Hard Talk with Ilgar Ali: Dignity, Chess, Faith and the Meaning of Life
Introduction
What makes a person whole? Why is it that in an era of uncertainty, someone loses themselves and someone gains depth?
In this interview, we talk to Ilgar Ibrahimoglu (Ilgar Ali), a theologian, psychotherapist, strategic coach, and researcher of human dignity.
It's not just an intellectual conversation, it's a challenge. There are no simple questions and ready-made answers. There is a search.
In this interview, we talk to Ilgar Ibrahimoglu (Ilgar Ali), a theologian, psychotherapist, strategic coach, and researcher of human dignity.
It's not just an intellectual conversation, it's a challenge. There are no simple questions and ready-made answers. There is a search.
Round 1. WHO ARE YOU?
— Ilgar Ali, you are credited with many roles: philosopher, psychotherapist, strategic coach. Who are you really?
Ilgar Ali: A man who feels his need for God and who is looking for.
"Looking for what?"
Ilgar Ali: The essence of man. What makes us alive and meaningful? Why does someone save themselves even in the most difficult circumstances, while someone gets lost in the abundance of opportunities? God's consent.
— What would you call yourself?
Ilgar Ali: I don't think in terms of "titles". I'm not interested in what they call me, but in what I can explore that will help people.
— You have studied theology, Islamic philosophy, Western thought, and psychotherapy. What shaped you more: East or West?
Ilgar Ali: Reality shaped me. I grew up in the Soviet Union, saw its collapse, perestroika, the tragedy of January 20, 1990, and the realization that the official "truth" could be a lie.
The East has given me depth. The horizon of what can form an elevated state.
The West has given an understanding of the crisis of humanity.
Ilgar Ali: A man who feels his need for God and who is looking for.
"Looking for what?"
Ilgar Ali: The essence of man. What makes us alive and meaningful? Why does someone save themselves even in the most difficult circumstances, while someone gets lost in the abundance of opportunities? God's consent.
— What would you call yourself?
Ilgar Ali: I don't think in terms of "titles". I'm not interested in what they call me, but in what I can explore that will help people.
— You have studied theology, Islamic philosophy, Western thought, and psychotherapy. What shaped you more: East or West?
Ilgar Ali: Reality shaped me. I grew up in the Soviet Union, saw its collapse, perestroika, the tragedy of January 20, 1990, and the realization that the official "truth" could be a lie.
The East has given me depth. The horizon of what can form an elevated state.
The West has given an understanding of the crisis of humanity.
Round 2. THE BIG BANG: CHESS, FAITH, SEARCH
— Is this your first strong intellectual challenge?
Ilgar Ali: Probably chess. At the age of five.
— Why chess, and not books?
Ilgar Ali: Books give you concepts at that age, chess teaches you how to think. They make thinking structured, teach you to see processes, not just facts.
— But chess is a game, not a model of life.
�� Ilgar Ali: It's a metaphor for life. You can only see a part of the board, but someone can even calculate 10 moves ahead.
— When did you first encounter a situation where it was impossible to calculate 10 moves ahead?
Ilgar Ali: Perestroika.
Breaking an old system without creating a new one. Breaking in the Soviet way: with feeling, with sense, with alignment, but without strategic targeting.
Personally, perestroika affected me in a rather strange way. The authorities understood perestroika in their own way. For example, through the school administration, they decided to find out if the children believe in God.
We conducted an open survey.
I said, "Yes, I do."
For some reason, they didn't like this frankness. After that, they promised me problems, and they kept their word. It was unpleasant, but it hardened me up.
Ilgar Ali: Probably chess. At the age of five.
— Why chess, and not books?
Ilgar Ali: Books give you concepts at that age, chess teaches you how to think. They make thinking structured, teach you to see processes, not just facts.
— But chess is a game, not a model of life.
�� Ilgar Ali: It's a metaphor for life. You can only see a part of the board, but someone can even calculate 10 moves ahead.
— When did you first encounter a situation where it was impossible to calculate 10 moves ahead?
Ilgar Ali: Perestroika.
Breaking an old system without creating a new one. Breaking in the Soviet way: with feeling, with sense, with alignment, but without strategic targeting.
Personally, perestroika affected me in a rather strange way. The authorities understood perestroika in their own way. For example, through the school administration, they decided to find out if the children believe in God.
We conducted an open survey.
I said, "Yes, I do."
For some reason, they didn't like this frankness. After that, they promised me problems, and they kept their word. It was unpleasant, but it hardened me up.
Round 3. BIG QUESTIONS: DIGNITY, FREEDOM, HUMANITY
— Which was the biggest challenge for you: chess or philosophy?
Ilgar Ali: Personal realization that the world is not black and white. The Soviet system in which we grew up said one thing, but reality showed something else.
— How did it change your path?
Ilgar Ali: I realized that a person either preserves himself or becomes part of the mechanism that uses him.
— What do you mean, "saves himself"?
Ilgar Ali: Keeps his dignity.
Ilgar Ali: Personal realization that the world is not black and white. The Soviet system in which we grew up said one thing, but reality showed something else.
— How did it change your path?
Ilgar Ali: I realized that a person either preserves himself or becomes part of the mechanism that uses him.
— What do you mean, "saves himself"?
Ilgar Ali: Keeps his dignity.
Round 4. THE CONCEPT OF "DIGNITY": PHILOSOPHY OR PRACTICE?
— Why should a person preserve dignity?
Ilgar Ali: Dignity is the semantic filter of all decisions. Through the preservation of dignity, a person can make the most correct and least harmful decisions for himself, for his nature.
- And how does this apply in real life?
Ilgar Ali: Dignity is not just an idea, it is a choice. This is not only a classifying filter, but also the semantic generator through which a person makes the right decision.
"Like what?"
Ilgar Ali: A person who has inner dignity, as a rule, will not make a decision that destroys his essence for the sake of profit. There have been, are, and will be mistakes. But they will not be of that fatal, or in other words, lethal to his nature.
— How did you come to this?
�� Ilgar Ali:
The concept of "Dignity" was inspired by the Islamic philosopher Murtadha Mutahhari.
I was inspired by his idea that without dignity, neither virtues nor true freedom are possible.
I continued my research and realized that
Dignity is the axis of a meaningful existence.
There is no moral choice without it.
Dignity is a bridge between freedom and responsibility.
Ilgar Ali: Dignity is the semantic filter of all decisions. Through the preservation of dignity, a person can make the most correct and least harmful decisions for himself, for his nature.
- And how does this apply in real life?
Ilgar Ali: Dignity is not just an idea, it is a choice. This is not only a classifying filter, but also the semantic generator through which a person makes the right decision.
"Like what?"
Ilgar Ali: A person who has inner dignity, as a rule, will not make a decision that destroys his essence for the sake of profit. There have been, are, and will be mistakes. But they will not be of that fatal, or in other words, lethal to his nature.
— How did you come to this?
�� Ilgar Ali:
The concept of "Dignity" was inspired by the Islamic philosopher Murtadha Mutahhari.
I was inspired by his idea that without dignity, neither virtues nor true freedom are possible.
I continued my research and realized that
Dignity is the axis of a meaningful existence.
There is no moral choice without it.
Dignity is a bridge between freedom and responsibility.
Round 5. CONCEPTS – THE WAY FORWARD?
- How did you put these theses into practice?
Ilgar Ali: I tried to formulate several concepts.
"Which ones exactly?"
�� Ilgar Ali:
✅ HuzurTherapy – Therapy of Presence.
✅ MHT (Master of Humanity Transformation) is a program of meaningful personal transformation.
MHA (Master of Humanity Administration) is an educational system where management is based on humanity.
— Where does it apply?
Ilgar Ali: In strategic coaching, psychotherapy, and educational systems.
Ilgar Ali: I tried to formulate several concepts.
"Which ones exactly?"
�� Ilgar Ali:
✅ HuzurTherapy – Therapy of Presence.
✅ MHT (Master of Humanity Transformation) is a program of meaningful personal transformation.
MHA (Master of Humanity Administration) is an educational system where management is based on humanity.
— Where does it apply?
Ilgar Ali: In strategic coaching, psychotherapy, and educational systems.
Round 6. FAITH AS AN AXIS
�� Ilgar Ali: This is the basis. Without realizing that one needs God, one builds a life on illusions.
— Many people believe that religion restricts freedom. Do you agree with this?
Ilgar Ali: No. True freedom begins with the realization of one's place in the system of the universe. Without it, a person is just a set of instincts and random decisions.
— Are you grateful to God?
Ilgar Ali: Yes. Gratitude is the key to a meaningful life. The realization that all we have is a gift.
— Many people believe that religion restricts freedom. Do you agree with this?
Ilgar Ali: No. True freedom begins with the realization of one's place in the system of the universe. Without it, a person is just a set of instincts and random decisions.
— Are you grateful to God?
Ilgar Ali: Yes. Gratitude is the key to a meaningful life. The realization that all we have is a gift.
Round 7. CONCLUSION
— What is the most important thing for you?
Ilgar Ali: The main thing is to be a person in the world who does everything to make you forget who you are.
— What's next?
Ilgar Ali: I would formulate the question like this: not "what's next?", but "how not to lose yourself in the process?"
— Is your main message to people?
�� Ilgar Ali:
"Dignity is not an add–on. This is the base. Without it, neither freedom, nor morality, nor meaning work. But without realizing dependence on God, a person doesn't even understand why he needs dignity."
Ilgar Ali: The main thing is to be a person in the world who does everything to make you forget who you are.
— What's next?
Ilgar Ali: I would formulate the question like this: not "what's next?", but "how not to lose yourself in the process?"
— Is your main message to people?
�� Ilgar Ali:
"Dignity is not an add–on. This is the base. Without it, neither freedom, nor morality, nor meaning work. But without realizing dependence on God, a person doesn't even understand why he needs dignity."
