AARMS SECURITY

Vol. 6, No. 1 (2007) 3542

Received: November 20, 2006
Address for correspondence:
BOTIR B. OCHILOV
University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
E-mail: ochiloff@mail.ru
Issues of religious extremism and international terrorism
from theoretical perspective
(Central Asian context)
BOTIR B. OCHILOV
University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
This paper stresses on growing vulnerability and lack of ability of the civilized world in
comparison to the increasing capabilities and professionalism of the global terrorism.
It describes the formation of strategic linkage between religious extremism, terrorism
and drug business in the view of inability of world community to affectively fight
against them. These issues are analyzed on the sample of developments in Central Asia,
which has become one of the primary targets of global terrorist activity.
Introduction
This paper stresses on growing vulnerability and lack of ability of the civilized world in
comparison to the increasing capabilities and professionalism of the global terrorism. It
describes the formation of strategic linkage between religious extremism, terrorism
and drug business in the view of inability of world community to affectively fight
against them. These issues are analyzed on the sample of developments in Central Asia,
which has become one of the primary targets of global terrorist activity.
Contemporary global political development is profoundly characterized by intensive
transformation processes, which will have fundamental influence on formation of new
world order. One of the paradoxical and dangerous tendencies in global political
development is world communitys falling into a state of new ideological dissimilarity.
It is demonstrated in attitudes to international terrorism, drug business and political
extremism, which pose unprecedented threats to global security and progressive
development. However, the international community did not yet manage to work out a
unified stand in the struggle against those threats. With the evolution of perspectives
and approaches to this problem the presence of serious contradictions and divergences
has been gradually emerged. Moreover it has been amplified all over the West and the
East. At the same time, the world mass media, giving detailed information on different
terrorist acts worldwide, is becoming unconscious guider of performing terrorist acts.
On the other hand, the global terrorist system,
1
co-operating with powerful drug
mafias and extremist elements, extensively strengthens its capabilities of carrying out
B. B. OCHILOV: Religious extremism and international terrorism
36 AARMS 6(1) (2007)
professionally organized subversive activities in any part of the World. American
experts identify it as New terrorism,
2
which differs from old ones fundamentally in
terms of technique, technology and methods. Russian experts point out that terrorist
system functions out of the legal regulations. It may sustain and develop itself in
neutral, responsive or hostile environment. It is capable of creating its own
transterritorial infrastructure, relying on modern communications, legal and illegal
methods of mobilization and utilization of human recourses. Terrorist groups are
determinedly intimated each other under common ideology notwithstanding to its
direction, which facilitates putting off the problem of proving human victims, stimulates
rigidity of their internal organization and enhancement of their conspiracy degree.
3
Recent developments
The break up of the bipolar world was followed by new period characterized by
reassessment of the strategic changes in the global political developments and historical
process by leading countries. Their strategic thought deals mainly with fundamental
transformations in the balance of powers. Meantime several cells of radical and
extremist elements emerge in many regions and convert into multifaceted global
terrorist network. Radical centers, coordinating activities of wide-reaching extremist
organizations, gradually and unnoticeably became permanent factors of global politics.
4
So-called nontraditional threats were firmly suppressed by the imperatives of
bipolar resistance. Many of them were frozen or postponed but have been maturing
during long period. For instance, the longstanding conflict in Afghanistan has
transformed this country into the permanent center of instability for the macro-region of
Central and Southern Asia and Middle East, which may be considered as a contiguous
circle surrounding Europe.
The global campaign against international terrorism, catalyzed by September 11,
2001 events in U.S., has inspired peoples with hopes for good. However, consequent
developments around the American concept of war against terrorism and in the world
politics in general indicate the emergence of controversies, misunderstandings and
serious disputes in forming attitudes in relation to terrorist violations in different parts
of the World. It concerns, for example, double standards in assessment of such
activities. Insurgent actions with the use of weapons and massive violence in one part of
the world are considered as immanent threats to security, while the same actions in
other regions are qualified as uprisings of peaceful citizens in response to
infringements of human rights.
B. B. OCHILOV: Religious extremism and international terrorism
AARMS 6(1) (2007) 37
The state of democracy and human rights is in essence a problem for any country.
There is no country in the world, which could have succeeded in maintaining human
rights completely. At the same time every state, including developing countries,
declares democracy to be a general aim of economic and social reforms. Assuring
human rights and interests has been fundamental direction of any policies. However,
some leading states overwhelmingly concerned with a this problem in developing
countries, including Central Asian countries, while the global network of terrorist forces
effectively conceives and executes destructions using recent achievements of modern
technologies and techniques.
