To Syria, not Afghanistan: Central Asian jihadis 'neglect' their neighbour Author : Christine Roehrs Published: 8 October 2014 Downloaded: 7 September 2018 Download URL: https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/to-syria-not-afghanistan-central-asian-jihadis-neglect-their-neighbour/?format=pdf Since the American and Northern Alliance defeat of the Taleban and their Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) allies in northern Afghanistan in late 2001, the arrival of would-be fighters from the former Soviet countries of Central Asia to Afghanistan has been a very small trickle. And yet, over the last year, the number of Central Asians travelling to far-off Syria to join insurgent groups has been a comparative flood. The study of this phenomenon is just beginning, and massive gaps in the available information exist. However, while the reasons for Central Asians favouring the war in Syria over the war in Afghanistan are debatable, the obvious trend is not. In this dispatch, AAN guest analyst Christian Bleuer discusses the possible reasons for Central Asian jihadis neglecting to join an insurgency in a neighbouring country in favour of going to a distant battle in Arab lands. Over the last decade, numerous analysts, government officials and journalists in Central Asia, Afghanistan and the West have made claims of significant contributions by Central Asian fighters to the insurgency in Afghanistan. These claims have been discounted by many analysts, including by AAN. In reality, very few fighters make the trip from the countries of Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan) to join the fight in Afghanistan. The dead insurgents identified by Afghan police and military as being from 1 / 8 Central Asia are eventually identified as local Afghans of Tajik, Uzbek or Turkmen ethnicity. At the same time, very few Central Asians have been individually named or identified while fighting in Afghanistan. (1) In comparison, recent events have made it very clear that many from Central Asia have travelled to Syria to join insurgent forces, notable IS (‘The Islamic State,’ also known as ISIS or ISIL or by its Arabic acronym, Da’ash). One year ago, Kazakhstan was shocked by the video testimonial of a group of 150 Kazakhs inside Syria who declared their commitment to jihad under the IS banner. More recently, a citizen of Tajikistan was promoted to IS ‘Amir’ for the strategic Syrian city of Raqqa. In between these two news items, there have been numerous instances of proof provided of Central Asians fighting and dying in Syria (for a small selection, see here and here; for specific local case studies from Tajikistan, see here (in Russian) and here). Furthermore, numerous videos showing Central Asians in Syria can be found online (Uzbeks, for example: here, here, here and here). There is some disagreement over the exact number of Central Asians fighting in Syria and Iraq, with a low conservative estimate by Radio Free Europe of approximately 400 and the higher range of estimates by Russian analysts of 1000 to 5000. In the highly authoritarian and paranoid environment of Central Asia, it is very difficult to research this phenomenon and find information on the ground – including just simply confirming numbers. However, the government of Tajikistan is using the conflict as a warning against joining Islamist movements and is not stopping journalists from visiting villages that have been especially affected by the departure of young men to the war in Syria. In one village in northern Tajikistan where 20 men have departed to Syria and where two have been killed, opinions are divided. Some consider the young men to be “true Muslims and heroes” and one father considers his son’s death while fighting in Syria as righteous ‘martyrdom’, while others label them misguided young men whose susceptibility to “ignorance and bigotry” led them astray. Almost all the men were recruited while working in Russia, and some intend to stay in Syria long term as indicated by one incident where a local man attempted to get his pregnant wife to come to Syria, along with their two children (here, (in Russian) and here). The reasons why Central Asian Muslims are flocking to Syria while neglecting Afghanistan is an extremely difficult research question. Most of the fighters are still in Syria and Iraq and will remain or die there. The ones who have returned and who have spoken with authorities and journalists are not a good sample group, as their opinions and reasons reflect the motivations of those who have returned, not those who have stayed. This type of research is hard enough in open societies in Europe; it is much harder in Central Asia where returnees and their families, if they are made available by authorities, often just repeat government talking points condemning the excesses of IS and renouncing violence, while others claim they were deceived by unscrupulous jihadi recruiters. One Kyrgyz who