Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASTANA1454
2009-09-02 04:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Astana
Cable title:
KAZAKHSTAN: "WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS IS, A POLICE
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UNCLAS ASTANA 001454
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL/IRF
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI KISL KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: "WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS IS, A POLICE
STATE?
UNCLAS ASTANA 001454
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL/IRF
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI KISL KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: "WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS IS, A POLICE
STATE?
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) While the Ambassador was getting a haircut on
September 1 at a Turkish-owned unisex salon in Astana, the
client in the next chair was cracking up the stylists with a
high-volume, endless stream of jokes about how people avoid
the rigors of Ramadan. Some drink secretly because they'd
rather die than give up their vodka, and isn't it curious how
many people have urgent and prolonged business to conduct in
Europe? He ribaldly speculated about "Number One in Ak Orda"
(the Presidency),and which wife -- "the official one or the
other ones" -- would be most relieved to be free of his
attentions during daytime through the Holy Month of Ramadan.
They all then ran through the list of Central Asian
nationalities, laughing about which Muslims were the most
"backward" -- i.e., most observant -- but reached no
consensus.
3. (SBU) When the jokester got up and put on his jacket, it
was a uniform jacket. It turned out he was the deputy chief
of police for the local district. A bit later the Ambassador
asked his Kazakh stylist if people couldn't get into trouble
for joking about Islam and Number One like that in public?
The heavily tattooed, spiky-haired stylist looked astonished
and asked, "What do you think this is, a police state?"
HOAGLAND
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL/IRF
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI KISL KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: "WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS IS, A POLICE
STATE?
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) While the Ambassador was getting a haircut on
September 1 at a Turkish-owned unisex salon in Astana, the
client in the next chair was cracking up the stylists with a
high-volume, endless stream of jokes about how people avoid
the rigors of Ramadan. Some drink secretly because they'd
rather die than give up their vodka, and isn't it curious how
many people have urgent and prolonged business to conduct in
Europe? He ribaldly speculated about "Number One in Ak Orda"
(the Presidency),and which wife -- "the official one or the
other ones" -- would be most relieved to be free of his
attentions during daytime through the Holy Month of Ramadan.
They all then ran through the list of Central Asian
nationalities, laughing about which Muslims were the most
"backward" -- i.e., most observant -- but reached no
consensus.
3. (SBU) When the jokester got up and put on his jacket, it
was a uniform jacket. It turned out he was the deputy chief
of police for the local district. A bit later the Ambassador
asked his Kazakh stylist if people couldn't get into trouble
for joking about Islam and Number One like that in public?
The heavily tattooed, spiky-haired stylist looked astonished
and asked, "What do you think this is, a police state?"
HOAGLAND