YOUTH REPORTEDLY DISCOURAGED FROM MOSQUE ATTENDANCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 001680

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/24/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF KISL UZ
SUBJECT: YOUTH REPORTEDLY DISCOURAGED FROM MOSQUE ATTENDANCE

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Classified By: Classified By: POLOFF RICHARD FITZMAURICE FOR REASONS 1.
4 (B, D)


1. (C) Summary: During a September 5 meeting at Namangan's
Mahdum Ishon Mosque, Namangan province Head Imam Tursunov
allegedly ordered imams to bar schoolchildren from attending
nightly readings of the Qur'an during Ramadan. Word of the
reported incident has spread in the community, causing
resentment among Muslims. A contact in Namangan later told
poloff that Uzbek-state radio confirmed that Tursunov had
given such orders, but that he was acting on his own accord
without instructions from the Muslim Spiritual Board in
Tashkent. Separately, a member of the Human Rights Alliance
told poloff that authorities have demolished unregistered
mosques in Andijon over the last three months. Reports that
the Government is discouraging youth from attending mosques
is not new, but the alleged incident with Tursunov may
represent a new intensification of its efforts. End summary.

TURSUNOV: IMAMS TO "BURN IN HELL" IF YOUTH ATTEND PRAYERS
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2. (U) On September 7, the independent Ferghana.ru website
reported that Namangan Region Head Iman Abdulkhai Tursunov
presented to the province's imam-khatibs (heads of mosques)
new regulations from Tashkent's Muslim Spiritual Board
concerning religious services during the holy month of
Ramadan. At the September 5 meeting at Namangan's Mahdum
Ishon Mosque, Tursunov allegedly told the imams that youth
should be barred from the nightly readings of the Qur'an
during Ramadan. Tursunov is quoted as saying that if the
imams invite schoolchildren into their mosques, their mosques
will be closed and they will "burn in hell" as a result. The
article notes that Namangan authorities already carefully
monitor youth attendance at mosques and officials from the
Ministry of Education frequently raid mosques on Fridays
looking for truants.


3. (U) According to the Ferghana.ru article, Tursunov
ordered that imams complete their nightly readings of the
Qur'an during Ramadan by 22:00 and report any suspicious
activity to the proper authorities. Tursunov also reportedly
instructed imams to make a 20,000 soum (16 dollar) donation
to Namangan's Mulla Kyrgyz Madraseh and only allow its
graduates to read the Qur'an each night (Note: Tursunov
also serves as director of the Madraseh. End note.)


4. (SBU) During a trip to the Ferghana Valley, poloff
arranged a meeting with Tursunov on September 12. However,
when poloff arrived at the Mulla Kyrgyz Madraseh in Namangan,
he was informed by its deputy director that Tursunov could
not meet him as he had been called away on "urgent" business
to Tashkent that morning. When poloff requested to speak at
greater length with the deputy director and asked for a tour
of the Madraseh, he was told he must first request permission
from the Namangan hokimyat (city hall).

WORD OF TURSUNOV'S INSTRUCTIONS LEAKS TO COMMUNITY
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5. (C) Several human rights contacts in Namangan said that
word of Tursunov's alleged instructions to the imams had
leaked to the community and had caused offense to Muslims.
Former Radio Free Europe journalist and human rights activist
Nosir Zokirov told poloff on September 12 that he had
listened to an Uzbek-state controlled radio program in which
the commentator confirmed that Tursunov had given such
instructions to the other imams. However, according to
Zokirov, the radio commentator said that Tursunov gave the
instructions on his own accord without direction from the
Muslim Spiritual Board in Tashkent. Zokirov speculated that
authorities were upset that word of Tursunov's meeting had
leaked and were seeking to control the community backlash by
publicly blaming him for the incident.


6. (C) On September 19, poloff met in Tashkent with
dissident academic and former Soviet diplomat Tashpulat
Yuldashev, who said that he had heard of both the controversy
over Tursunov and the radio broadcast denying that Tursunov
was acting under instructions from Tashkent. Yuldashev, who
said that he occasionally meets with members of the Muslim
Spiritual Board, told poloff that the Board has long sought
to discourage youth attendance at mosques, especially during
Ramadak0' believed that its campaign finally has started
to demonstrate results, noting that he has seen a clear
decline in the last year in the number of young people
attending mosques in the Tashkent region (Note: Contacts in
Namangan and Ferghana told poloff that youth continue to make

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up a sizable percentage of those attending prayers. End
note.) Yuldashev further speculated that authorities are
upset at Tursunov for failing to prevent word of the meeting
from leaking and may therefore remove him from his position
shortly.

REPORTS OF MOSQUE DEMOLITIONS IN ANDIJON
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7. (C) Rasul Tadjibaev, a Human Rights Alliance member and
brother of imprisoned human rights activist Mutabar
Tadjibaeva, told poloff on September 19 that authorities have
started to tear down unregistered mosques in Andijon
province. He said that, according to his colleagues in
Andijon, the campaign began about three months ago and has
targeted smaller unregistered mosques in mahallas
(neighborhoods) and rural areas. Tadjibaev was unsure how
many mosques have already been destroyed. He said that in a
few cases, local authorities have permitted the construction
of restaurants serving alcohol where the mosques once stood.


COMMENT
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8. (C) Reports that the Government is trying to discourage
youth from attending mosques, especially during Ramadan, are
not new. Tursunov's alleged instructions to Namangan imams
simply could represent a new intensification of this effort.
The Government fears the growth of religiosity, especially
among youth, as a potential political force and threat to its
own power. We are unsure of Yuldashev's claim that youth
attendance at mosques has declined, as we have heard from an
imam earlier this summer that attendance in Tashkent
continues to climb. As Yuldashev himself said during his
meeting with poloff, many people in Uzbekistan are tired of
the Government's empty promises on political and economic
reforms and attending prayers may serve as a form of symbolic
protest. Attending mosques also may serve a socio-economic
purpose for unemployed youth - networking for job leads.


9. (C) In regards to the reported demolishing of mosques in
Andijon, Authorities have destroyed or closed down unofficial
mosques in the past, so this would not be surprising. As for
using mosques as pubs or for other unclean purposes, this was
a common practice during Soviet days. However, we have not
independently confirmed this latest accusation.
NORLAND