Secularism and Muslim complicate Kyrgyzstan Conflict

Secularism and Muslim complicate Kyrgyzstan Conflict : Although the majority Muslim, but secular in Kyrgyzstan applying the principle of his administration. Kyrgyzstan is a small country is a republic in Central Asia, which had been under the rule of the Soviet Union.

The country is bordered by China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. The majority of Kyrgyz citizens are Muslims. Based on the last census in 2007, the Kyrgyz population reached 5.5 million people. And about 80 percent of the population is Muslim, 18 percent are affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, and the remaining two percent are adherents of Judaism and other beliefs.

Although the followers of Islam to dominate, but the Government of Kyrgyzstan, including hard and firm against Muslims. Like the measures taken by the Government of Kyrgyzstan earlier this year. January 2010 then, the Government of Kyrgyzstan issued a new law that limits activities of religious life there. Many people believe the law is deliberately imposed as the government attempts to impose its views on a particular religion on society and its target is the Muslim community in the country.

The new Act was issued requiring religious groups, whether it's official (legal) or not yet, to register the organization. Under those regulations, a religious organization must have a member of at least 200 people before otherwise be operated by the government. The law also prohibits the distribution of literature, whether in print, audio, or video recordings of religious in public places, schools, and institutions of higher education.

Religious leaders in Kyrgyzstan expressed their objection on the application of this law. They assess the existence of these laws oppressing religious life there.

A Muslim leaders in Kyrgyzstan, Kadyr Malikov, stated, this law makes it difficult Islamic movements and Muslim communities in Kyrgyzstan. In addition, he also considered the contents of the law was too excessive and suggests that religious activities as if something very dangerous for Kyrgyzstan.

"People in government can not distinguish between Islamic teachings and traditions of peace with the extremists. Obviously this will make us if you want to build new mosques and madrassas, or (also) complicates the relationship between the secular government with the Muslim community, "Malikov said as quoted IslamOnline site pages.
Restraints on freedom of religion in Kyrgyzstan is long felt by Muslims there. In 2007, the Government of Kyrgyzstan has imposed a ban on the headscarf in schools in the southern region. As a result, some female students who wear the veil, was forced out even dropouts.

In early March 2009, the Government of Kyrgyzstan to reiterate about the headscarf ban at this educational institution. Damira Kudaibergenova, one of the senior staff at the Ministry of Education argued that Kyrgyzstan is a country that embraces secularism system. "When faced with a choice between education and the veil, we chose education," he told Reuters news agency.

Kudaibergenova consider the hijab and religion as a form of attack on the students at the school. For that, he said, they should be protected. Kudaibergenova also complained about students who are not present in class on Friday afternoon due to perform Friday prayers.

Despite the facts on the ground shows that case, but the head of Religious Commission Kanibek Osmonaliyev denied that the government was restricting religious freedom in that country. Osmonaliyev argued that the government only wanted to discipline the religious groups that exist.

"People are asking us to discipline them, because people are worried about their families divided due to the influence of these gropus," he said. Quoted from the news agency Agence France Presse (AFP), there are 80 thousand people have fled ethnic Uzbeks. Most of the refugees are women and children.

In that incident, Osh city turned into the red zone (region of war). Residents of arson and robbery. This conflict also led to more than 1,200 people injured. Interethnic conflict is heating up after the President of Kyrgyzstan, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, was ousted last April, when the majority of citizens of Kyrgyzstan to support Bakiyev.

Uzbekistan itself supports the President of Kyrgyzstan, while currently Roza Otunbayeva. If you look at the history of Osh city, it will be found that in 1990 they have been entered in a conflict between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks. And the city is now the basis of Kyrgyz opposition supporters and supporters of the previous government.

Russian influence began to infiltrate into Kyrgyzstan since 1918 to all the territory fell under the Government of the Soviet Union in 1936. Government of the Soviet Union helped create the cultural and economic changes in Kyrgyzstan. At that time, the communist regime has changed the writing of Kyrgyzstan consists of Arabic script and Russia in 1941.

In August 1990 the first clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in Osh city. And it continued for two months until the election of Askar Akayev's pro-Russia in October the same year. Akayev in office until 2005, and later fled to Russia after opposition eroded the power of government. As a result, conflicts between the supporters and the opposition has continued and spread in the capital Bishek.

After that, Kurmanbek Bakiyev of the pro-United States (U.S.) was elected president of Kyrgyzstan until April 2010, before the ousted by the opposition that forced him to flee from the capital to the city of Osh. Bakiyev asked to sign an agreement which required him out of the country and handed over power to an interim government led by Otunbayeva.