Former Kazakhstan's Supreme Mufti appointed Director of Oriental Studies Institute

Former Supreme Mufti of Kazakhstan Absattar hajji Derbissali has been appointed Director of Suleimenov Oriental Studies Institute, Tengrinews.kz reports citing Azan.kz. The decision to appoint him to the position was related to the broad experience of Absattar Derbissali in this area that he had been successfully dealing with prior to his election as the Supreme Mufti of Kazakhstan. Having been introduced to the personnel, Derbissali passed his gratitude to Kazakhstan Minister of Education and Science Bakhytzhan Zhumagulov for his trust and promised to work had in the new position. Earlier Tengrinews.kz English reported that Yerzhan Mayamerov was elected the new Supreme Mufti of Kazakhstan. Kairat Zholdybai and Serik Oraz were appointed naib-muftis. Derbissali told the journalists that he was missing scientific work a lot and that it was the main reason why he left his position of the Supreme Mufti of Kazakhstan. Absattar hajji Derbissali (born in 1947 in South-Kazakhstan oblast) became Kazakhstan's Supreme Mufti on June 24, 2000. He used to be chairman of Central Asian Mufti Council and headed the Spiritual Management of Muslims of Kazakhstan. Derbissali is a member of the Academy of Science of Kazakhstan. He is a Doctor of Philology, a professor, an orientalist and a diplomat. He holds a diplomatic rank of the first class adviser. Derbissali is the author of 400 theoretical articles and practical developments in the Arab language and literature, ancient periods of Kazakh literature and culture, Kazakhstan's spiritual connections with the Muslim countries of Middle East, as well as the history of Islam, Quran and the sayings of the Prophet Mohammad.