Uzbekistan, Uzbeks and Terror: Complex Realities

"Uzbekistan has experienced religious revival since independence. Many of the Mosques and Madrassas that were closed down during the Soviet times were reopened and Friday sermons were reinstated. Number of hajj pilgrims dramatically increased in initial years of independence. There is a thin line between religiosity and radicalization which was crossed in some regions in 1990s, most prominently in the Fergana Valley.

Trans-national terrorist networks, spread of Wahhabi literature and ideas, and ongoing Civil War in Tajikistan (1992-97) provided fertile ground for spread of radicalism. The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) that was established in 1998 in the Fergana Valley, had sway over young minds through distribution of pamphlets on Jihad. They vehemently attacked Karimov government for its policies towards religion. The year 1999 witnessed chain of incidences such as Tashkent bombings, attempt at assassinating President Islam Karimov, and Islamist uprising in Namangan.

Spread of Islamist ideology in the Fergana Valley had other reasons too. Firstly, being the most densely populated region in Central Asia, dwellers of the Valley faced problems like poverty, unemployment, scarcity of resources, leading to increasing attraction of the extremist ideology. Secondly, the Valley is artificially divided in three Republics of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Ethnic entangle, with presence of all three titular nationalities on each side of the border, worsened the situation. Porous borders facilitated easy movement in other republics and also in northern regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan."