This is the Uzbek analogy to the U.S. government’s “Countering Violent Extremism” program that studiously ignores the Islamic motivations and goals underlying Islamic jihad terrorism. It is just as stupid as that program, and far more repressive. If the Uzbek government (and the U.S. government) wants to stop jihad activity, it needs to focus on jihad preaching and recruitment. A Muslim without a beard can turn to jihad as easily as a Muslim with one. In fact, al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have in the past advised Muslims to shave off their beards and appear secular so as not to arouse the suspicion of law enforcement authorities in the West.
“Police In Uzbek City Force Dozens Of Practicing Muslims To Shave Off Beards,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, June 9, 2021 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
ANGREN, Uzbekistan — Police in Uzbekistan’s eastern city of Angren have forced dozens of practicing Muslims to shave off their beards, a practice in the Central Asian nation that has been criticized by domestic and international rights organization for years.
One city resident told RFE/RL on June 8 that a day earlier he had been summoned to a police station where he and dozens of other men were forced to shave their beards off.
“Police warned us that if we refuse to shave our beards, they will do it using force. They took our pictures before and after the beards were shaved,” the man said, adding that the anti-beard campaign lasted for several days.
“All those men who were summoned to police and forced to shave their beards off are practicing Muslims. When we tried to protest, demanding to show us a law that bans beards, police said “your beards are different than other men have, and you look differently.” Those of us who tried to refuse to shave were warned that we’d be charged with disobedience to police and there was no other way for us than to follow their orders,” another man told RFE/RL….
Infidel says
I don’t know about Uzbekistan’s current policy towards jihadists. But under late president Karimov, shaving beards was just one of the things they did. Others were cracking down on any display of islamic piety, and being pretty hard on groups like the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which at the time was affiliated to al Qaeda and later to ISIS. In 2005, after the uprising in Andojon was crushed, the US embassy in Tashkent stupidly issued a statement that was interpreted by the Uzbeks as being supportive of jihad, and that resulted in the 2 US bases in Uzbekistan which were used in Afghan operations to be shut down
Currently, Uzbekistan is not on the US list of countries that cracks down on religious freedom. But we should avoid lecturing the Uzbeks on how they should deal w/ Hizb-e-Tahrir or any other islamic groups, and let them handle it the way they see fit. So far, they’ve done such a good job that any jihadist who managed to escape from that country fled to the more democratic Kyrgyzstan and has made that the center of jihadists. The Tsarnaev brothers were citizens of that country, and so was the jihadist who did a vehicular jihad attack in Moscow before the World cup soccer tournament in Russia some years ago
Only negative thing about Uzbekistan – they revere the 14th century Turkic conqueror Tamerlane as one of their heroes, despite the fact that ethnically, he wasn’t Uzbek. That country may be doing all it can to build up a secular foundation, but there is nothing down the road stopping anyone from pointing out Tamerlane’s islamic fealties. Not just that, Uzbekistan recently joined the Turkic council, after refusing to do that under Karimov, who was suspicious of Erdogan. So who knows how long this secular regime will last?
gravenimage says
Infidel, Uzbekistan has been re-Islamizing for some time now:
“The Re-Islamization of Society and the Position of Women in Post-Soviet Uzbekistan”
https://www.amazon.com/Re-Islamization-Society-Position-Post-Soviet-Uzbekistan/dp/1905246447
This book is from 2008.
gravenimage says
Missing the point in Uzbekistan: Police force practicing Muslims to shave off their beards
……………..
This isn’t going to change their ideology.
Reziac says
It’s a form of public shaming. Shaming may sound bad to modern westerners, but it works quite well with most people. The message is — don’t behave like an obvious Muslim, or we’ll make sure everyone laughs and points. Most people don’t want to be shamed, so it discourages obvious Muslim behavior (including the trappings, like a pious beard, and by extension, jihadi behavior).
mortimer says
Reziac, your method will not work with Muslims. The Koran recommends revenge against those who humiliate or mock Muslims.
Canonical commentary on K.9.11-12 : “And if they) the people of Mecca (break their pledges) which are between you and them (after their treaty (has been made with you) and assail your religion) and defame the Religion of Islam, (then FIGHT TO THE DEATH the heads of disbelief) FIGHT TO THE DEATH the leaders of disbelief: Abu Sufyan and his host. (Lo! they have no binding oaths in order that they may desist) from breaking their pledges. (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs)
gravenimage says
I think you may be right, Mortimer.
SAFI says
haven’t heard a peep from al Jazeera &company on this so far… Imagine the outrcry from Qatari and turkish media if it was India or France or some other european country where this kind of “islamophobic” assault on facial hair was taking place…
gravenimage says
Good point, SAFI. The only conplaints are against Infidels–mostly westerners. And thos complaints are loud and hysterical.
Mano says
Uzbekistan is just another Turkic sh@t hole
mortimer says
The way to end jihadism is to end Islam … through introducing Muslims to ideas 1) the Koran has NOT been perfectly preserved 2) the Koran is NOT of divine origin, but merely of human origin.
When Muslims see that the Koran is of human origin, they leave Islam and jihad instantly.
Kepha says
I don’t know about Uzbekistan, but in the USA, the Democratic Party will call people assembling peaceably to protest abortion “terrorists” while giving Antifa and BLM a free pass after they spent months trashing several American cities.