Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Usen Suleimenov spoke about the erroneous approach of the West to the fight against Islamic extremism in Central Asia, reports Zakon.kz .
Afghanistan has been nicknamed the "graveyards of empires" due to the historical difficulties and losses faced by foreign powers making military attempts in the region. This problem persisted from the British Empire to the Soviet Union and, more recently, the United States.
The prolonged and decentralized nature of the tribal uprisings in Afghanistan makes achieving final victory a difficult task. In addition, the commitment of certain groups sheltered by the former leadership of the Taliban movement to extremist religious ideologies such as Al-Qaeda has led to global terrorism, as exemplified by the September 11 attacks in the United States and other violent actions around the world.
Despite significant U.S. efforts to modernize Afghanistan, establishing democracy and Western values has proven to be an insurmountable challenge, even with more than $100 billion. foreign aid. Amid escalating tensions between the Islamic and Western populations, exacerbated by events such as the deadly Hamas attack on Israel in October, there is concern that terrorists in Afghanistan may redirect their efforts to the West.
The threat posed by Salafist terrorists and radical groups to the developing democratic countries of Central Asia is often overlooked. These secular Muslim-majority republics are seen as fertile ground for the spread of undemocratic and potentially violent influences. In order to strengthen democracy in Central Asia, the West must refrain from supporting illiberal religious movements, which threatens the secular identity of the region and the security of its inhabitants.
Central Asia in the eyes of the West
Some Western politicians, hiding behind the fact that their countries are able to resist Islamic extremist movements within the country, misunderstand the delicate balance between protecting personal freedoms and combating religious extremism. Thus, they unwittingly provide assistance to these extremist groups. Despite the absence of an immediate threat of the complete overthrow of Western democratic institutions by terrorists or the creation of a pan-Islamic state on the territory of Western countries, the situation in Central Asia remains unstable.
Extremist Islamic ideologies continue to challenge the coexistence of democracy in the secular republics of the region. Unlike most Western countries, the Central Asian states are facing a direct invasion by militants from Afghanistan seeking to spread jihad and establish an Islamic caliphate in territories from Egypt to China.
The desire of Salafi terrorists and other groups to spread their illiberal and violent agenda to Central Asia, often penetrating from neighboring Afghanistan, is manifested in their growing presence in educational institutions and public life. This infiltration promotes the enslavement of women and intolerance of other sects and religions. In response, some Central Asian States are taking a tough stance against religious proselytism and the spread of radical propaganda.
The insistence of Western countries to support religious movements once considered dangerous, such as Tablighi Jamaat, looks disingenuous. It also looks hypocritical to advocate practices that differ from those used domestically, for example, the lifting of restrictions on the wearing of oriental headdresses in Central Asian countries, while in some American states it is still prohibited for teachers to wear religious clothing.
Central Asia's position on religious freedoms is similar to that of France and, until recently, Turkey.
State secularism in Central Asia and terrorist threats
State secularism in Central Asia differs significantly from the approach typical of most Western countries, including the United States. While Western states adhere to a neutral position towards religion, focusing on preventing incitement to violence rather than ideology, the Central Asian states, like France or Turkey before the change of power, prioritize preventing the influence of any one religion on political institutions and society. This does not mean the suppression of religious expression, but, on the contrary, ensures the legitimate role of various religions, controlled and protected by the state in post-Soviet societies.
The long-standing threat of terrorism in Central Asia has been exacerbated by the recent return of the Taliban to Afghanistan. This resurgence further fuels extremist ideologies, influencing Central Asian countries that supported U.S. efforts to fight the Taliban. Like Western countries such as the United Kingdom and Belgium, the Central Asian states face the problem of returning citizens who participated in global radical movements that can form "sleeper cells" in their homeland.
During the period of post-Soviet independence of the Central Asian states, there was discontent on the part of religious radicals. Thus, in the 1990s, several terrorist attacks attributed to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) occurred in Uzbekistan, including bombings in the country's capital and an attempt on the life of the president in 1999. In addition, during the same period, extremist elements were involved in a fierce civil war in Tajikistan.
In the early 2000s, the Islamic Jihad group (IDG), an offshoot of the IMU, recognized by the UN Security Council as a foreign terrorist organization, became active in Kazakhstan. After the terrorist attack carried out by an IDG suicide bomber in 2011, many terrorist plots were uncovered in Kazakhstan, which led to the adoption of stricter laws regulating the activities of religious groups.
A practical example
Kazakhstan's approach to Islam in Kazakhstan society is an example of how the West sometimes misunderstands this problem. As a secular State granting equal rights to all religious associations in accordance with its Constitution, Kazakhstan does not discriminate against religious minorities, but prohibits political parties associated with religion. As in most Central Asian countries, religious clothing is prohibited in government and educational institutions.
