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Kazakhstan deals with suicide bombings
Terrorism not a serious threat to Kazakhstan, analysts say
By Gulmira Kamziyeva and Yelena Sorokina
2011-11-08
ALMATY – Before May, Kazakhstan had never experienced a suicide bombing. Since then, the country’s media have reported two, as well as a related explosion in a garbage bin.
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![Kazakhstani national security personnel rappel from a helicopter during a training exercise in Almaty’s suburbs in August. Analysts and officials are discussing whether suicide bombings are becoming a trend in Kazakhstan. [Courtesy of the Committee for National Security]](/shared/images/2011/11/08/atyrau.jpg)
Kazakhstani national security personnel rappel from a helicopter during a training exercise in Almaty’s suburbs in August. Analysts and officials are discussing whether suicide bombings are becoming a trend in Kazakhstan. [Courtesy of the Committee for National Security]
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![One of the October 31 bombings occurred in a garbage bin in this Atyrau courtyard. The explosions were intended to frighten the authorities and law enforcement, the Atyrau prosecutor’s office said. [Gulmira Kamziyeva]](/shared/images/2011/11/08/atyrau2.jpg)
One of the October 31 bombings occurred in a garbage bin in this Atyrau courtyard. The explosions were intended to frighten the authorities and law enforcement, the Atyrau prosecutor’s office said. [Gulmira Kamziyeva]
Now analysts are discussing how significant a threat suicide bombings are to Kazakhstan.
But retired National Security Committee (NSC) Col. Arat Narmandbetov warned against drawing premature conclusions. “The very first thing we need to do is neutralise all of this. We must analyse all of the components and identify its early stages.”
The country’s first suicide bombing took place in Aktobe May 17, when a man blew himself up in the National Security Forces building, killing himself and wounding a guard.
The second was an allegedly mistimed explosion in Atyrau October 31 that, once again, killed only the bomber. Another blast occurred at almost the same time in a nearby garbage bin. The Atyrau Oblast prosecutor’s office November 7 arrested three men in connection with that area’s events. The suspects are terrorists who were trying “to frighten law enforcement and other government employees,” according to the prosecutor’s office, news media said.
Baurzhan Kanatovich Sultangaliyev, 23, who was killed in one explosion October 31, died accidentally as he allegedly attempted a suicide bombing, the authorities said, describing him as the fourth member of the alleged terrorist group.
The man killed in the May 17 bombing was identified as Rakhimzhan Makatov, whom police described as a criminal who killed himself to avoid serving a prison sentence.
The group Jund al-Khilafah (JaK – or Soldiers of the Caliphate) took responsibility online for the October 31 Atyrau incidents and said the bombings were a warning.
“These two bombings were but a warning to the government … if we do not see our demands (to rescind the Law on Religious Activities and Religious Associations) heard in the future, then we swear by Allah, who raised the heavens without pillars, that the next attacks will bring rivers of blood,” the statement said.
The new law compels all religious organisations to re-register with the government and imposes new restrictions, including a ban on prayer in all government workplaces, including military bases. President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed it into law October 13.
The group denied that Sultangaliyev was a suicide bomber, saying the bomb apparently blew up accidentally, killing him before he could carry out his mission. The group did not identify his target.
The National Security Committee (NSC) and prosecutor’s office are investigating that statement from the previously obscure JaK to determine how much truth it contains, said NSC Vice Chairman User Mizanbayev.
Ahmet Musaliyev, a mullah from Atyrau, called the group’s statement a provocation and said he has not heard about an increase in extremist sentiments.
“I do not think that they are located in Kazakhstan at all, and it isn’t worth talking about suicide bombers as a ‘trend,’” Musaliyev said. “The last time, it wasn’t proven that there was actually a suicide bombing,” he said in reference to the May 17 bombing.
Suicide bombing is far from a trend in Kazakhstan, agreed Ongar Kazhi Omirbek, spokesman for the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan.
“According to Islam, a person must guard his life like a gift from the Almighty,” Omirbek said. “He can become a shahid, or a martyr, only during war and to protect his homeland or family, but a person cannot go to such a death just on his own accord.”
Such problems would not have arisen had the country adopted the religion law earlier, Kamal Burhanov, a deputy from the lower chamber of Parliament, said.
“Yes, there are problems. No one denies this,” he said. “We adopted the (religion law) too late.”
Force won’t solve the problem, he said.
“This is an ideology, and, naturally, the work (against it) should reflect that fact,” Burhanov said. “Prison sentences aren’t always necessary. We need to work with ideological methods.”
Kazakhstan National University religious studies adjunct instructor Ruslan Primbetov described how one might draw a connection between the Aktobe and Atyrau bombings.
“I think that after the first suicide bombing happened, the news spread quickly and this second bomber possibly just ‘borrowed’ the idea,” he said. “Maybe he was not happy about something or not completely mentally healthy.”
As for JaK, Primbetov said the group might be seeking “glory” in claiming responsibility.
Former Interior Minister Kairbek Suleimenov asked (commentators) not to exacerbate the situation: “Kazakhstan doesn’t provide the conditions needed for the active development of terrorism,” he said. “But unfortunately, individual incidents are happening. … There is no need to sow discord lest we fertilise the ground for terrorism.”
