Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASTANA1921
2009-10-27 04:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Astana
Cable title:  

KAZAKHSTAN: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE PANDITH HEARS FROM

Tags:  PREL PHUM PGOV KISL KIRF OIC OSCE KZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
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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


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