Religious figures and political scientists who are concerned about the dangers of extremism in Kyrgyzstan are urging the state as well as civil society to combine forces against the growing threat and present a united front against radicalism.
“Inadequately teaching believers about the canons of religion and paying more attention to superficial matters… distort classic Islam and allow radicals to misinterpret Islam. Believers and the general public need to be better informed about the terrorist threat that extremist movements present,” said Emil Jeenbekov, chief of the Interior Ministry’s 10th Main Administration.
He also said that members of banned movements are tricking uneducated Kyrgyz to join extremist agendas.
“Imams lacking the proper training preach in mosques… Unfortunately, many imams lack the education to provide the right answers to questions about Islam,” substantiated Dilmurod haji Orozov, head of a religious education centre and former Jalal-Abad Oblast qazi or Islamic judge.
The concerned authorities called for both close attention as well as coordinated approach in areas where there is a high potential of extremist misbehavior because the state’s official Islamic authority, represented by the Spiritual Administration for Muslims of Kyrgyzstan, is not able to monitor the large network of mosques across the land.
“The Spiritual Administration for Muslims of Kyrgyzstan concerns itself entirely with statistical research or with monitoring of [annual] preparations for the Hajj. It hasn't been given any special duties or anything systematic to do. We need to make this agency more active and to have it work more closely with religious organisations and civil society,” said Igor Shestakov, a political scientist based in Bishkek.
Kadyr Malikov, a theologian and the director of an independent think tank, urged religious universities to offer courses targeted at raising the educational level of all imams.
“Creating a neutral space for various Islamic movements and religious communities to resolve disputes is one way to reduce sectarian tension. We need to work with leaders of communities, seek unifying factors and find a balance among moderate leaders… It would take five to eight years to do such work completely,” said Malikov.
The panel of intellectuals that gathered on June 10th believed a unified approach that is proactive and not reactive in nature will play an important role in solving the problem that Kyrgyzstan is facing at the moment. The first-ever Kyrgyz conference to fight radicalism was held in Bishkek on May 14th where religious scholars and political experts discussed the problems stemming from extremism and the manifestations of those problems in Kyrgyz life.
