— Dear Bassil, it will be interesting for our readers to learn about your biography. Tell about yourself: how you came to Ukraine, where you studied, for how many years are you connected with "Alraid"?

— I was born in 1969 in Damascus, the capital of Syria. In 1988, after I finished school, I came to the USSR for study in the Kiev Construction Institute (KECI, now KNUBA). In 1994 I continued my studying in Odessa, got a Master's degree and started my postgraduate study. In the year of foundation of the Association, in 1997, I already consisted in one of organizations which subsequently became the initiator of creation of "Alraid". I finished my postgraduate study in 2003. From 2006 to 2008 I received second education in the KNUBA on speciality "Management of projects". Till now I work in "Alraid". I am married with seven children.

— You were at the beginnings of the Association's foundation. How it all began, and in what way for 14 years since its foundation the structure and methods of work of "Alraid" and the situation in the country as a whole changed?

— In the 88th Ukraine was still in structure of the Soviet Union. In my university studied about 400 foreign students, the majority of them where natives of the Muslim countries. Unfortunately, very few of them observed a prayer. For example, from among all Muslim students together with me prayed just a couple of them.

Those who are observing instructions the Almighty always aspire to unification and supporting each other. Therefore we started to search for guys in other universities who performed namaz. As a result from all over Kiev we found about 30 students. We realized that the Soviet Union was the atheistic state where the rights of believing of all faiths were oppressed, but in these conditions for preservation of the Islamic culture we managed to equip a room for carrying out of a Friday prayer in one of hostels, therefore the room was opened only on Fridays.

I would like to notice that at that time we managed to collect the first Islamic library in Kiev and in Ukraine. We asked guys who left for home to send or bring these or that books: the Holy Quran, its interpretation, collections of hadith, works of known scholars. It is possible to tell that the library of our Islamic cultural center originates from that first library in a hostel.

When the USSR broke up, there appeared new possibilities. We already could rent assembly hall and collect more people. We kept in contact with all Muslim students in Ukraine, thus forming the real student's work.

The situation in the independent country quickly changed, it became much easier with freedom of worship, too. People changed too. In the 92nd we already considered how to conduct our work according to the legislation of Ukraine, to create and register social organizations. As a result the next year the first social organization appeared in Kharkov, then in Odessa and in Kiev.

At first our organizations concentrated on work with Muslim students: we rendered them necessary help in respect of adaptation because, having appeared in a different society, many of them forgot about Islamic culture. Well and, of course, we paid attention to the process of returning of the deported people, first of all, the Crimean Tatars. Therefore we reflected on how to help the Ukrainian Muslims: many of them in the Soviet period forgot about their Islamic culture. We started the present work, having agreed among ourselves to stay on vacation in Ukraine and to conduct lessons on studying of Islamic culture and the language of the Holy Quran.

The accent was made on Crimea as in this region Muslims needed help most of all. Having come back from the deportation places, the Crimean Tatars had no elementary conditions for life; moreover, they were literally torn off from the richest Islamic heritage of their ancestors. It was our first work in the field of education.

In 1994-1995 we carried out two conferences with participation of public figures and Muslim scholars from Europe, which gathered about 300 persons. Leaning against Islamic principles, we explained how one should behave himself in a non-Muslim society, urged students to respect the local culture, to help neighbors and adequately to represent Islam. Explanatory work was carried out in other cities, too.

In 1995 our work passed in several cities of Ukraine. Then five organizations decided to unite into the Inter-Regional Association of Social Organizations "Аlraid". At this stage we concentrated on personnel training, planning, collective work, management of projects.

1998. The first conference organized by the IASO "Arraid". On the photo on the center the first chairman, Muaz abu Ubeyda, at the left - the Islamic scholar, the former head of the European Council on Fatwa and Research, Faysal Mawlawi, on the right - the vice-president of the AUSO "Ukrainian Center of Islamic Studies", Vyacheslav Shved.

Assistance to stability in the society by means of our activity was one of the major purposes of the Association. Why? Because everybody saw, what problems the Muslim minority in other countries face. We did not want that the similar repeated, say, in Crimea. For this reason our projects were directed first of all on strengthening of international and inter-confessional peace and well-being, and the names of these projects of "Alraid" on the peninsula speak for themselves: "Water well drilling", "A cow for underprivileged families", "Guardianship of orphans", "A hothouse for underprivileged families", "A sewing machine for a large family", etc. The activity directions selected by us initially mean social initiatives for the sake of stability in the Ukrainian society.

— For the whole time "Alraid" was headed by three persons. What of their qualities or approaches to work would you note and use?

— The first chairman of the Association was Muaz Abu Ubeyda. He was one of the founders of "Alraid". Мuaz united people around himself. Faruk Ashur, the second chairman, placed emphasis on brotherly relations, having rallied the multinational community of "Alraid". The third chairman of the Association, Ismail Kady, concentrated on the issue of spirituality. I see before myself the task of unification and effective use of all best qualities of my predecessors.

— Should we expect from the new head of the Association some new cardinal decisions, changes of working strategy, and what spheres will it concern?

— In the due course more and more local Muslims started to participate in the work of "Alraid". We have seen that among them there are talented educated people and, the most important thing, sincere believers. Working side by side for a few years we understood that they have high potential. Nowadays the Ukrainian Muslims hold some supervising posts in the Association. These are the recently selected head of the Revision Committee, Seyran Arifov, the head of the Information Department, Oleg Guzik, the manager of the Department of Public Work, Olga Fryndak, the head of the Publishing Department, Islam Gimadutin, the head of the Female Department, Fatyma Amrullaeva, the head of the Department of Islamic Culture, Evgeniy Glushchenko. It pleases.

