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at any rate he will not be able to solve all problems in the North Caucasus, the more so, as the process of governing of Russia as a whole for the next president will be connected with many political and other difficulties. The resolute steps should be taken for improvement of the situation in the region, since otherwise the region will for ever remain the most vulnerable place of the Russian state.
"Povestka dnya novogo presidenta ", Moscow, 2012, pp. 53-59.
Adash Toktosunova, Political analyst (Kyrgyzstan) PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES OF INTERFAITH AND ETHNICAL DIALOGUE IN KYRGYZSTAN
1. Kyrgyzstan on the Great Silk Road
Since the times of the Great Silk Road, multi-cultural and multiethnic Kyrgyzstan has been one of the most ancient sources of the Eurasian and Central Asian culture and a bridge between religions, cultures and civilizations. The geographical position of Kyrgyzstan has preconditioned convergence and inter-penetration of cultures, traditions and customs of many nations and religions. Today, this region is a unique model of intercultural, interethnic and inter-faith mutual understanding and interaction in the history of the world civilization.
The international trade route passed through the land of Kyrgyzstan, and people exchanged not only goods, but also ideas and views - in ancient times, the early Middle Ages, and Middle Ages. Merchants and warriors ewer often accompanied by a monk or a dervish - Buddhist, Christian, Zoroastrian or Muslim. That is why the peoples living on the route of the Great Silk Road surpassed others in
their cultural development. Nevertheless, when we say that the Great Silk Road was the road of dialogues between peoples, we should not forget that dialogues were waged not only by means of trade transactions and heartfelt talks in caravans, but also by means of swards and battlefields. It was not an idyll; it was a rigorous and sometimes bloody policy, regulated by economic interests.
The majority of countries in the modern world are multiethnic and multi-confessional. As the world experience shows, diversity, including confessional diversity, is an essential condition for the survival and development of societies. As was noted by the Head of the OSCE Office in Bishkek, A. Idil, closed mono-cultural and mono-religious societies are ultimately doomed to stagnation and entropy; the world community realizes the necessity of multi-polarity and multiculturalism.
2. Ethnic and confessional composition
of the population in Kyrgyzstan
The ethnic and confessional composition of the population of Kyrgyzstan is very diverse. According to the National census of the Kyrgyz republic in 2009, the population of Kyrgyzstan is 5 million people, represented by more than 90 ethnic groups, 12 of which cover more than 20 thousand people representing different confessions. They are: Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Russians, Dungans, Uigurs, Tajiks, Koreans, Ukrainians, Germans, Tatars, Kazakhs, Turks, Kurds, Greeks, Azerbaijanis, Belarusians and Poles etc. The biggest ethnic groups according to the 2009 census are: Kyrgyz (71%), Uzbeks (14.3%) living in the south of Kyrgyzstan, Russians (7.8%) living in the north of the country and the others (6.9%).
According to statistic data collected by the State Commission for Religion, 80% of the population of independent Kyrgyzstan is Muslim.
The Islamic community is represented by 20 ethnic groups, where: Kyrgyz are 60%; Uzbek 15%; Kazakh, Tatar, Tajik, Dungan, Uigur, Turk, Bashkir, Chechen, Dargin and others are more than 5%. All citizens belonging to "Muslim" nationalities are automatically identified by statistics as Muslims, but among local Muslims one can also meet Russians, Gypsies and Germans.
Orthodox Christians comprise 16%. The Orthodox community includes all Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, and representatives of other "Orthodox" nationalities. Orthodox priests in different years have been not only Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, but also German, Chinese, Poles and Moldavians. Other confessions constitute 3%. In Kyrgyzstan, as well as in other countries of Central Asia, ethnic self-consciousness is often identified with confessional consciousness.
During the years of its independence, Kyrgyzstan has implemented certain work on the development of state policies in the field of inter-ethnic relations, including the policy "Kyrgyzstan is Our Common Home", which is a creation of the Assembly of Peoples of Kyrgyzstan based on the national cultural centers of ethnic minorities living in the Kyrgyz republic. The Assembly has certainly played a positive role in the formation of harmonious relations between ethic groups in Kyrgyzstan, but it has not worked purposefully for the formation of tolerance and the development of inter-ethnic, intercultural and inter-faith dialogues. Rather the Assembly had a decorative ostensible character and did not have any concrete mechanisms and institutes for implementation. State policy in the field of inter-ethnic relations has not been well-thought-out and systemic, though it should be noted that all ethnic groups have had equal rights in all spheres of social life and there have been no apparent inter-ethnic and inter-faith conflicts.