Several experts believe that the existence of divergences and contradictory
approaches in relation to fight against international terrorism comes from the reality, in
which geopolitical considerations prevail others. Condition of the balance of power
dictates that states seek to maintain and strengthen their sustainability in world politics.
This logic justifies, for example, the use of human rights and democracy as an
instrument of geopolitical pressure where or when appropriate. It may imply that the
state of affairs in international relations may remain the same as indicated. However,
what is more obvious is that none of geostrategic projects promoted by contemporary
superpowers might overcome others in middle and longer term perspectives. The global
terrorist system intends to construct its own world order, which excludes interests of
every existing superpower. The only power, whose interests completely correspond to
terrorist ones, might be drug syndicates. In this connection any attempt to instigate the
extremist activities might boomerang with catastrophic consequences for security,
stability and future of the Planet.
Religious-political centers target to strengthen their influence everywhere,
especially in Central Asia, by using any, including terrorist means. Ideological and
political vacuum, resulting from the collapse of the Soviet power in this region, started
to be filled by doctrinal studies of religious-extremist organizations which tried to
obtain permanent power in the regional socio-political arena. Central Asia was directly
challenged and threatened by religious extremism and international terrorism as well as
drug business, trafficking and environmental degradation.
On the other hand, the phenomena of westernization, perceived as a variety of
accelerating globalization, brings nontraditional values in non-western societies. In their
turn, the radical elements declare a holy war against nonbelievers, taking the
advantage of deeper religious consciousness and the existence of opposition to liberal
values, fundamentally contradicting with traditional way of life and cultures in the
Islamic East. As Charles Krauthammer points out the case the jihadists make against
freedom is that wherever it goes, especially the United States and Europe, it brings
B. B. OCHILOV: Religious extremism and international terrorism
38 AARMS 6(1) (2007)
sexual license and corruption, decadence and depravity. Western freedom means the
end of womens mastery by men, and the end of dictatorial clerical control over all
aspects of sexuality in dress, behavior, education, the arts.
5
Paradoxically, the globalization, rejected by radicals as harbinger of the Western
values, provide them with significant power and influence as a consequence of moves
of people, goods and ideas. In such a way, fundamentalist definition Islam has
transformed into an alternative source of power.
At the same time extremist ideas became especially attractive to those not attached
to modern industrial sector. The social reason of strengthening of international terrorism
lies in gigantic disparities in qualities of lives. The most hard-up people accuse the
globalization to be foremost reason of their poverty and scarcity. They have been
assured by extremist parties that absence of equal rights and legality, existed in
glorious Caliphate times, is another reason of their vulnerability. This, coupled with
extremists propaganda of uncontaminated society of Caliphate, creates favorable
conditions for strengthening of tension and violence.
Existence of social differences within Central Asian societies affects the specificity
of perception of Islamic religion by various sections of population. Diverse destructive
elements, enjoying vigorous support from abroad and operating on the most tactical
slogans of radical Islam have been creating religious-political movements in this region.
Their furthermost activity is addressed to those fields where socio-political problems
are harshly accentuated due to severe transitional conditions.
In reality, the concept of Islamic terrorism or Islamic extremism designates the
international terrorist activity, in which mainly Muslim people are involved. However,
Islam means peace, it does not combine with categories expressing violence. This
complicates the problem of struggle against the international terrorism and creates
positional advantages for the destructive forces harping on their religious origin. There
is a provocative and systematic attempt to generate collision between the Muslims and
others. In this regard it must be mentioned that the permanent stress on the Islamic
origin of international terrorism creates exclusive background and conducive
environment for strengthening extremist and terrorist ideas in Islamic world.
So-called Hizb-ut-Tahrir-al-Islami (Party of Islamic Liberation) and Islamic
Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) focused their activity against secular regime in
Uzbekistan. Consequently they became most influential extremist organization in
Central Asia. The problematic of these organizations, including activities, leaders and
sponsors, is thoroughly described in a huge number of international articles and reports.
We will stress on some of them.
B. B. OCHILOV: Religious extremism and international terrorism
AARMS 6(1) (2007) 39
Dr Dina Malisheva points out that the nucleus of Islamic opposition was created in
Afghanistan; its basic infrastructure was located in Tajikistan. Kyrgyzstan played role
of strategically important transit war zone while the principal target was Ferghana
Valley. The armed bandits based in Afghanistan were trained for subsequent military
engagement in Central Asian countries, Chechnya, Xingjian, Indian Kashmir, etc. At
one time, about 1.5 thousand bandits of IMU camped in Afghanistan. They took part in
warfare in Balkh and Kunduz supporting Taliban. Moreover, IMUs leaders intended to
undertake their own war against Uzbekistan, not interfering with internal policy of
hosting countries. Moreover, these bandits were met up friendly in some villages in
Batken province (Kyrgyzstan).
