TURKMEN POLITICAL COMMISSAR ON THE RAPTURE OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000621

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SCA/CACEN FOR FRESE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2016
TAGS: KIRF PGOV PHUM PINR PREL TX
SUBJECT: TURKMEN POLITICAL COMMISSAR ON THE RAPTURE OF
PREACHING RUHNAMA


Classified By: CDA JENNIFER BRUSH FOR REASONS 1.4 (B AND D)

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) On June 8 Emboffs interviewed Hojanazar Annanazarov,
a "Higher Societal Specialist" in the Ministry of Education,
whose sole job is to propagandize the Ruhnama, President
Niyazov's so-called "spiritual guide." In a private meeting
after his unsuccessful non-immigrant visa interview,
Annanazarov, an updated Turkmen version of the Soviet
political commissar, provided Emboffs an amusing yet
ultimately disturbing look into the mindset of one of
Niyazov's propaganda police. Annanazarov's comments coming
from the Niyazov side of the looking glass, provide a
snapshot of the mindset of a Ruhnama believer. END SUMMARY.

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WHO ARE THE HIGHER SOCIETAL SPECIALISTS?
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2. (C) According to Annanazarov, a 20 year old civil
servant, who has worked as a "Higher Societal Specialist" for
one year, his position is to ensure that Ministry of
Education staff are fully educated on the party line, as
fleshed out in the president's spiritual guidebooks Ruhnama I
and II. Annanazarov noted a special emphasis on
&Turkmen-ness8 and the devotion to Turkmenbashi. While
unclear as to how many "specialists" operate in the country,
he said that there were six departments of propagandists
within the government devoted to spreading the teachings of
the Ruhnama in the military, government industry, and other
sectors of society. He said that after reading the Ruhnama
for the first time in ninth grade, he became so enraptured by
its teachings and that he devoted his whole life to the
Ruhnama's teachings.

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RUHAMA'S LESSONS
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2. (C) According to Annanazarov, the Ruhnama is every
Turkmen's principal guide to life. The book teaches Turkmen
about the importance of history, culture, language, and most
importantly, respect for Turkmenbashi. Among some of the
other lessons, the Ruhnama shows Turkmen men how to treat
women with respect and dignity (Note: During his interview,
Annanazarov told Conoff that his unemployed wife will stay at
home while he travels to the U.S., since "a woman's place is
at home, not at work." End Note.) He added that the Ruhnama
taught that only those who knew the Ruhnama and were fluent
in Turkmen could consider themselves pure Turkmen (Note:
Annanazarov's visa application and subsequent written notes
made during his discussion were written in Soviet-era Turkmen
Cyrillic, not in Niyazov-era Latin. End Note.)

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RUHNAMA - "THE RELIGION"
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3. (C) Conoff asked Annanazarov about his thoughts regarding
whether the Koran or the Ruhnama was more important to
Turkmenistan. Annanazarov said that the Koran was more
important, however the Koran's teachings are "thin as a
needle" when it comes to addressing the need for Turkmen to
learn about their culture, history, and spiritual needs,
instead these needs were covered by the Ruhnama. When Poloff
asked if it was possible for someone to believe in God and
not the Ruhnama, Ananazarov said that he did not know, but
noted that those who did not live by the Ruhnama were
considered "non-believers." When asked if he himself had
read the Koran in his entirety, Annanazarov said that he had
not, although he has read the Ruhnama many times. When asked
if he had read other &great8 books for comparison,s sake,
Annanazarov replied that he read only the writings of the
famous Turkmen poet (and state-sanctioned literary hero)
Magtumguly, whose writings complement the teachings of the
Ruhnama.

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COMMENT
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5. (C) This encounter with Annanazarov reveals the
disturbing effectiveness of centering all learning around one
book, the Ruhnama. Annanazarov represents the vanguard of
the upcoming &lost generation8 -- those youth who have
grown up in the "Golden Century" of the Turkmen people, and
have no basis for comparison, no capacity for critical

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thinking and worst of all, no sources of outside information.
With an educational and societal program dedicated to
glorifying and studying the Ruhanma, Turkmenistan's youth are
finding it increasingly more difficult to compete
academically in the outside world.


6. (C) Annanazarov comments about the Ruhnama,s
relationship with the Koran are noteworthy given the regime's
sensitivity to suggestions that the regime considers
Ruhnamaism to be a virtual new state religion. Annazarov's
contention that the Ruhnama with carefully-selected elements
of the Koran is the defacto religion for Turkmen, while not
an official statement, shows just how ingrained the book's
influence is on the younger elements of Turkmenistani
society. The emergence of people like Annanazarov is further
evidence of why the USG needs to reinforce its efforts here
in the educational and cultural spheres, and expose
Turkmenistan to an alternative to the Ruhnama utopia. END
COMMENT.
BRUSH