3. Increased influence of non-traditional religious trends and radical Islam in Kyrgyzstan
Since Stalin's times, Kyrgyzstan has been the place where the central Soviet authorities exiled ethnic groups, members of different sects and religious trends who were out of their favor; which made the country tolerant towards different faiths. After gaining independence, Kyrgyzstan adopted the Law on Religious Freedom and Religious Organizations (December 1991). The Law proclaimed freedom of religious beliefs, simplified the procedure for establishing religious associations, and extended the labor legislative norms and property rights to religious cult attendants.
This liberal legislation, on one hand, enhanced religious freedom, mutual understanding and mutual respect. On the other hand, it made Kyrgyzstan one of the most favorable countries for the activities of different religious organizations, including questionable ones, and has attracted all kinds of missionaries from around the world. Along with the existing organizations, many new previously unknown religious organizations started to work actively in the country. In the mid-1990s, there were nine hundred officially registered foreign missionaries; though some religious associations were registered as secular organizations (Moon Church, Center of Dianetics, and others). Today, in Kyrgyzstan there are official education centers of different Christian confessions: The Bible College, Presbyterian education center, etc.
During the first years of independence, the traditional Islam and Orthodoxy found themselves for the rigorous competition on the part of Islamic radicals and numerous sects. Under the condition of the atheistic state, which continued for many years, they lost their experience and skills of missionary activities among different social strata and groups of population. On the contrary, Islamic radicals and different sects and religious associations opposing the existing power
and often using underground methods have prepared their followers, who have rich experience conducting missionary activities.
Traditional Islam can undoubtedly be considered an integrating and uniting factor; though it has intra-confessional diversity, there are no vividly expressed contradictions between its different trends. It should be noted that historical and difficult controversies still exist between Sunni and Shiah, but the conflict is characteristic of other Muslim countries, not Kyrgyzstan. Studies of intra-confessional diversity are of topical importance, especially taking into consideration the fact that it is often the source of conflicts and extremism.
Unlike the moderate Islam in the North of Kyrgyzstan, there is a quite radical Islam in the south of the country. Islamic radicals focus on the propaganda of canonic Islam, thinking that indigenous nations, Kyrgyz in particular, profess incorrect Islam. As it is noted by a leading Islam researcher of Uzbekistan, Bahtiyar Babajanov, the Islamic world is an infinite chain of intra-confessional conflicts which inevitably turn into dogmatic schisms and consequently into political confrontations. "It is natural that some theologians wish to eliminate these schisms so the Umma is not divided. But the history of any new round of "purification of Islam", its "correction", or "consolidation" has the same scenario and consequences: those who fight against mazkhabs, against Sufism and against "disintegration of Muslims" finally unite into groups, movements and parties, thus multiplying the number of such "parties" and fostering the internal schism".
In this way, theologians who allegedly fight against schisms, actually themselves stimulate schisms. Parties and movements created by them also facilitate splits, what inevitably leads to political and social conflicts. Thus, for example, the Islamized and nationalistic part of Fergana Valley, the ideas of which are promoted by the Islamic movement of Turkestan (IMT), strives for the unification of Fergana
and the creation of a united Islamic state - Caliphate. The same purpose is pursued by the religious party "Hizb ut-Tahrir", which uses more sophisticated (peaceful in their opinion) methods. Battles in 1999-2000 in the Batken area of Kyrgyzstan, which killed Kyrgyz military servicemen, followed by the intrusions and terrorist acts of Islamic gunmen in the Kyrgyz cities of Kadamdjay, Jalal-Abad and Uzghen, and the series of terrorist acts in Osh and Bishkek in 2010 certify to the fact that all these movements for the consolidation of Islam and creation of Caliphate lead as a matter of fact to the political and intra-confessional split of the country.