6
Their strategic objectives were and still are overthrowing secular governments in the
region and creation of Ferghana Caliphate. These radicals presume that the Great
Islamic Caliphate in the Valley should become crucial launching pad for further
promotion of extremist ideas to deeper Eurasia. According to experts, number of serious
socio-religious and inter and intra-national conflictive factors exist in the Ferghana
Valley, divided among Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Extremists and terrorists
stake on relatively greater religiousness of the local population in the Valley.
Geographically sheltered by mountains, the Ferghana Valley is a region, where the
major regional rivers originate. Historically it was crucially important to establish a
control over water resources in order to conquer Central Asia.
Transport and communication potentials in the Valley have become principal factor
in the context of new geopolitical realities. In this regard extremists aim not only at
creation of their bastion for further moving deep into the mainland, but also serving
interests of wider range of destructive elements in the region. In particular, the main
heroin and opium highways, going to Russia and Europe, cross through the Valley. The
transnational drug mafia closely sponsors terrorists because it has serious interest in
developing and advancing its illegal industry. The ethnically miscellaneous bandit
gangs, being consolidated under the belief in Islamic fundamentalism, are critically
concerned with creating new drug transportation routs and protecting existing ones.
7
These groups include professionally well-versed Mujahids, who have become
jobless, after Soviet armies left Afghanistan. Their jihad in Central Asia is a search for
new targets and is basically program of employing those terrorists. They have excellent
knowledge of local geography. IMU bandits were deployed in Karategin and Tavildar
valleys in deep Pamirs, the highest mountains in Central Asia with area totaling more
than 90 thousand sq. km. The severe climate and relief of Pamirs provided them with
perfect conditions for conducting military operations. The central route to Tavildar
Valley crosses through dangerous soiled road on edge of deepest canyon. It is on the
B. B. OCHILOV: Religious extremism and international terrorism
40 AARMS 6(1) (2007)
3.5 km above sea an excellent haven for guerrilla operations. It is narrow enough not
to allow security forces to use helicopters. Enjoying these facilities it was possible to
constrain armies at the entrance to the canyon, which served as an excellent shelter
against aviation and artillery bombardment. Moreover, the temperature hardly rises
above zero even in spring.
8
At the same time the perception, according to which the religious extremism and
international terrorism are considered to be different phenomenon, has been inadequate
to reality. Moreover, they tend to become comprehensively integrated with drug
business. Thus the wall between religious extremists, terrorist organizations and drug
mafia is turning into their strategic linkage.
Extremists are vitally interested in maintaining and expanding their control over the
northern route of drug transportation to Russia, Central and Western Europe.
Paradoxical is that the drug production level, decreased under Taliban rule, significantly
multiplied in Afghanistan, notwithstanding the contemporary international military
presence. Symptomatically in this regard is unofficial statement, given by NATO colonel:
We maintain peace in Afghanistan. It is important to keep Afghanis not fighting each
other. No matter what they do, including drug cultivation and trade, but shooting.
As a reason, terrorist campaigns all over the world are regulated by powerful religio-
political centers. Drug mafia employs bandits in order to secure heroin tracks and create
new ones. Hijacking has been merely additional source of financing the terrorist
activity. Dr Ahmed Rashid emphasized that Islamic rhetoric has been a shield, while
IMU leaders intended to take control over the corridor to contraband Afghani drugs.
9
Thus the mighty drug mafia is becoming the main sponsor of international terrorism and
religious extremism. It is vitally interested in weakening the secular state systems in
Central Asia.
The failures of global antiterrorist campaign and consolidation indicate that
creativity and constructivism are possible only if they primate over geopolitics. In this
regard, the May events in Andizhan (Uzbekistan, 2005) demonstrate the firm
commitment and comprehensively plan of terrorist campaigns. In its turn those events
are another evidence of the absence of unified position in relation to political
extremism, terrorism and drug business. It was too obvious that some western
journalists and reporters, operatively mobilized in this town, seemingly by command,
tried to narrate those events in tendentious manner. There were a vast number of such
articles totaling more than 1000 in different sources in Internet.
At the same time several reports also prepared and announced by western scholars
were traced in public. For instance, Dr Shirin Akiner, professor, Royal Oriental and
African Studies Institute, after she paid personal visit to Uzbekistan, May, 2005, has
B. B. OCHILOV: Religious extremism and international terrorism
AARMS 6(1) (2007) 41
published objective research on Andizhan events.
