our ancestors. The land that will belong to our descendants. We bear a direct responsibility for the peace and harmony of our land.
We must be the true owner of our land – hospitable, friendly, generous and tolerant. If we want to see our country as a strong and powerful state, we should not rock the boat that would destroy peace and order, which are fragile.
We should not let anyone sow dissention and fear on our blessed land. You should remember my demand and the demands of time – to live in peace and harmony. There are lots of various powers in our country and abroad, those want to play a game of “interethnic split”, who want to blow up our harmony from inside and prevent the strengthening of our state.
Don’t follow their ideas!
We should improve, we should be worthy people, then our history culture, tradition and language will be respected..
Kazakh language and three-side unity of languages
Responsible language policy is one of the consolidating factors of Kazakh ethnicity.
Kazakh language – is our spiritual pivot.
Our aim is to develop the Kazakh language actively using it in all areas. We should develop a modern Kazakh language as a legacy heritage for our descendants, harmoniously integrating the experience of generations of our ancestors with our visible trace.
The state does a lot to strengthen the positions of our State Language. It is necessary to continue implementation of the measures complex to popularize Kazakh language. From 2025 we need to modernize our language to use Latin fonts and a Latin alphabet.
For the sake of the future of our children we should make this decision and create it as a condition of entry for our wider global integration. This will enable our children to have a better understanding of the English language, the internet and reinforce our desire to modernize the Kazakh language.
We should conduct modernization of Kazakh language. It is necessary to make the language modern, to look for consensus in terminology issues, forever resolving the issues of translating international and foreign words into Kazakh language. These issues should not be resolved by a circle of solitary figures. The Government should resolve this.
There are terms commonly adopted in the whole world that enrich any language. But tend to make life unnecessarily complicated, we often bring in confusion to our minds and swarm our own archaic memories. There are plenty of examples like that. I suggest a contest where our youth suggest to us a hundred modern books that are translated into Kazakh in a modern way.
Language should function as a unifying influence for the people of Kazakhstan. Therefore our language policy should be implemented in a competent and consistent way and should not limit any language spoken by Kazakhstan citizens.
You know about our policy – by 2025 95% of Kazakhstan citizens should gain Kazakh language. We are creating the conditions for that. Today more than 60% of schoolchildren are educated in the state language. Education in Kazakh is being introduced in all schools. This means that if child has been enrolled into a school this year, in ten to twelve years we will have a new generation of Kazakhstan citizens all bearing Kazakh language.
Thus already by 2025 Kazakh language will lead in all spheres of life, Kazakh will become a general language. This, of course, will become the most important achievement of our state. Our sovereignty, our independence will finally gain something that binds the nation and cements it – a mother tongue. This is the crown pearl of our state’s sovereignty.
Nowadays we take active measures to create conditions for our children to learn Russian and English equally as Kazakh language.
This three language policy should be encouraged on a State level.
We should treat Russian language and Cyrillic writing in the same caring way as we do for Kazakh. It is clear to us all, that knowing the Russian language provided a historic advantage to our nation.
No one can ignore the fact that through Russian language in centuries the Kazakhstan citizens gain additional knowledge, increase their perspective and communications both domestically and abroad. We should work to breakthrough in learning the English language. Having this “lingua franca” of the modern world will reveal new and unlimited opportunities for each citizen of our country.
Culture, traditions, and distinction
Traditions and culture form the genetic code of a nation.
Despite all burdens and adversities suffered under the Czars, shocks of revolutions and totalitarianism, Kazakhs and representative of other ethnic groups have managed to preserve their cultural distinction.
Moreover, in the independence years, in-spite of the globalization and westernization, our cultural foundation has been significantly strengthened.
Kazakhstan is a unique country where various cultural elements have united to compliment and enrich each other.
We must preserve our national culture and traditions in all their diversity and greatness collecting it bit by bit.
Our history teaches us: a country is strong only if its people are united therefore, the unity of Kazakhs is a key issue for us.
Who would be interested in building a strong Kazakhstan besides us? The answer is clear.
We are facing the same problems faced by all nations in various periods of history. Those countries that overcame them have become strong nations and States. As the Leader of Nation I am concerned that there are forces who wish to destroy inter-Kazakh unity.
The one, who follows these calls either consciously or non-consciously, then starts to get divided according to various properties, first of all by Shejire.
People should not forget the essence of the Shejire tradition, it does not stop on a single tribe. Shejire is a Tree of generations, which tends to a common root. Shejire demonstrates and proves that our roots are common, that we Kazakhs are all one. Shejire does not divide us, but unites.
I am concerned that the nation is artificially divided into “true Kazakhs” and “false Kazakhs”. I feel very ashamed for those who do that, for those who divide the society. It is dangerous that this is being done covered in ideas of love to the homeland.
Our youth should learn to appreciate, love each other as children of a common parent, common people, wherever they would be.
Role of the national intelligentsia
We enter a period of our development, when the spiritual issues will have a meaning no less important than issues of economic and material concern.
The intelligentsia plays main role in the spiritual development.Kazakhstan 2050 should be a society of progressive ideals.
The intelligentsia is supposed to lay a foundation for modern views of our society. Intelligentsia should become a leading power in strengthening the nationwide values at a stage when the country has become an established state.
We should demonstrate and create new Heroes of our time – those our youth will admire and seek to emulate.
Intelligentsia can and must play a key role in drafting a model of the future of our country based on my vision of Kazakhstan 2050.
We have to continue our work to establish the historical conscience of the nation.
Universal Kazakhstan identity must become the cornerstone in the minds of our people.
Today a Kazakhstan citizen of any ethnical and religious belonging – is an equal member and citizen of our country.
Kazakhstan people and state language serve as unifying core in the developing civil unity of Kazakhstan. We are creating a fair society, where everyone can say: “I’m a citizen of Kazakhstan, and all the doors are open for me in my country!”
Today indeed all the doors, all the opportunities and roads are open to our citizens. We are plenty and we are one – one country and one nation.
To be valuable for own country, to be responsible for the destiny of own homeland – is a duty and honor for every responsible politician, for every citizen of Kazakhstan. Unity and accord is the foundation of our society, foundation of our special Kazakhstan tolerance.
We must carefully transfer those values to the future generations of our country.
Religion in Kazakhstan of 21st century
Today the pressing issue for Kazakhstan in the religious arena is religions that have not been traditionally practiced in our country. We have also seen an influx of people claiming to represent a non recognized faith or belief.
Some of the young people unconsciously accept these views due to a lack of immunity on the part of our society against pseudo-religious influence.
It is a fact that our Constitution guarantees freedom of faith. However, as you might know this is not unrestricted freedom as this would produce chaos. Everything should be a subject to the constitution and our laws.
Everyone enjoys a freedom of choice. It is necessary to be very responsible in choosing religious preferences: lifestyle, households and, often whole lives depends on this choice. In this internet age with many new technologies and incredible volumes of information flows, people should apply a filter to what the see and here.
Your Internal “filter” must ask questions: do we need our mothers, sisters and daughters to wear the clothes of foreign nationals? Do they need to be wrapped in headscarves?
To not sit at the same table with us? To not allowed drive cars? These all are matured traditions of other nations. They are our brothers and we respect them, but those customs have never existed in our Steppe.
Read the classical literature, watch the movies. Our women have national pride, own traditional style of clothes, but it is covered by a modesty, that we, men, often abuse.
We are proud of being a part of the Muslim Ummah. It belongs to our traditions. However we should not forget that we also have secular traditions, and that Kazakhstan is a secular state. We should create a religious conscience relevant to the traditions and cultural norms of our country. We should use the best models of behavior. The strategy I am announcing prepares our people to live in the 21st century, not in the middle ages.
The State and citizens should come forward against forms and types of radicalism, extremism and terrorism as a united team. A particular concern is caused by a threat of so-called religious extremism. This concern is also shared by the spiritual hierarchy. We cannot allow the true faith in God to be replaced by aggressive and destructive fanaticism. This blind fanaticism is absolutely alien to the psychology and mentality of our peaceful people. It contradicts the hatafit mazhab, held to by believers of Kazakhstan.
Extremism and terrorism in Kazakhstan has not an ideological but criminal foundation. The pseudo-religious rhetoric hides criminal activities that undermine basis of the society. It is an assault to the peace and stability of our country. It is a durability test of our statehood and civil maturity.
• We should improve our legislation in order to neutralize the signs of religious radicalism and extremism. We should improve counter-terrorism legislation. The State should stop extremism and radicalism, wherever it comes from.
• We should establish new reliable mechanisms to overcome the social, ethnic and religious tensions and conflicts. It is necessary to firmly stop the activities of non-traditional sects and doubtful pseudo-religious flows.
• We should strengthen preventive measures against religious extremism in society, especially among the youth.
• It is also necessary use the advantages, provided by the Forum of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. On the basis of this dialogue we should create a new platform for resolving conflicts on religious grounds.
• We should be ready to mediate in the hot spots of the region in particular the Middle East and larger global level to resolve religious and ethnic conflicts.
The secular nature of our State is an important condition of the successful development of Kazakhstan. This should be clearly understood by current and future Kazakhstan officials and all Kazakhstan citizens. I task the Government in conjunction with my Administration to continue to develop a State program on the fight against religious extremism and terrorism.
At the same time I would like to warn the nation. The fight against extremism should not be used as a witch hunt or to be used to fight religion. Whenever we contemplate religion we must adopt a thoughtful approach and proceed with extreme caution. It is not the States’ role to intervene on the internal affairs of religious communities. We remain steadfastly committed to the freedom of conscience, tolerance of traditions and principles.