The success of Islamic extremists is fostered by the weakly educated local clergy most of whom are semi-literate self-taught men who cannot effectively oppose professionally prepared radical Islamists from outside the region. In opposing the government, the Islamic opposition dominating in the south of the country seeks to use the factor of regionalism and existing south-north differences. The positions of secular political parties are quite weak in the retarded and more Islamized south of the country. Today, most of the influential religious oppositionists in Kyrgyzstan come from the south of the country.
The danger of Islamic radicalism lies in the fact that unlike other confessions it uses religion first of all as a political ideology and seeks to oust secular governments in Kyrgyzstan and other states of Central Asia and to build here its own Islamic state. Therefore, the religious situation in the south of Kyrgyzstan is currently considered a real danger to successful development, state security, and independence, not only for the country, but also for the whole Central Asian region.
Today, it is difficult to counteract extremists because of the lack of well-prepared professional Muslim spiritual preachers in the south of Kyrgyzstan. Local imams are not competent in Islamic tolerance and
cannot uphold their positions in dialogues with representatives of such extremist radical parties and movements as "Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami" (Islam Freedom Party), Wahhabite, and Al Qaida, who openly propagate extremism in the south and have already penetrated into the north of Kyrgyzstan. Imams in mosques support the spread of radical Islam ideas; for example, in June 2010 some mosques were used as storehouses of guns, and imams of mosques provoked Uzbek youth to inter-ethnic conflicts which almost became a fratricidal war.
Under such conditions it is of vital importance to keep inter-confessional and intra-confessional stability in the country. It is of topical importance today to work out peaceful and tolerant Islamic alternatives to radical Muslim fundamentalists. It is necessary to show to Muslims that it is inadmissible and sinful to use Islam for political aims in multi-ethnic and multi-confessional societies. Unlike Islamists, Christian organizations and groups do not divide their potential church members according to their ethnic features.
The "sudden" independence and sovereignty caused aggravation of social-economic situation and mass poverty of the local population of Kyrgyzstan. All this enhanced the efficiency of new religious teachings in sermons; the country has actually turned into an arena for activities of all kinds of foreign missionaries. They provide material support and carry out active spiritual work among all the population groups, focusing on the title nationality. As a result of such work, during recent years, a great number of Kyrgyz people (not only poor ones) have passed to Protestant churches. Today, the number of Kyrgyz who have adopted Christianity reaches from 15 thousand to 40 thousand people, according to different data. This expansion is a result of good "management" implemented by Protestant organizations among the Kyrgyz population; they organize mass publication and
distribution of Protestant religious literature in Kyrgyz language and preached sermons also in Kyrgyz language.
Under the conditions of loyal legislation in the field of religion, there are tens of different confessional communities in the country. There are many cases among Kyrgyz families where members of the same family profess different religions: Islam, Baha'i, Protestantism, and Buddhism. In the south of the country there is a visible trend towards "Christianization" and "apostasy" in the Kyrgyz, but in the south Muslim fundamentalism and Wahhabism are gaining strength, which obviously highlights differences between the north and south of Kyrgyzstan and aggravates inter-confessional relations. Thus, for example in rural areas people who have adopted another religion are considered apostates. They are excluded from "intimaks"(traditional system of mutual assistance) and are subject to public accusations, even beatings and assassinations. The deceased are not allowed to be buried near the graves of ancestors.
The further development of the religious situation in Kyrgyzstan depends on how the official Islam and Orthodoxy can adapt to the new conditions, restore their influence among the local population, and, with the government, jointly oppose the Islamic radicals and totalitarian sects.
In the context of the increased confessional mosaics, which is characteristic of the whole world, it is unrealistic to count on full restoration of former dominating position of the official Islam and Orthodoxy in Kyrgyzstan.
