[CivilSoc] Interbilim roundtable on situation in Kyrgyzstan

[Civil Society International]

From: Elena Voronina
To: Civil Society International
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2001 10:21 PM
Subject: Mutual influence of religious,social and political situation in
Kyrgyzstan
Opium for the people
In last few days, in the Interbilim �enter there was a roundtable on
"Mutual influence of religious, social and political situation in
Kyrgyzstan."  Representatives of Legislative assembly, National security
service, various NGO and other structures formed the group of the members of
the "round table."
The  discussion centered on the intensifying role of religious
organizations, especially those with radical sense, and their influence on
general situation in the republic.  Under the fire of criticism got the
adherents of Sun Myung Moon, men of the Fifties, Jehovah Witnesses,
Baptists, Vasiliy Kuzin's Church, destructive cults with oriental tendency
and charismatic flows of so-called "new wave."
Special attention was devoted to Islamic groupings, such as Hizb ut Tahrir
and Wahabbiites. It was emphasized that nowadays certain powers often use
religion as tool of geo-political and other pressure in order to dismantle
the state structure.  The only way to withstand to it is to unite the
efforts of administrative system, power structures, society and enlighten
loyalty to [ed. note: enlightened elements of?] the clergy authority.
Some of the arguments of the roundtable's members weren't undisputable.  And
for more, most of the discussed facts were found to be socially known.
However, three points are worth highlighting.
First of all, it turned out that right after the terrorism acts in U.S.A
members of  "Hizb ut Tahrir" suddenly became hidden.  They probably were
afraid of abrupt intensification of the repressions from the executive
system, mass arrests, and regular destruction of the pyramidal structure of
their party.  Later when the tensions reduced, clerics started to raise
their heads again.  There even were the rumors about them getting an
instruction how to organize mass meetings and in the future-mass
disturbances.
Second, activists of  "Hizb ut Tahrir", trying to enlarge their zone of
influence, turned their eyes on the numerous Kyrgyz diasporas in Sverdlov
oblast and other parts of Russia. By some judgments, there are almost
400,000  Kyrgyz (based originally on a small population of  tradesmen)
living in Siberia!  Emissaries of underground movement have already started
ideological agitation.
Finally, it is turned out that mufti of Kyrgyzstan, Kimsanbai-aji, went to
the south of the country, where he gave instructions to the local Muslim
confessors to emphasize the counterpropaganda in order to stop the spreading
of extremist ideas among believers.  Mufti called for reinforcement of the
pillars of the traditional Islam to counter the radicals, who urge for
destabilization
NGO for Central Asia development
International Centre InterBilim (CIB)
16/2 Razzakova St. tel.: 996-312-660425
Bishkek fax.: 996-312-664434,e-mail: ccpub@infotel.kg
Kyrgyz Republic
720040 CIS