SADYKJAN KAMALOV SPEAKS OUT ON HIS LATE BROTHER

1. (SBU) Former Mufti of Kyrgyzstan Sadykjan Kamalov broke
his silence on the death of his brother Muhammadrafiq Kamalov
during an interview on August 23 with a reporter from
RFE/RL's local affiliate Radio Azattyk. Kamalov emphasized
his brother's belief in supporting the government and public
peace. He acknowledged that his brother had contact with
Hizb ut-Tahrir members, but that he preached a message of
tolerance and education to them. He claimed his brother was
afraid of weapons and would have not been involved with
terrorism.



2. (U) Specific points from his interview are:

-In the 25 years since Muhammadrafiq Kamalov became the Imam
of Karasuu Al-Sarahsiy Mosque, his parish grew from 50-60
people to more than 5000 people. He always encouraged
friendship among Muslims, strengthening the public peace,
supporting the country's leaders, and helping people to see
the difference between good and evil.

-Of course, Hizb-ut Tahrir members did come to his mosque to
pray, and he did not have the right to expel them from the
mosque. Over time, more and more HUT members started to come
to his mosque, but they also realized that he was leading a
mosque that promoted tolerance and education.

-He was a very peaceful person and was even afraid of knives
and killing animals for family feasts. He would not have
dealt with weapons and ammunition. How all the weapons came
to be found in his car is a large question.

-On his brother's international travel, every year he
traveled to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Arab countries as
a group leader on the hajj. He visited Iran twice as a
teacher and examiner of the Koran. He also visited friends
in Pakistan.

-He denied being a Wahabi, because there are no Wahabis in
Kyrgyzstan. These accusations came about as a result of his
conflict with one of the religious leaders in 1996-97. During
that time, one person, not knowing the true meaning of the
word, called him a Wahabi.

-As an imam and as a citizen, his brother Muhammadrafiq did a
lot to help Bakiyev become the president. Although he could
not say that the situation in the south is satisfactory,
everyone needed to strengthen their trust in the president.
The people need to support the President's domestic and
foreign policies and stand strong with him. Unfortunately,
some government officials are acting out of their personal
interests.

-Many questions remained unanswered. The SNB is saying he
was a terrorist, a hostage, and that it will investigate the
case. He will leave it to their conscience.



3. (C) COMMENT: While Kamalov's restrained comments coming so
soon after the death of his brother may seem odd, observers
note they are in keeping with his personality. Kamalov, an
IV alumnus, is known to be tolerant and restrained in his
public actions and rhetoric, and it is likely he consciously
waited until the emotional period after his brother's death
passed before making any public statements.



4. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: Muhammadrafiq Kamalov's death
continues to be an issue of discussion, with public opinion
coalescing around several prominent rumors. The first theory
of the killing is that Kamalov had been kidnapped by the
people he had been in the car with, a theory that even SNB
spokesmen have recently repeated in public. A second theory

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is that the whole situation had been a set up specifically to
kill Kamalov because of fears of his rising popularity and
authority in the south. A final theory is that Kamalov had
been working with the SNB and that his death in the ambush
had been a mistake. Public figures, such as the increasingly
outspoken Ombudsman Bakir uulu, have publicly accused the
government of "murdering" Kamalov.



5. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: Kamalov's comments are interesting,
as is his support for Bakiyev and his government, even after
the death of his brother at that same government's hands.
Kamalov is a respected figure, and his encouragement to the
people that they too support the government should carry some
weight. However, it is still unclear how Muhammadrafiq
Kamalov's death will ultimately play out in the political
arena.
YOVANOVITCH