There is no State religion in the country, but moderate Hanafi Islam is widely spread as a traditional religion. Numerous religious associations exist peacefully in Kazakhstan, including small groups such as Mormons and Hare Krishnas.
Opposition to political Islam occupies a central place in Kazakh society. A Gallup study showed that in 2013, Kazakhstan demonstrated one of the lowest levels of support for Sharia law among Muslim countries – only 10%, second only to Azerbaijan with 8%.
In private life, Kazakh Muslims tend to interpret religious teachings more liberally. Criticism of religious activity on the Internet in Kazakhstan, as outlined in a recent report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), often seems unfair, given the context. For example, references to the Tablighi Jamaat, which aims to create a caliphate and overthrow the constitutional order of the country, have faced legal consequences in Kazakhstan.
The West itself is well acquainted with this group. Tablighi Jamaat adheres to the Deobandi trend of Sunni Islam. For example, several of the fourteen suspects in the preparation of the terrorist attack in Barcelona, arrested in Spain in January 2008, had links with Tablighi Jamaat.
In 2008, the article "Tablighi Jamaat: An Indirect Line to Terrorism" was published in Stratfor. It says that this group "has repeatedly surfaced in connection with terrorist plots, including in 2006 to blow up an airliner heading from London to the United States."
In the same year, the American non-governmental organization Peace Foundation stated: "Although Tablighi Jamaat itself does not openly advocate violence and is not recognized as a terrorist group by any Western government, it is considered a fundamentalist movement that emerged from the same religious school that later gave rise to the Kashmir-based terrorist organization Harakat ul-Mujahideen.
The document also says that "this is a secret Islamic fundamentalist movement, represented in more than 100 countries and with about 70 million followers," which "attracted the attention of counterterrorism officers around the world."
Terrorist organizations seek to exploit weaknesses in the legal, social, institutional and security spheres, and it is the duty of the State to close all potential opportunities for such exploitation. Groups such as the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda use legitimate and latent religious networks to carry out some of their operations. These supposedly "civil" movements are often protected by the very state laws they seek to undermine.
A secular approach to religious tolerance and a peacefully coexisting multinational and multi-confessional social structure have been the defining pillars of the Central Asian population since independence and remain key to the further democratic development of the region. The rise of Salafi radicalism and other forms of religious extremism threatens this very foundation.
Link to the source Zakon.kz
Afghanistan has been nicknamed the "graveyards of empires" due to the historical difficulties and losses faced by foreign powers making military attempts in the region. This problem persisted from the British Empire to the Soviet Union and, more recently, the United States.
The prolonged and decentralized nature of the tribal uprisings in Afghanistan makes achieving final victory a difficult task. In addition, the commitment of certain groups sheltered by the former leadership of the Taliban movement to extremist religious ideologies such as Al-Qaeda has led to global terrorism, as exemplified by the September 11 attacks in the United States and other violent actions around the world.
Despite significant U.S. efforts to modernize Afghanistan, establishing democracy and Western values has proven to be an insurmountable challenge, even with more than $100 billion. foreign aid. Amid escalating tensions between the Islamic and Western populations, exacerbated by events such as the deadly Hamas attack on Israel in October, there is concern that terrorists in Afghanistan may redirect their efforts to the West.
The threat posed by Salafist terrorists and radical groups to the developing democratic countries of Central Asia is often overlooked. These secular Muslim-majority republics are seen as fertile ground for the spread of undemocratic and potentially violent influences. In order to strengthen democracy in Central Asia, the West must refrain from supporting illiberal religious movements, which threatens the secular identity of the region and the security of its inhabitants.
Central Asia in the eyes of the West
Some Western politicians, hiding behind the fact that their countries are able to resist Islamic extremist movements within the country, misunderstand the delicate balance between protecting personal freedoms and combating religious extremism. Thus, they unwittingly provide assistance to these extremist groups. Despite the absence of an immediate threat of the complete overthrow of Western democratic institutions by terrorists or the creation of a pan-Islamic state on the territory of Western countries, the situation in Central Asia remains unstable.
Extremist Islamic ideologies continue to challenge the coexistence of democracy in the secular republics of the region. Unlike most Western countries, the Central Asian states are facing a direct invasion by militants from Afghanistan seeking to spread jihad and establish an Islamic caliphate in territories from Egypt to China.
The desire of Salafi terrorists and other groups to spread their illiberal and violent agenda to Central Asia, often penetrating from neighboring Afghanistan, is manifested in their growing presence in educational institutions and public life. This infiltration promotes the enslavement of women and intolerance of other sects and religions. In response, some Central Asian States are taking a tough stance against religious proselytism and the spread of radical propaganda.
The insistence of Western countries to support religious movements once considered dangerous, such as Tablighi Jamaat, looks disingenuous. It also looks hypocritical to advocate practices that differ from those used domestically, for example, the lifting of restrictions on the wearing of oriental headdresses in Central Asian countries, while in some American states it is still prohibited for teachers to wear religious clothing.
Central Asia's position on religious freedoms is similar to that of France and, until recently, Turkey.
State secularism in Central Asia and terrorist threats
State secularism in Central Asia differs significantly from the approach typical of most Western countries, including the United States. While Western states adhere to a neutral position towards religion, focusing on preventing incitement to violence rather than ideology, the Central Asian states, like France or Turkey before the change of power, prioritize preventing the influence of any one religion on political institutions and society. This does not mean the suppression of religious expression, but, on the contrary, ensures the legitimate role of various religions, controlled and protected by the state in post-Soviet societies.
The long-standing threat of terrorism in Central Asia has been exacerbated by the recent return of the Taliban to Afghanistan. This resurgence further fuels extremist ideologies, influencing Central Asian countries that supported U.S. efforts to fight the Taliban. Like Western countries such as the United Kingdom and Belgium, the Central Asian states face the problem of returning citizens who participated in global radical movements that can form "sleeper cells" in their homeland.
During the period of post-Soviet independence of the Central Asian states, there was discontent on the part of religious radicals. Thus, in the 1990s, several terrorist attacks attributed to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) occurred in Uzbekistan, including bombings in the country's capital and an attempt on the life of the president in 1999. In addition, during the same period, extremist elements were involved in a fierce civil war in Tajikistan.
In the early 2000s, the Islamic Jihad group (IDG), an offshoot of the IMU, recognized by the UN Security Council as a foreign terrorist organization, became active in Kazakhstan. After the terrorist attack carried out by an IDG suicide bomber in 2011, many terrorist plots were uncovered in Kazakhstan, which led to the adoption of stricter laws regulating the activities of religious groups.
A practical example
Kazakhstan's approach to Islam in Kazakhstan society is an example of how the West sometimes misunderstands this problem. As a secular State granting equal rights to all religious associations in accordance with its Constitution, Kazakhstan does not discriminate against religious minorities, but prohibits political parties associated with religion. As in most Central Asian countries, religious clothing is prohibited in government and educational institutions.
There is no State religion in the country, but moderate Hanafi Islam is widely spread as a traditional religion. Numerous religious associations exist peacefully in Kazakhstan, including small groups such as Mormons and Hare Krishnas.
Opposition to political Islam occupies a central place in Kazakh society. A Gallup study showed that in 2013, Kazakhstan demonstrated one of the lowest levels of support for Sharia law among Muslim countries – only 10%, second only to Azerbaijan with 8%.
In private life, Kazakh Muslims tend to interpret religious teachings more liberally. Criticism of religious activity on the Internet in Kazakhstan, as outlined in a recent report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), often seems unfair, given the context. For example, references to the Tablighi Jamaat, which aims to create a caliphate and overthrow the constitutional order of the country, have faced legal consequences in Kazakhstan.
The West itself is well acquainted with this group. Tablighi Jamaat adheres to the Deobandi trend of Sunni Islam. For example, several of the fourteen suspects in the preparation of the terrorist attack in Barcelona, arrested in Spain in January 2008, had links with Tablighi Jamaat.
In 2008, the article "Tablighi Jamaat: An Indirect Line to Terrorism" was published in Stratfor. It says that this group "has repeatedly surfaced in connection with terrorist plots, including in 2006 to blow up an airliner heading from London to the United States."
In the same year, the American non-governmental organization Peace Foundation stated: "Although Tablighi Jamaat itself does not openly advocate violence and is not recognized as a terrorist group by any Western government, it is considered a fundamentalist movement that emerged from the same religious school that later gave rise to the Kashmir-based terrorist organization Harakat ul-Mujahideen.
The document also says that "this is a secret Islamic fundamentalist movement, represented in more than 100 countries and with about 70 million followers," which "attracted the attention of counterterrorism officers around the world."
Terrorist organizations seek to exploit weaknesses in the legal, social, institutional and security spheres, and it is the duty of the State to close all potential opportunities for such exploitation. Groups such as the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda use legitimate and latent religious networks to carry out some of their operations. These supposedly "civil" movements are often protected by the very state laws they seek to undermine.
A secular approach to religious tolerance and a peacefully coexisting multinational and multi-confessional social structure have been the defining pillars of the Central Asian population since independence and remain key to the further democratic development of the region. The rise of Salafi radicalism and other forms of religious extremism threatens this very foundation.
Link to the source Zakon.kz