was arrested in Turkey after spending time in Syria claimed he had been tricked into going to Syria 2 / 8 with the false offer of a job in Turkey. After arriving in Turkey, according to his story reported by a US military-funded website (here), he was sent into Syria where, he said, “militants, some from the northern Caucasus, trained us for a few days. I didn't want to fight, but they forced us. A month later, we ended up near the Syrian town of Al-Bab. I escaped with difficulty to Turkey.” Even if his version of the story is not true, as he could very well have been trying to avoid a long prison sentence for willingly and knowingly joining the fight in Syria, it does show one of the ways in which local government attempts to frame the issue (note: the American website linked above consistently repeats viewpoints of the Central Asian governments and their security services). Even those who may not be giving interviews at the behest of local authorities represent, at best, the Central Asians who were disillusioned or scared by the fighting and returned home (for example this anonymous Kazakh interviewed in Kazakhstan; warning: gory photo at link). Meanwhile, the video testimonies of Central Asians in Syria are not particularly enlightening as they are often just standard jihadi messages, the content of which can be guessed before watching the videos. With no serious independent analysis on the reasons why Central Asians travel to Syria (where Tajiks, Uzbeks and Turkmens from Central Asia have no co-ethnic populations) while neglecting the ‘jihad’ in neighbouring Afghanistan (where Central Asians do have co-ethnic populations), it is only possible at this point to offer some speculation. The possible reasons for the Syria preference over Afghanistan include the following: 1. IS and other rebel groups in Syria and Iraq are seen to be winning, at least currently: Over the past year, rebels groups in Syria and Iraq, especially IS, have made quick and spectacular gains. These well-publicised battlefield victories in Syria could be juxtaposed by the potential Central Asian jihadi to the Taleban’s 20 year long struggle in Afghanistan with no end in sight. At the moment, IS controls significant territories; the Taleban do not. This may change with the combined American, European and Arab assault on IS and with any resurgence of the Taleban in Afghanistan, but, for now, it is safe to say that the fight in Syria benefits from a ‘bandwagon’ effect, (2) while the long-running fight in Afghanistan continues to be neglected by international jihadis, apart from Pakistanis. 2. Prestige of the Arab World: Central Asians assign more prestige and positive opinions towards the Arab countries. In comparison, Afghanistan is most usually denigrated and disliked by Central Asians. In Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, for example, it is rare to hear any empathy expressed for Afghans. Instead, negative and demeaning descriptions of Afghanistan dominate. (3) For those more religious Central Asians, Arabs are considered more authentically Muslim, and the Arab world is considered as a desired destination for study, visits and, or course, pilgrimage. (4) Helping fellow Muslims in the Arab world, from Palestinians to Syrian Sunnis, or at least sympathising with them, has always been more worthy an endeavour for Central Asians. On the other hand, the suffering of Uyghurs, Chechens, Dagestanis, Afghans and other Muslims in their own region at the hands of non-Muslims are mostly invisible issues in Central Asia (5). 3 / 8 3. IS is a new brand: IS can appeal to Central Asians in a way the Taleban can not. The Taleban ‘brand’ in Central Asia is stained by over a decade and a half of relentless criticism by Central Asian journalists, Muslim leaders, citizens and government officials. The Taleban are considered ‘backwards’, ‘dirty’, ‘dangerous’ and ‘fanatical’ and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, equally disliked, has been near comatose for some time. (6) IS, for many, is something new and unknown. The first introduction to IS could very well be a positive online portrayal or a recruiting pitch in person from another Central Asian. However, as disillusioned Central Asians (7) return with their horror stories, IS may soon come to be considered similar to the Taleban by potential recruits. 4. Recruitment and travel to Syria is easier: Using Turkey as a gateway is quite easy for Central Asians (see here and here), due to language familiarity for some and ease of travel (eg, the visa regime allows Kazakhs to easily visit Turkey). From Turkey, the crossing into Syria was, until recently, very easy (see here, here and here). Furthermore, one of the main grounds for recruitment for the war in Syria is among Central Asian populations in Russia. The Russian government estimates – counting just Uzbeks, Tajiks and Kyrgyz – that there are over four million Central Asian guest workers in Russia (here).