Kazakh intelligentsia urge tougher control over radical Islam 

Representatives of the Kazakh intelligentsia have urged President Tokayev to toughen control over radical Islamic groups in the country as a threat to the national identity and tradition. 

In an open letter to Tokayev and his government, they said that radical religious groups had been spreading “at a fast pace” in Kazakhstan and conducting “an assault on our national values, and ethnic identity”. 

“The government must take specific steps to address the issue before it’s too late,” said the letter signed by more than 140 writers, scholars, artists, MPs, journalists and others. 

As examples of such radical groups, they named Salafism and Quranism, which are known for their purist interpretations of Islam.  

They also named the exiled Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen’s movement, which is outlawed by the Turkish government as terrorist, but is internationally seen as peaceful and tolerant. They also named Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam which promotes individual spiritual growth, and is apolitical and peaceful. 

They noted that neighbouring Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan had stricter anti-extremism laws, and if Kazakhstan did not follow suit, radical groups from those countries might find shelter in Kazakhstan. 

The letter also proposed banning from public places religious clothing that require covering a person’s face and Salafi-style beards (untrimmed and without a moustache).  

It also called for a ban on any religious propaganda by state bodies, or by anyone representing them. It said the government-funded religious TV channels, Talim TV and Halyq Arna, should be replaced with educational channels. 

“The government must not fund religion. Religious sermons must be delivered only in mosques and madrasahs,” the letter said. 

“What we need for developing our country is not religion, but science and knowledge,” it added. 

The letter further called on the government to “counter” online preachers and bloggers with content created by scholars, historians, and people of other professions. 

The Kazakh intelligentsia also demanded that the government curb any outside funding for religious groups and organisations operating inside the country. 

“There is an intense mosque-building process going in the country, sometimes with government support. Instead, we should be building schools, universities and student accommodation,” the letter continued. 

“In every village there are two mosques, which are used only on Fridays. There are no cultural centres at all. The roads are bad. There are no swimming pools, and every summer we hear of children drowning as they try to swim in dangerous rivers,” the letter said. 

It also said the government should control the spread of radical Islamic teachings in prisons, within sporting communities and in the army. 

The letter said that the education of the country’s Islamic clergy should be closely monitored and training them abroad should be avoided. 

The members of the intelligentsia also urged better protection of women’s rights, noting that some alleged Islamic rules allowed men to leave their wives and marry another woman, in a religious ceremony, without getting an official divorce. 

They also proposed a legal ban on dishonouring Kazakh national values and symbols, and punishing such actions by a substantial fine. 

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