Subject: Re: Political Islam in Ferghana
From: Padideh@aol.com (by way of Ferghana-Valley List Manager (fvdp@elcat.osh.su)
Date: Mon May 31 1999 - 04:52:54 EDT
Greetings to all:
I am yet unconvinced as to the role of Islam in the Tashkent bombings. Since
Muslims are an easy scapegoat in general, Uzbekistan's accusations are, to
me, predictable. This is a global phenomena, not unique to Central Asia-
the blaming of Muslims (these days synonymous with terrorism) for every
"radical" action. The Oklahoma City bombings in the United States are a
perfect example of this- the media immediately started making statements
about dark skinned men with beards being seen near the building that later
came crumbling down. Some citizens began to attack local mosques for
revenge. As it turned out the perpetrators of the bombings were white,
American males.
The danger of this mode of thought that has grasped the Ferghana, and the
world in general, is not the merely the persecution of potentially innocent
people who happen to be of one religion, ( I use the word "potentially"
because there are defiant acts committed in the name of Islam as in the name
of many other agendas, religious or political), it is the closure of
credible investigation by researchers and scholars on the topic itself.
Many works and reports available are simple introductory pieces that begin
with the question "What is Islam?" More advanced works try to make political
linkages and define "Islamic behavior". These works may be worthy endeavors,
but they often rest upon unproven assumptions and individual suppositions
presented as facts.
The reason for this is a lack of basic data. The history of the Wahbbites and
political oppression of religion are examples of this lack. We know these are
important pieces of data, but there has been no deep information presented
beyond that. We cannot simply say "people were religiously oppressed,
therefore they are now underground radicals venting 70 years of frustration."
Variations of such conclusions are rampant in the literature. I would like
to see these questioned answered:
1. How does each sect of Islam in the Ferghana or Central Asia understand its
past under the Soviets?
2. How does each sect plan on progressing from this point? Are they angry,
frustrated or hopeful?
3. What thoughts do each sect have, if any, reconciling the inherent tie of
religion and government in Islam with the secularism that comes from their
Soviet history?
4. How do they view each other and their relation to Muslims across the globe?
I realize obtaining of such information is difficult considering the fear
associated with this topic and the general state of doing research in the
region. Also, many Muslims feel they are being pushed underground because
they feel persecuted. This creates two realities. One is us, separated here
on the outside (even if we live in the Ferghana or other relevant regions),
making formulaic assumptions without deep knowledge, backed by arbitrary
evidence from history and piecemeal data. The other reality is the intent of
the various Islamic sects, their members, their beliefs, etc. So we are
playing a guessing game as to what they are thinking and we guess the worst.
We are concerned about Muslims with political objectives because we ASSUME
this means terrorism or at least fundamentalism has arrived at our back
doors. It could mean Muslims simply want to find a voice in their respective
governments. It could mean some other motive we cannot yet imagine; or it
could mean terrorism has arrived.
I think we have to take a step back and admit we do not have clear
information on what is happening with Islam in the Ferghana and surrounding
regions. This should not be seen as a threat to our character as intelligent
individuals. It simply means our efforts should be first directed in how
best to bridge the two realities. Only then can we embark upon an informed
discussion.
Padideh
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