4. Political and religious situation in Kyrgyzstan before and after the April-2010 revolution and the tragic events In the south of the country in June 2010
In the 18th-19th centuries the Fergana Valley was the center of the Kokand Khanate, which basically consisted of more than ten Turkic
and Iranian-speaking ethnic groups close to each other in language, religion and culture. In the beginning of the 20th century the division of the region by nationalities was imposed, which caused destruction of the old habitual types of self-consciousness. It radically changed the ethnographic map of the Fergana Valley and caused, on one hand, mass assimilation and homogenization, and on the other, the formation of rigorous cultural borders between the officially recognized "title" nationalities. The Fergana Valley was divided between Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In each country the mixed population of different ethnic groups continued to live. For example, two Uzbek enclaves - Soh and Shahimardan, and two Tajik enclaves Chorku and Voruh remained in the territory of Kyrgyzstan. The Kyrgyz enclave Barak village remained in Uzbekistan. In the epoch of socialism, with its ideology of a "new historical community of Soviet people" and "friendship of peoples", this division of the Valley did not present a real danger. But the collapse of the Soviet system has caused not only an ideological vacuum, but also aggravated interethnic and inter-confessional relations. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the border between these three states still remains unclear and undefined. Around the perimeter there remain a number of questionable lands which have become a reason for inter-ethnic conflicts.
Another source of conflicts is the "demographic outburst" -increased over-population in this agrarian region. (The population density in the Fergana Valley has reached 300 persons/square km on the territory of Kyrgyzstan and 425 persons/square km on the Uzbek part). Historically, the northern region of Kyrgyzstan had more intensive socio-economic and cultural development; while the southern region has lagged behind considerably because of the limited land and water resources, underdeveloped economic infrastructure, hard economic and social problems, social injustice, mass unemployment,
and poverty of the population. The northern location of the capital of the country has also enhanced the advanced development of the north compared to the southern regions. Together with the increased religious extremism in the south, the region has become a real "gunpowder-barrel" ready to explode at any moment.
The revolutionary events of 7 April 2010 in Kyrgyzstan were caused by a mass social and political outburst, which probably provoked similar outbursts of indignation in the countries of Arab world in 2011. Kyrgyzstan is the first country in which the unworthy president has been forced to appear before the people or leave the country shamefully. The short period of Bakiyev's presidency was characterized by the unbridled and impetuous privatization of the state properties, the dirt cheap sale of national wealth of a strategic nature, the unjustified increase in prices and tariffs for electric power and household utility expenditures, the creation of unconstitutional state unites for the President's son to laundry his money, and the criminalization of the whole structure of power, etc. To promote this plundering the country by state national security bodies and executive officers, criminals, and Islamic and terrorist organizations, the authorities, persecuted, harassed and intimidated disliked politicians, and closed oppositional mass media. As a result, the situation in Kyrgyzstan, particularly in the south, was characterized by absence of firm and consolidated vertical power, the demoralization of legal bodies, and active organized criminal groups, extremists, nationalistic and separatist forces, and persons seeking political leadership.
According to information from the National Commission investigating the tragic events in the south of Kyrgyzstan in June 2010, in order to achieve these goals, immediately after the April 2010 events, the President's son Maxim Bakiyev initiated a meeting in Dubai
(United Arab Emirates) with emissaries of the extremist Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). In early May 2010, emissaries and regional commanders of the "Taliban" movement, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and the Tajik United Opposition, including the personal participation of Mullo Abdullo, and two representatives of the Bakiyev family, met in Bakhorak city, Afghanistan, where they reached an agreement for providing assistance in destabilizing the situation in Kyrgyzstan. These destructive forces had the following objectives: 1) to undermine the political, economic and social foundations of the State; 2) to ignite inter-ethnic, inter-confessional and intra-confessional conflicts; 3) to frighten the public.
They failed to ignite conflict in the north, but the south suited them very well. Firstly, the south of Kyrgyzstan has always been a potential source of conflicts; second, it is overpopulated under the conditions of limited land and water resources; third, it has an underdeveloped economic infrastructure; fourth, it has mass unemployment and poverty; fifth, it has increased religious extremism. These problems have always been a potential source of conflicts, a "gunpowder barrel" ready to explode at any time.
The South of Kyrgyzstan has specific features pre-conditioned by the historical development. Previously it was a part of the Kokand Khanate like the whole of Kyrgyzstan. The demographic "outburst" of over-population has been a permanent factor of inter-ethnic conflicts in everyday life, but in summer 2010 these conflicts resulted in tragic events in the south of Kyrgyzstan. The inter-ethnic conflicts in 2010 were provoked by mosque imams and Hizb ut-Tahrir leaders, who called for the abolishment of people who are not devoted to Islam and traditional Muslim rites.
The tragic conflict was made possible by the absence of strong powering the country, the absence of uniting supra-national idea
(system of values), and the low level of inter-ethnic cultural communication and inability or unwillingness to develop dialogue. These factors:
Led to increased trends of discussing inter-ethnic relations (Uzbek-Kyrgyz) in a negative light, increased the potential aggression in society, and passed the negative attitude from the level of everyday consciousness to the political level;
Destroyed the educational system for teaching the culture of inter-ethnic communication and tolerance, due to the absence of relevant ideas and program objectives. (Before the disintegration of the Soviet Union there was a system of international and patriotic education);
Strengthened economic, social, cultural, ethnic and language barriers, due to the isolation of the population living compactly in mono-ethnic regions of the southern capital of Kyrgyzstan. For example, when attending sport clubs youths are divided into sections (Kyrgyz go to one spot hall, Uzbeks go to another hall) and schools and mosques are isolated according to ethnicity; all of which has a negative influence on mutual understanding, dialogue, and integration, and causes the instability to adapt in multi-ethnic communities;
When a state does not develop systematic, well-planned and balanced policies in the fields of culture, religion, education, and inter-ethnic, inter-confessional, intra-confessional and intercultural dialogue, the region becomes a place where the seeds of intolerance, misunderstanding and hatred obviously grow. What is the most terrible -the integrity of the state is threatened not from outside but from inside. Today, the most important task for the Kyrgyzstan people is to overcome the consequences of the inter-ethnic conflict in Osh, which was a great shock for the whole country and for the region. The
polarization of society must be remembered for a long time. The reconsolidation and dialogue of two ethnic groups is not a simple task; it will take many years to heal the wounds.
In order to develop constructive dialogue it is necessary: 1) to analyze carefully the reasons and prerequisites for the conflicts; 2) to develop preventive policies and implement regular and systematic explanatory and educating activities; 3) to resolve continuously problems that increase the potential for conflict; 4) to explain continuously the inadmissibility of any disintegrative steps; 5) to promote and facilitate dialogue regarding "national values and the world experience" that can enhance our multi-ethnicity and multi-confessionalism and which are key factors for ensuring the civilized future of Kyrgyzstan.
The concept of "National idea", which is understood by Kyrgyz nationalists in its narrow sense, leads to the disintegration of society. The ideology of nationalism leads to fascism. Fascism did not die with the fall of the Third Reich; it has just transformed and continues to exist in spite of the totally false understanding of superiority of one ethnos over another ethnos or Aryan race over other races.
Ishenbay Abdurazakov, a prominent public figure in Kyrgyzstan in noted in one of his interviews: "We must build national policies taking into consideration the multi-ethnic and multi-confessional character of our society. Will we be able to ensure that all citizens, irrespective of their ethnic and religious belonging, consider themselves people of Kyrgyzstan, i.e. a nation in the Western understanding?" The future of Kyrgyzstan is in indivisibility of the destiny of all ethnicities and representatives of all confessions living in the country. Today as never before, the development of harmonious relations between the different ethnicities and confessions is vitally important for
sustainable development and security of the country and the formation of a political nation.
"World Religions in the Context of the Contemporary Culture: New Perspectives of Dialogue and Mutual Understanding",
St. Petersburg, 2011, pp. 130-137.
Alexandr Shustov,
Political analyst
WILL THE U.S.A. GET A MILITARY BASE IN UZBEKISTAN?
The geopolitical re-configuration in Central Asia following "the Arabic spring" gradually acquires more distinct contours. One of its results may become the transition of Uzbekistan, which recently declared the suspension of its membership in ODKB, to the camp of military-political allies of the U.S.A. And it was made against the background of the continued attempts of Washington to bring to naught the influence of Moscow in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, where Russian military bases are located.
For the period from 15 to 17 of August Robert Blake, the Assistant to the State Secretary for Central Asian countries, went on his three days tour. Initially, he planned to visit Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. He supposed to arrange in Astana the presentation of "New Silk Road", within the framework of the regional integration project, which is being actively promoted by the U.S.A. and aimed at isolation of Russia from the most significant trans-continental communications in Eurasia. However, at the last moment Robert Blake suddenly changed the itinerary of the visit for the benefit of Tashkent. On 15 of August the Assistant to the State Secretary was received by the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov. On 16 of August the third round of Uzbek-American political consultations and the Uzbek-