We live in the time when everything changes promptly. And we should change, keep up to date. Just see, how fast the information spreads: instantly it becomes known what happens in the other part of the world. In our activity we want to emphasize the use of new ideas, technologies, the advanced workings out and the experience of researchers and scholars. The Association optimistically looks ahead, carefully plans its work, considering possible changes in those or that spheres of life.

It pleases that even well-known Ukrainian scholars in their works, estimating our activity, characterized the Association as the organization which along with others actively participates in the formation of history of Islam in the independent Ukrainian state. And it just corresponds to its name: "ar-raid" means "the leading".

— Some associate the activity of "Alraid" with the Arabian fraternity, "Muslim-Brotherhood" movement, "Khizbut-tahrir", wahhabites or something else. So what "Alraid" actually is?

— If you browse Internet and google "alraid", you will find the exhaustive information on what the Association is engaged in: news, projects, and press releases for 14 years. Proceeding from it, one may receive a complete image on us; learn about our ideology, directions of activity.

It is also possible to find statements of those who do not like "Alraid", we will not tell names. But what these people write, has no any relation to us — and it confirms their ignorance. Using the thought up labels, they connect Muslims with terrorism and violence.

Once there appeared an anonymous letter which affirmed that "Alraid" are the followers of "Muslim Brotherhood", "Khizbut-Tahrir", Islamic Jamaat and a Shiism simultaneously. In general, all in one. It is noticeable that the author has no any knowledge about "Alraid" and, moreover, does not wish good to the Muslims of Ukraine.

We want that all knew: the AUASO "Alraid" works in Ukraine, it is the Ukrainian organization operating within the limits of the legislation of Ukraine.

The Association "Аlraid" is not one person, but a team which accepts all important decisions jointly. Our association follows the moderation course, representing moderate Islam, and it was laid initially — as a work principle. We profess moderate approach in everything: in planning, in work, in relation to people. And not just in words, but also in practice. Nowadays we already see the fruits of the 14-years work proving that we were not mistaken, having selected the moderation principle.

— We have also heard that "Alraid" blows the own trumpet, being engaged in self-promotion too much. It is like showing off…

— I will tell more. The way we shine our work does not show the full picture of the activity which is conducted by the Association. And I am dissatisfied with it. For 14 years we made much more, than what they write about. Still very many people do not know what "Alraid" is engaged with. Sometimes we are compared to religious administration. It is incorrect, because "Alraid" is an association of social organizations. We have different scales of work, different directions, and different level.

"Alraid" speaks about itself, as well as any other organization, wishing to acquaint people with its activity and projects. Showing off is when one person constantly tells about itself. I can tell the following: never had we spoken about what was not done. We tell all the truth about ourselves. Our affairs are available, and it is possible to track without effort what was reached by "Alraid" during the time of its existence.

We try to dispel the imposed stereotypes concerning Islam and Muslims; we try to draw attention of the public to actual problems for all and together to search for the ways of their decision.

— Tell about the main principles and directions of the Association's work.

— Laying down work principles, we defined three categories of people on which our activity will be directed. First of all these are the Ukrainian Muslims, basically from among the Crimean Tatars — having returned from the deportation places, they need humanitarian and educational help.

These are the citizens of Ukraine as a whole. After September, 11th, 2001, among the Ukrainians interest to Islam and Muslims especially increased. People would like to learn, "who Muslims actually are" — for them "Alraid" organized work of schools of the Arabic language and the Islamic culture, called to dispel stereotypes about Islam. With the same purpose we regularly conduct lectures, conferences, round tables with participation of public and statesmen, representatives of scientific elite — the given actions invariably draw attention of journalists of the leading mass-media.

Certainly, these are also Muslims who came to Ukraine from Islamic countries — visitors, businessmen, university students — "Alraid" helps them to adapt themselves in the new society.

In the beginning we divided our work into information, humanitarian, educational, spiritual and cultural directions of activity, after all Islam encompasses all spheres of human life.

— As the head of the Ukrainian organization, what estimation can you give to the events in the Arab world? Where the conflict decision lies and what is the exit from the current situation?

— In general "the Arabian spring" is a historic fact. Nowadays on this topic scientific works are written, deep analysis is carried out.

In my opinion to resolve the opposition could satisfaction of requirements of the protesting and urgent carrying out of reforms, but bloodshed aggravated the situation though it could be avoided.

For some decades in the Arab countries ruled dictatorial modes. Declaring that they struggle with threat to the whole world community, they without trials hung labels of terrorists on their citizens and cruelly finished with them. Eventually the people's bowl of patience was overflowed — they carried out manifestation of protest, calling for changes and reforms.

The demonstrators did not demand founding of the Islamic state. After decades of oppressions the people thirsted for freedom — freedom of thought, religion, freedom of choice. And it was proved by the last elections in Tunisia and Egypt. To the power came Islamic forces. The people voted for those who were recently labeled as "extremists" and "terrorists". If they actually were so, would such quantity of people vote for them? It turns out that dictatorial modes for many long years misinformed the world community.
The former president of Egypt Hosny Mubarak positioned himself as a fighter, defender of the Western world from terrorism, but when organizers of explosion in the Coptic church were arrested, it appeared so that these people were close to Mubarak.

The victory of the pro-Islamic forces on elections is unconditional, and this is the people's will. Earlier moderate Islamic forces came to power in Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, so, the West should carry out dialogue with new leaders elected by the people according to the democratic principles.

— What would you wish to the readers of the newspaper?

— Strong faith, well-being, peace and consent on the Ukrainian land. God grant, that Muslims became an active part of the society and promoted prosperity of our common Motherland.

Interview by Grigory GRYSHKO
The newspaper "Arraid" No 149