NAZARBAYEV’S STATEMENTS ANGER KAZAKH MUSLIMS
On his two-day working trip to the South Kazakhstan region on March 10 and 11, 2011, President Nazarbayev sparked controversy by saying that it was unacceptable for Muslim women in Kazakhstan to wear hijabs and niqabs. Nazarbayev particularly warned against the spread of such practices in public places, such as schools and universities, where younger people are especially prone, according to him, to the “imposed” kinds of religious teaching, not the ones Kazakhstan has always been faithful to. Earlier on that day, Kazakhstan’s President visited Turkestan, a city famous for its holy places that are regarded local cultural treasures by Central Asian followers of Islam.
Two dwellers of the remote Ekibastuz city in Northern Kazakhstan reacted to this statement with a promise of a large-scale public campaign against the denigration of Muslims and their traditions by the country’s authorities. They believe that the government is trying to strip them of their natural right to worship the religion of their choice, as is stipulated in the constitution. The defenders of hijabs in universities earlier held a meeting with representatives of the Kazakh ministry of education who confirmed that no official ban on Muslim headscarves had ever been enacted or enforced. Nonetheless, a few days later a totally different statement was issued, in which the ministry announced that “the existence of requirements to the physical appearance of university students does not constitute in itself any discrimination against whatsoever religion; as such requirements are the same for the worshippers of all religions”.
The pro-hijab campaigners also promised to start a hunger strike in case their collective voice would not be heard. The prominent human rights defender Vadim Kuramshin, whose preceding experience involved investigations into cases of torture in Kazakhstani prisons, already vowed his support to the promoters of this campaign. At the same time, some female students of the Atyrau University in Western Kazakhstan claimed to once again having been victims of anti-Muslim administrative measures in February 2011, when university authorities warned them against the repeated wearing of headscarves. A similar scandal erupted in November 2010 but was soon downgraded as irrelevant.
Interestingly, the state-owned organization specializing in the restoration of cultural monuments all across the country has recently finalized the renovation of Turkestan’s historical, religious and touristic jewel – the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, an unfinished shrine in honor of the 12th century poet and philosopher. In 2000, experts from Turkey had been specifically invited to participate in the restoration of the mausoleum’s original décor, as it was known at the time of emir Timur (Tamerlan), who in 1389 commissioned a place of reverence for his favorite poet. The 1500th anniversary of Turkestan, celebrated almost eleven years ago, had been overshadowed by significant flaws in the Turkish company’s project, thus the Kazakh government has since 2006 been funding a complete rehash of the mausoleum’s interior to redress previous deficiencies. Despite this substantial financial support to the Muslim religion, relationships between Kazakh authorities and representatives of Islamic followers in the country have traditionally been difficult.
The Kazakh state not only disfavors the activities of semi-official Muslim organizations teaching the basics of religion in closed-access schools for children and adolescents, but also restricts the scope of initiative of the Muslims’ Union of Kazakhstan. The leader of this non-governmental organization, which was officially registered in April 2004, recently proposed his candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections, a move that undoubtedly irritated those in the Akorda. The presidential advisor for political affairs, Ermukhamet Ertysbayev, later said to the press that “the activities of political organizations based on religious motives are prohibited in Kazakhstan”. He also suggested that the leaders of the Muslims’ Union of Kazakhstan “think well of their future”, implying that their registration may be withdrawn.
Murat Telibekov, the president of the Union which is fully independent of the state-controlled Muslim clergy, announced a series of important reforms on February 14 that he was planning to implement in case of his election to the presidency. He promised, for instance, to opt for the popular election of regional governors against their appointment, currently in force, by the head of state. Telibekov also condemned rampant corruption and the omnipotence of family clans which are blocking necessary reforms and paralyzing further democratization. To all those who feared a radical religious transformation in case of his potential victory, Telibekov reassured the public that he was a supporter of the secular state and did not think fit to change the current form of government.
Although Telibekov’s candidacy could not accepted, he made some think that moderate Muslim forces in Kazakhstan might represent a serious challenge to present-day authorities, fearful of radical Islamism.
