KAZAKHSTAN: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE PANDITH HEARS FROM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 001921 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, S/SRMC, DRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV KISL KIRF OIC OSCE KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE PANDITH HEARS FROM NGOS, GOVERNMENT REF: (A) ASTANA 1179 (B) ASTANA 0260 ASTANA 00001921 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: During her first overseas trip as Special Representative to Muslim Communities, Farah Pandith visited Kazakhstan October 12-13. In Astana, Muslim civil society leaders told her that Kazakhs are "a different kind of Muslim" whose nomadic history bred a tradition of tolerance and equalQy. In their view, Islam is enjoying a renaissance in Kazakhstan, and the government encourages this re-birth while keeping "strong control" over the influence of extremist ideology. MFA's Deputy Foreign Minister Yermekbayev noted Kazakhstan's upcoming chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the subsequent Chairmanship of the Organization for the Islamic Conference (OIC),stressing that Kazakhstan welcomes close cooperation with the United States on the agendas for both chairmanships. The director of the Center for International Cultures and Religions briefed SRMC Pandith on Kazakhstan's tri-annual Congress of Traditional and World Religions, and she visited the Astana Nury Mosque and Madrassa. END SUMMARY. "WE ARE A DIFFERENT KIND OF MUSLIM" ¶3. (SBU) The DCM hosted on October 12 a lively lunch for SRMC Pandith with Muslim civil-society leaders, which included Mazhilis member Aigul Solovyova, the head of the NGO Women Entrepreneurs Union Meruert Kazbekova, the chair of the NGO Muslim Women's League Klara Yerzhanova, and Islam Zhussip from the Atameken public association. Guests freely exchanged views on the Kazakhs' Muslim identity and the future of Islam in Kazakhstan. SRMC Pandith told the participants that her office was created to implement President Obama's vision as articulated in his Cairo speech -- a new approach to engagement with the Muslim world based on "mutual respect and mutual interest." Parliamentarian Solovyova said the SRMC's visit was a clear signal of President Obama's commitment to a new dialogue with Muslim communities. ¶4. (SBU) Solovyova also noted that Kazakhs are a "different kind of Muslim," whose nomadic roots bred a culture of independence, free thinking, and gender equality. Zhussup asserted that Kazakhs follow "easy Islam," one that adopts the values and teachings of the religion without the "sometimes onerous rites." Kazbekova agreed, calling it "enlightened Islam." According to Yerzhanova, Islam is enjoying a renaissance in Kazakhstan, with many young people exploring Muslim traditions. She noted with some concern the choice of some younger women to put on the hijab, something that was "never part of our tradition." She mentioned her NGO's outreach with high schools and universities to explain "the Kazakh Muslim tradition." ¶5. (SBU) After explaining that he worked for 20 years in the government's "special services," where his specialty was counter-terrorism, Zhussip praised the Kazakhstani government for its "strong control" of the religious sphere, which, in his view, averted tQsocial unrest and terrorism that "plague Kazakhstan's neighbors." (NOTE: Although he never explicitly said it, it was clear from the conversation that Zhussip used to work for the Committee for National Security (KNB) and perhaps for its Soviet precursor, the KGB. END NOTE.) He said that the extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir was present in Kazakhstan, most notably in the south of the country, but asserted that the government "special services" keep a close eye on the group. Solovyova interjected that "a fine line" exists between political stability and the individual's freedom of religion. She noted that she was a strong opponent of the restrictive draft religion law that the Constitutional Council rejected in February (ref A) because, in her view, the religion law "should be about freedoms, not restrictions." "BUILDING CANALS" ¶6. (SBU) Kazbekova said the Kazakhstani government is pursuing a ASTANA 00001921 002.2 OF 002 "very smart policy" of encouraging the Kazakhs to explore their Muslim heritage by building new mosques and supporting the newly-inaugurated Islamic TV channel. (NOTE: SRMC Pandith gave an interview to the Islamic channel in Almaty (septel). END NOTE.) "Religion will always find its way to the surface, either as a spring or as a flood," she said. "The government is building canals." ¶7. (SBU) The participants expressed great eagerness to cooperate with the U.S. Embassy on future projects. "We are ready to learn from you," said Zhussip, "and perhaps we have something to teach." He noted that he previously worked with at-risk youth, finding talented young people to recruit into government service. Kazbekova said that she recently launched a project, supported by an Embassy Democracy Commission grant, to organize a leadership school for rural women. She hopes to expand the project nationally. SRMC Pandith welcomed the proposals for future cooperation, noting that the success of her office depends on close cooperation with grass-roots organizations and Embassies. MFA EAGER TO CONSULT ON OIC AGENDA ¶8. (SBU) SRMC Pandith met with MFA's Deputy Foreign Minister Nurlan Yermekbayev, whose portfolio covers the OIC, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO),and cooperation with Turkic countries. Yermekbayev highlighted Kazakhstan's role in the promotion of inter-ethnic and inter-religious understanding, noting that tolerance will be one of the themes for its OSCE chairmanship. He told SRMC Pandith that the Kazakhstani government is eager to consult with the United States on the agendas for both its OSCE and OIC chairmanships. SRMC Pandith recommended that the OSCE expand Muslim engagement, particularly among Muslim youth in Europe. She suggested that as OIC chair, Kazakhstan could also encourage the OIC to take a greater interest in integration of European Muslim youth. Yermekbayev promised to seriously consider her proposals. CENTER STRESSES INTER-FAITH DIALOGUE ¶9. (SBU) SRMC Pandith met with Dr. Aidar Abuov, the director of the International Center for Cultures and Religions. The newly-created Center promotes Kazakhstan's model of inter-ethnic and inter-religious understanding and organizes the tri-annual Congress of Traditional and World Religions, an initiative of President Nazarbayev that brings together international religious and political leaders. An expert on religions who recently returned from a conference in the United States on law and religion, Dr. Abuov told SRMC Pandith the most recent World Congress in July initiated the Center (ref B). He said that attendance at the Congress is growing, and that the Center plans to expand the agenda of future Congresses to include side events on gender and youth. MOSQUE ATTENDANCE IS GROWING ¶8. (SBU) SRMC Pandith also visited the Astana Nury Mosque, Astana's central mosque, where she met with Imam Kalizhan Zankoyev. Zankoyev gave SRMC Pandith a tour of the mosque and the madrassa, giving her a short history of the building. He said that mosque attendance is steadily growing as more young people seek to learn about their traditions. "On Fridays, we are fully packed," he said, estimating that close to five thousand people come for Friday prayers. HOAGLAND