Strengthening Capacity to Prevent Violent Extremism in the Kyrgyz Republic Strengthening Capacity to Prevent Violent Extremism in the Kyrgyz Republic 1 Search for Common Ground | Kyrgyzstan | 74, Erkindik Blvd, Bishkek Strengthening Capacity to Prevent Violent Extremism in the Kyrgyz Republic Table of Contents Models of State-Islam Relations in Russia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Norway, and Israel: Lessons to be Learned ................................................................. 3 The Muftiyat as an Institute of the Muslim Community and its Potential for Building Interfaith Dialogue in Kyrgyzstan ................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Interaction Mechanisms of State Structures and Islamic Organizations in Preventing Extremism in the Kyrgyz Republic.............................................................................. 36 Teaching Pluralism in Conflict Resolution through Central Asian Religious Traditions ................................................................................................................................... 49 Assessing the Possibility of Building a Kyrgyz Theological School ............................ 62 The Role of Imams in Conflict Prevention .................................................................. 71 Assessing the Role of Imams in Conflict Resolution .................................................. 82 Problems within the Intraction between Law-Enforcement Authorities and Religious Organizations in Countering Religious Extremism: National and Public Security ...... 88 Strategies for Combating Violent Extremism in the Kyrgyz Republic ....................... 103 The Psychological and Social Portrait of an Extremist and Terrorist ........................ 118 The Typology of Thought and the Steps of an Extremist: Internal Reasons for Radicalization and Protest ....................................................................................... 134 2 Search for Common Ground | Kyrgyzstan | 74, Erkindik Blvd, Bishkek Strengthening Capacity to Prevent Violent Extremism in the Kyrgyz Republic Photograph by Search for Common Ground Dr. Nazira Kurbanova PhD, Historical Sciences Professor, I. Arabayev Kyrgyz State University Models of State-Islam Relations in Russia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Norway, and Israel: Lessons to be Learned 3 Search for Common Ground | Kyrgyzstan | 74, Erkindik Blvd, Bishkek Strengthening Capacity to Prevent Violent Extremism in the Kyrgyz Republic Introduction Selecting the correct model and the role of state-Islam relations in Kyrgyz socio-political life are high priorities for the Kyrgyz Republic and for all secular countries with significant Muslim populations. Today, there is a wide range of at times opposing viewpoints on the future development of Islamic processes in the Kyrgyz Republic. The increasing popularity of Islamic values in public life has led to ambiguity, which can be expressed as such: Depending on the social and political circumstances, Islamic values may either help stabilize society, or, to a certain extent, be a source of instability, divides, and destruction. Additionally, this religious ideology and set of beliefs are projected into practice, revealing differences of views and positions and having a direct impact on citizens’ socio-political behavior; the high social significance and severity of this problem requires careful analysis and forecasting. However, recent publications indicate that intellectual pursuits on the fate of Islam in our society have reached a new level. Euphoria, natural for the first years of religious renewal, has been gradually replaced by serious reflections on the essence of Islam, necessary for citizens and coinciding with the existing realities. Encouragingly, in recently years, the state has engaged in active regulation of the religious sphere. The Council of Defense of Kyrgyzstan’s recent decision On State Policy in the Religious Sphere (February 3, 2014) rocked intellectual pursuits on the role of religion in a secular society; the issue received great attention in the media, and puzzled state officials, experts and ordinary citizens. This decision led to the adoption of a large-scale reform program targeting religious aspects and addressing state-Islam relations. Policy-makers developed a draft of the Concept of the State Policy, discussed in all regions; is working to improve the Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations; and conducted a functional analysis of public authorities dealing with religion and the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan (SAMK). The Concept of Interaction between the Internal Affairs Bodies and Religious Organizations has served as a basis for combating religious extremism. To draw lessons for Kyrgyzstan, we analyzed the international experience of state-Islam relations in various countries of different forms, types, levels of religious diversity, and the legal regulation of religious organizations. In accordance with the purpose, the research covered the theoretical basis of essence and content of state-religion relations, and conducted a comparative description of state-Islam relations in countries with Muslim population such as Russia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Norway, and Israel. The development of state-Islam relations in Kyrgyzstan was also analyzed. The research’s conclusion offers a set of practical recommendations. 4 Nature and Content of the State-Religion Relations Search for Common Ground | Kyrgyzstan | 74, Erkindik Blvd, Bishkek Strengthening Capacity to Prevent Violent Extremism in the Kyrgyz Republic State-religion relations are a part of a state’s religious policy, and are a set of interactions between state bodies and religious associations, including legally registered religious groups and those that are unregistered. Appendix 1 Key Participants of the State-Religion Relations Relations between the state and religious organizations depend on legislatively enshrined ideas about the place of religion and religious organizations, their functions, and areas of competence in society. Appendix 2 Subject Matter of State-Religion Relations 5 Universal practice indicates that secular states implement the democratic principle of the freedom of conscience by clearly defining the competencies and functions of the state and religious organizations in accordance with the law. However, this principle Search for Common Ground | Kyrgyzstan | 74, Erkindik Blvd, Bishkek Strengthening Capacity to Prevent Violent Extremism in the Kyrgyz Republic does not equate the exclusion of religion from all areas of society or the suspension of religious organizations from solving socially significant problems. Currently, religious organizations operating in our country engage in a wide range of activities in addition to those which are liturgical. Therefore, state authorities and religious organizations interact in almost all spheres of life. A state body’s defining feature is a set of powers of which religious organizations cannot be endowed. State bodies cannot delegate to religious organizations any of the state’s social and cultural functions, nor can they grant sufficient authority and resources. Also, the state cannot be justified in assigning religious organizations functions that constitute the state’s exclusive prerogative such as law-making, executive and administrative function, law enforcement, administration of justice, or civil registration. However, this is different from the cooperation between the state and religious organizations in social, cultural, and educational, etc. activities often implemented on the basis of a contract or agreement. Without imposing on religious organization the functions of citizens’ social security, the state, at the same time, may, within the law, support the activities of religious associations to help the elderly, orphans, the sick, prisoners, and other citizens in the form of charity. The interaction of state and religious organizations typically take place in the following social and political spheres: Appendix 3 Spheres of State-Religious Organization Relations The nature of the state-religious organization relations shows firstly, the status of human 6 rights and freedoms related to religion in any state; secondly, the degree of the state’s respect for the citizens’ beliefs; and finally, the state's attitude to non-governmental institutions with strong ideologies. The state-religious organization relations are impacted by the following factors: Search for Common Ground | Kyrgyzstan | 74, Erkindik Blvd, Bishkek Strengthening Capacity to Prevent Violent Extremism in the Kyrgyz Republic • The overall situation in the country, including the socio-economic environment and ethnic and social relations; • Historical factor, including historical impacts and established notions of the role of traditional religions; • The need to incorporate international norms protecting human rights and freedoms, and respect for commitments to international treaties signed by the Kyrgyz Republic; • The low level of legal and religious culture demonstrated by not only citizens’ ignorance of legislation, but also the reluctance of individual civil servants and representatives of religious organizations to comply with the law; • The lack of a holistic concept of public policy, national idea such as ideological foundations of state-religious organization relations, and understanding of the role of religious organizations; • Poly-confessionality; • Interconnection