Primbetov also counselled against panic.
“No one has really figured out what is going on, but the media were quick to stamp these as terrorist attacks and, what’s more, as suicide bombings. If these really were suicide bombers, then there would be a lot of victims – something, thank God, that we haven’t seen.”
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Reader Comments
It is worrying that such things are happening to us.
As long as they are building mosques instead of schools and kindergartens in every district, it will never stop.
I am from Uzbekistan, and as we all know they are tough on religion in our country. Earlier this year, in February, I went to Kazakhstan for a week with my relatives. There were prayer rooms in all public places, at the train station, etc. Young people from the age of 14 and older were wearing beards down to their bellies and praying in groups in these places. When I saw that, I thought that I was in the past, it was weird to look at them, they were different. In Uzbekistan, people are more intelligent in cities, without beards and not obsessed with religion. There are certainly a lot of people following all religious rites, but they do so in their personal space without irritating anyone with their appearance or behavior.
America is to blame for everything! Its anti-Islamic war. They will destroy Islam like they destroyed Communism. They have already destroyed and quelled it.
The article is a dangerous complacency. Terrorism has taken root in Kazakhstan, it is a fact.
I think that this is work by experts to divert attention from government officials to enable them to work for their ends and steal money quietly.
Terrorism has been labeled "Islamic," so I am convinced that Islamic terrorism can be stopped only by Muslims themselves. In Kazakhstan, Muslims should fight this international evil. Why doesn't official clergy take any action? Imams? The evil has come to our land, why do we keep silent? Or our mosques have limited their role in collecting sadaqah? So many young people, many Muslims gather for Friday prayers, why not use the opportunity to speak? Imams should call for fighting terrorism so that the Muslims themselves identify radically-minded people in every village, aul, district and town. The shadow has been cast on our faith, we are also in Islam. I urge all Muslims to take interest in radically-minded people, encourage them to seek peace and harmony. Many of them have been misled, some are victims of Sharia law misinterpretation. Acts of terrorism are unacceptable in Kazakhstan! Every Kazakh Muslim should feel remorse for every attack before members of other religions. Allah Akbar!
The enemies took advantage of the failure to engage young people and turned them against their country and against their own people. A man who lays hands on his countryman is worse than a fascist. They have nothing to do with religion of our people, this is a disguise. They failed to react in time, even housewives knew what beardies were busy with. Many of them traveled to Pakistan and Egypt to train, and they had vouchers, but no one checked. Secret services and law enforcement agencies failed to deal with it. Now their anxiety comes too late. It will be very difficult to fix. And is it possible? The beardies have been brainwashed into fanaticism against their own people.
The government has been doing its best; the situation is very complicated; many officers were killed in the line of duty! I express my condolences to their families! All the media call it a shakhid's struck. What kind of shakhids are they? They are thugs using religion as a cover,; they have not been able to achieve anything in their lives, realize themselves; they are outcasts of society, shortly put. It is necessary to conduct an awareness campaign among the population with the focus on the Muslims who adhere to the 4 Mazkhab school of thought and Salafis. Muslims should offer their support in these troubled times, when there is a "fitna" their own state.
Those calling for radical methods are provocateurs. Islam is a way of life, an attitude, a perception or rejection of this or that. Muslims are more patient, calm and reasonable in many ways. Fighting such people is tantamount to fighting Allah, a Russian scenario in Dagestan. The Moscow airport explosion is not yet the end of it, and their war will continue until the last Muslim, that is almost indefinitely. We do not need such a scenario, Islam for our country is the last light that is left in this life. On the contrary, we should spread this religion of peace and kindness everywhere.
So, what can be done?
Unfortunately, Kazakhstan faces the same fate. I'm surprised that the people of Kazakhstan did not know for such a long time what a terrorist attack is, given the fact that neighboring countries have long been familiar with terrorism. Perhaps, credit should be given to our security forces. But this is a worldwide problem and the Kazakhs certainly could not avoid it. At the moment, it all depends on the government“s tough and rapid response to developments.
I liked the article. Do not disturb anything, and everything will be fine.
I think I know what the government should do to prevent further unintentional consequences that make headlines from happening in Kazakhstan.
They have shut down prayer rooms at government agencies. It is clear that civil servants pray to the dollar, but the one who signed the ban apparently did not think that reformatory establishments and detention centers also fell into this category. Everybody knows that our courts sentence people to 20 to 25 years. Some people are sentenced to life, what should they do? If a person truly wants to repent to God, many will find their last resort in prison. No matter who a criminal is, he is afraid of God, and the prayer ban causes aggression. The ban on the hijab, on the contrary, encourages women to wear hijab. What the authorities have achieved by introducing it? More people are discontent with the government every day. Compared to the SAMK and official imams in mosques (who turned religion into a business), the bearded fellow Muslims effectively interpret the importance of surahs, ayats. At the same time, official imams in mosques just collect the money at funerals, raking in money. The ban will plunge the country into chaos, come to your senses and make the only right decision. Karibay Kusainov
Why discuss whether suicide bombers were involved or not? The issue is far more serious and dangerous. This is terrorism, and it is necessary to take drastic measures rather than avoid the problem ... Do not you understand?
The law enforcement agencies should exercise vigilance, and a religious awareness campaign should be conducted ...