Hizb-ut-Tahrir: an enduring challenge for Central Asia

Central Asian governments had high hopes for the international campaign against terrorism when it was launched by the US in 2001. Their main hope was that the campaign would help completely eradicate Islamic militancy in their respective republics. Four years later, the campaign claims a degree of success in eradicating armed militants. However, it has done little to counter one important group. Despite being officially banned by all Central Asian governments, Hizb-ut-Tahrir al Islamiyya (HT), a party of Islamic Liberation, is operating in most countries in the region. Striving towards its ultimate goal of restoring the Ottoman era Islamic Caliphate, the party is harnessing public popularity primarily by its commitment to nonviolence and its appeal for social and economic justice in society. Meanwhile, increasing suppression of the party by secular authorities and some serious differences between competing factions within the party indicate that the group could breed new recruits for violent groups in the region such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) or al Qaeda.
Central Asia has long been known as a region of turbulent ethnic and religious tension, illicit drug-trafficking, environmental degradation and pervasive poverty. There is a real basis for concern that public support for extremist views advocated by such parties as the HT will continue to grow amid the ongoing political and civil turmoil. The political situation in Central Asian republics is increasingly volatile, and a relatively localized riot can potentially spark much broader unrest. Given the vivid history of violent confrontations between secular rulers and religious insurgents as in the examples of Tajikistan’s civil war (1992-1997) and the more recent violent crackdown of public protests by governmental forces in Uzbekistan (May 13, 2005), the potential for such unrest to be hijacked by religious parties is very high.
Hizb-ut-Tahrir represents a complex policy challenge in Central Asia and worldwide primarily because of its commitment to nonviolent social change and its increasing grassroots support base. Nevertheless, the party’s commitment to nonviolence as a form of political protest makes it different from religious groups that have been engaged in terror tactics. As of now, the prospect of involving the party in political process has not been explored by regional governments and its international partners due to their unwillingness to recognize the party’s doctrine and its growing popular base. Actually, post-communist politicians are reluctant of introducing religion in the political field as well as weakening the secular state, because this could threaten their legitimacy. However, a manner in which the party will be induced to move from the arena of religiously inspired extremist protests to engagement in mainstream political life may provide key lesson for crafting a well-informed policy toward similar movements elsewhere in the world.
This paper examines the ideology and organization of the party in Central Asia. It also sheds light on reasons for party’s popularity and rapid growth in the region. The paper will go on to examine the similarities and difference between HT and other modern Islamist organizations, such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). It will also look at some regional groups which branched off from HT in recent years. In the context of governmental reaction to these two groups, it will consider the efficacy of the response of Central Asian governments to HT so far and consider policy options for dealing with the party. For the purpose of this paper, three countries (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) will receive greater attention. The main reason is that the activities of Islamic groups are concentrated mostly in these republics.


Alisher Khamidov

Sommario

Introduction
Origins and ideology
Why HT is in Central Asia?
- HT's organizational structure and strategies
- Hizb-ut-Tahrir and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
Potential dangers of Hizb-ut-Tahrir
- Factionalism within HT
- Factors behind HT's growing appeal
Regional efforts to counter HT
- Policy options
Conclusion

Bibiography
Websites