EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Uzbek Press Responds Slowly But Forcefully to Attacks in Afghanistan

EURASIA INSIGHT

UZBEK PRESS RESPONDS SLOWLY BUT FORCEFULLY TO ATTACKS IN AFGHANISTAN

David Hunsicker Jr. 10/10/01

When American and British forces began their strikes on targets in Afghanistan October 7 around 9 pm local time, the Uzbek media was largely silent. It wasn’t until about twelve hours later that the main Tashkent television channel "Uzbekistan" provided its first coverage of the events. The report was presented in Uzbek and followed immediately by the same report in Russian using footage taken from CNN and EuroNews.

Many in Uzbekistan had already heard of the attacks from Uzbek and Russian language broadcasts on Radio Free Europe and the BBC, and some followed the events late into the evening on Russian television channels widely available in Tashkent.

News and commentary on the attacks did not appear in the local press, however, until October 9. In large part most newspapers do not have Monday editions.

Two newspapers, Fidokorlar and Toshkent Oqshomi, printed the full text of President Islam Karimov’s speech delivered at a press conference following US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s visit on October 5. Commentary in almost all of Tuesday’s papers was in some way derived from the President’s speech, often including several quotes.

A few main themes dominated commentary on the strikes. The primary theme was the reiteration of Uzbekistan’s long-standing position of the need to fight against terrorism and the need to destroy it at its root. For example, Madamin Safarov wrote in an article entitled "Terrorism�The Enemy of Humanity" on the front page of Inson va Qonun that "Uzbekistan, as that country that was the first to sound the alarm against terrorism and that has itself been a victim of it, cannot stand idly by [at this time]."

Others lamented the fact that the world community has taken so long to recognize the full nature of the threat of international terrorism. In a statement in the official newspaper Xalq So’zi, one of Uzbekistan’s leading political figures, Abdulhafiz Jalolov, said: "Some have come to understand belatedly the necessity of fighting in solidarity against terrorism."

In examining the implications for Uzbekistan of US air strikes against Afghanistan, Aslidin Boliyev, the secretary of central committee of the Fidokorlar party told Xalq So’zi that "The existence of a dangerous shelter for terrorists just next door threatens the peace and tranquility of the nations of the region, and specifically Uzbekistan."

On the front page of O’zbekiston Ovozi, the official newspaper of the People’s Democratic Party, Fozil qori Sobirov, the head of the Religious Affairs Committee under the Cabinet of Ministers, reiterated another theme that appears in many papers. He stated that the anti-terrorism campaign should not be construed as a war against Muslims, or even the Afghan people.

In an article entitled, "Terrorism Has No Religion," Sobirov wrote: "If we were to call terrorists who destroy peace and spill the blood of innocent people Muslims, we would be making a mistake before God." And continues by saying, "Muslims, just like the example of the Prophet, do not bring harm to another either with his hand or tongue. A Muslim’s intention will always be for good."

Two other issues also appear repeatedly. The first is a condemnation of the foreign media for reporting unsubstantiated rumors. President Karimov first made these criticisms on October 5.

Uzbekistan has also repeatedly stressed that all is calm along the country’s border with Afghanistan. Uzbek officials have disputed reports of a Taliban military buildup or movements near the Uzbek border.

The general spirit of the attitudes found in the Uzbek press is nicely summarized in a short article in Inson va Qonun: "We are united in spirit with all of the progressive forces of the world. In the war between good and evil, good has always triumphed. The calamity that is terrorism will also surely be destroyed. Of this, there is absolutely no doubt."

Editor�s Note: David R. Hunsicker, Jr. is a Ph.D. student at the University of Washington. He is a long time resident of Tashkent.

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