10
Prominent American experts in
Central Asia including Dr John Daly and Dr Frederick Starr and others have published
comprehensive Anatomy of Crisis in UzbekAmerican relations in the context of
Andizhan events.
11
Both publications introduce thorough analysis of the real situation.
Some other assessments state that external powers are capable of exploiting any
possible instruments and mechanisms in pursuing their strategic interests in the region.
The most dangerous is that Islamic factor has been transformed into the instrument of
maintaining global influence. According to experts, the very activities of global and
regional giants have produced the geopolitization of the Islamic factor.
On the other hand, the tragedy of events in Andizhan in May 2005 indicates to
reanimation of Great Game, in which extended number of participants pursues
contradictory and often clashing interests. Uzbekistan was challenged by precisely
expressed and systematized intention of several powers to deform its national territory
and was obliged to cope with real risks and threats to its survival and large-scale
information pressure. Considering that Uzbekistan is situated in the heart of Central
Asia, it must be noted that destabilization of situation here may deteriorate the
geopolitical context in macro-region of Central and Southern Asia and Middle East.
The powerful religious-political centers form their own conception in relation to
geopolitical reconstruction of Central Asia. It is possible to state the existence of real
attempts to transfer the impulse of Middle East conflict to Central Asia. As a
consequence, constant flashes of violence might become characteristic-distinctive
feature of the regional background while the local population would be doomed to long-
term stagnation. The fundamental nature of those geopolitical shifts may lead to
creation of a buffer zone or battlefield in the framework of the region, in which
there may take place not only permanent fights of geopolitical giants, but also tests of
the newest kinds of armaments. The region faces the risk of appearing on a roadside of
world politics, economy and general historical process.
The general analysis of burning regions on the Map justifies the unequivocal
conclusion about their geographical specificity. The contemporary raging processes,
conflicts of global and regional significance are taking place mainly in regions, which
possess great amounts of resource stocks or situated on their transportation routes. The
shifts in geopolitical situation in the extended region of Eurasia occur in accordance
with the traditional principle of Challenge-Response. Central Asian countries are
compelled to collectively neutralize those destructive aspirations. Vitally important for
Central Asia is to preserve and develop its unique civilizational identity. Central Asian
countries are secular states with Muslim majority, already attached to the modern
B. B. OCHILOV: Religious extremism and international terrorism
42 AARMS 6(1) (2007)
technologies and civilization. These countries have highest literacy levels, surpassing
those parameters in many countries of Asia and the world in general.
Conclusion
International community has to work out consolidated position in relation to fighting
terrorism in place of dispersing facilities and strengthening global terrorist system. That
consolidated position must imply the understanding that reconstruction process in
Afghanistan must be coincided with massive funding of programs, aimed at liquidation
of drug culture. The struggle against terrorism must prevail over geopolitical
considerations. There is a vital need for new approach in relation to global threats and
Central Asian realities in particular.
Notes and references
1. The global terrorist system contains of terrorist and extremist organizations and their branches deeply
interrelated and technically-technologically interacting each other, cooperating with drug business,
performing destructive activities, being situated in different parts of the world.
2. M. MORGAN: The Origins of New Terrorism. Parameters, 2004 (Spring) 2943.
3. H. H. oaen, B. H. Hemunna: Hont reppopnsm n mnpe n na Rre Poccnn. Pocrnsar, 2005, 304 c.
4. A.uenxnncxn: Teppopnsm n conpemennte mexynaponte ornomennx. Fenopyccxn xypnan
mexynaponoro npana n mexynapontx ornomenn, No. 4 (2001) 5674.
5. C. KRAUTHAMMER: Abu Ghraib as Symbol. The Washington Post, 2004, 7 May. This item is available
on the Benador Associates website, at http://www.benadorassociates.com/article/4068
6. D. MALYSHEVA: Conflicts on Russias Southern Borders. Pro et Contra, 5(3) (2000) 1219.
7. CENTRAL ASIA: Islamic nerves. The Economist, 2000, 14 Oct.
8. A. RASHID: Pamirs Offer IMU Secure Base. Eurasia Insight, 2001, 10 Oct.
9. A. RASHID: Pamirs Offer IMU Secure Base. Eurasia Insight, 2001, 10 Oct.
10. S. AKINER: Violence in Andijan, 13 May 2005: An Independent Assessment. Central Asia-Caucasus
Institute and Silk Road Studies Program, 2005, p. 51.
11. J. C. K. DALY, K. H. MEPPEN, V. SOCOR, F. S. STARR: Anatomy of a Crisis: U.S.Uzbekistan Relations,
20012005. W.: Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program, 2006, p. 110.