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Seminar on religion, security and stability in Central Asia
ALMATY 28 October 2000
ALMATY, 28 October 2000 - On 26-28 October 2000 an international seminar on "Religion, Security and Stability in Central Asia" was held in Almaty. The Seminar was organized by the Assembly of the Peoples of Kazakstan, under the auspices of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. The participants included the Minister for Culture, Information and Public Accord, Mr. Altynbek Sarsenbaev, Senator Pavel Atrushkevich, First Deputy Chairman of the APK, the leaders of national and religious communities and organizations, as well as experts and foreign guests. The seminar was addressed by Mr. Max van der Stoel, OSCE HCNM.
On the basis of the discussion the participants came to the following conclusions:
Religion plays a very important role in Central Asian countries today and it is of the utmost importance to guarantee the principle of freedom of religion. However, the implications and practicalities of implementing this principle are sometimes underestimated. First and foremost, it means the right to practice one's religion free from governmental interference. It also means that people have the right to interpret the basic tenets of their religion in a way that they consider appropriate, free from governmental interference.
At the same time, freedom of religion does not signify absolute freedom. No religious group has the right to use violence in order to undermine or overthrow the existing political order, even though members of such a group might consider it their religious duty to do this. The state has the right to defend itself against such attempts and to impose severe punishment on religious extremists who commit acts of terrorism and violence. However, the state must take the utmost care to ensure that only the real culprits are prosecuted. It would be a major mistake to prosecute people simply because they deviate from the dominant or traditional interpretation of a religion. The use of excessive force leads to state extremism. Recent history shows that this merely strengthens support for extremist groups by those unjustly repressed.
Thus, such measures should be excluded from the tool-box of anti-terrorist and anti-extremist policies.
It is clear that current efforts by religious extremists to undermine the political structures in some Central Asian states are receiving support from outside the region. It is therefore of prime importance that concerted political and diplomatic efforts be applied in order to bring an end to this practice. On the other hand, there is a need to analyze carefully the methods the extremists are using in their efforts to mobilize support from the local population. There are clear indications that they are targeting those in difficult social and economic circumstances, notably young and unemployed people who have little hope of finding work, luring them with false promises of a better life after the revolution. Thus, the securing of peace and stability in Central Asia also has a clear economic dimension. Economic and social progress could perhaps provide the most effective barrier against extremist efforts to destabilize the region. There was always a strong case for extensive economic assistance to Central Asian states. In the light of the recent developments the need for this has even become more evident.
The participants of the seminar welcomed the recent creation of the Council, under the aegis of the Government of RK, which has responsibility for liaising with religious organizations and communities; they expressed their hope that this body would serve a key role in promoting inter-confessional accord in the Republic. The participants also suggested that, in addition to this structure, it would be helpful to create a Council of Religious Leaders, to ensure that there is a full and open dialogue.
Moveover, the participants suggested that special attention should be paid to training the civil servants who have responsibility for dealing with religious affairs.
The participants recommended that the materials from the Seminar be compiled in book form and widely disseminated; they also decided that this Concluding Statement should be made available to the press.
They thanked the organizers and the Government of the RK for the excellent conditions that had been provided for the conduct of this seminar.
For more information or press inquiries, please contact: Walter Kemp, Senior Adviser, tel.: (+31-70) 312 55 00, fax: (+31-70) 363 59 10, e-mail:[email protected]
On the basis of the discussion the participants came to the following conclusions:
Religion plays a very important role in Central Asian countries today and it is of the utmost importance to guarantee the principle of freedom of religion. However, the implications and practicalities of implementing this principle are sometimes underestimated. First and foremost, it means the right to practice one's religion free from governmental interference. It also means that people have the right to interpret the basic tenets of their religion in a way that they consider appropriate, free from governmental interference.
At the same time, freedom of religion does not signify absolute freedom. No religious group has the right to use violence in order to undermine or overthrow the existing political order, even though members of such a group might consider it their religious duty to do this. The state has the right to defend itself against such attempts and to impose severe punishment on religious extremists who commit acts of terrorism and violence. However, the state must take the utmost care to ensure that only the real culprits are prosecuted. It would be a major mistake to prosecute people simply because they deviate from the dominant or traditional interpretation of a religion. The use of excessive force leads to state extremism. Recent history shows that this merely strengthens support for extremist groups by those unjustly repressed.
Thus, such measures should be excluded from the tool-box of anti-terrorist and anti-extremist policies.
It is clear that current efforts by religious extremists to undermine the political structures in some Central Asian states are receiving support from outside the region. It is therefore of prime importance that concerted political and diplomatic efforts be applied in order to bring an end to this practice. On the other hand, there is a need to analyze carefully the methods the extremists are using in their efforts to mobilize support from the local population. There are clear indications that they are targeting those in difficult social and economic circumstances, notably young and unemployed people who have little hope of finding work, luring them with false promises of a better life after the revolution. Thus, the securing of peace and stability in Central Asia also has a clear economic dimension. Economic and social progress could perhaps provide the most effective barrier against extremist efforts to destabilize the region. There was always a strong case for extensive economic assistance to Central Asian states. In the light of the recent developments the need for this has even become more evident.
The participants of the seminar welcomed the recent creation of the Council, under the aegis of the Government of RK, which has responsibility for liaising with religious organizations and communities; they expressed their hope that this body would serve a key role in promoting inter-confessional accord in the Republic. The participants also suggested that, in addition to this structure, it would be helpful to create a Council of Religious Leaders, to ensure that there is a full and open dialogue.
Moveover, the participants suggested that special attention should be paid to training the civil servants who have responsibility for dealing with religious affairs.
The participants recommended that the materials from the Seminar be compiled in book form and widely disseminated; they also decided that this Concluding Statement should be made available to the press.
They thanked the organizers and the Government of the RK for the excellent conditions that had been provided for the conduct of this seminar.
For more information or press inquiries, please contact: Walter Kemp, Senior Adviser, tel.: (+31-70) 312 55 00, fax: (+31-70) 363 59 10, e-mail:[email protected]