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From: Anna Kirtiklis<br />Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2000 02:13:12 -0700 (PDT)
bulk thoughts: guerillas (14)
Anastasia Kirtiklis2006-06-29 10:44:57
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war torn and life there, from what I can gather (I've only been through a bit three times on the train in the middle of the night), is much more difficult than in the other Central Asian republics. Particularly if you are a woman.
The Wuhabis are one of these guerilla groups. Actually, the Wuhabis are the name of a militant sect of Islam that originates in Saudi Arabia. The Uzbek government is against practicing Muslims, and they tend to call anyone who wears a beard or scarf and goes to the mosque a Wuhabi, which is not at all the case. More accurately, these miliants are called the I.M.U.—the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and what makes them so alarming is that they are quite similar to the Taliban of Afghanistan. And, like the Taliban, they are supported and funded by Osama Bin Laden.
“Oh God,” is the appropriate reaction here.
It's been rumored by an unfortunately reliable source that the guerillas are moving into Uzbekistan now and hope to launch an all out offensive in the spring.
There are more than a few things I can't get over. I can't believe it's so close and such a threat. I can't believe that this country and these excellent people could be so close to war. Most bizarre to me is that there is no word of this in the west whatsoever. I don't have great access to western media, but I'll bet that the news is saturated with the Russian submarine crisis and not a word is said about Uzbekistan, a place that Putin has very good reason to pay close attention to and even protect. Even BBC world news, which seems to cover every conflict in every unknown country on the planet, hasn't mentioned it. It's a bit surreal.
Don't worry about me though. I only have a week left in Uzbekistan (I know, just when it gets exiting); then I'm off to Iran.
Post tour update: I'm tired and a little dizzy. Without a doubt I could use a break. This trip was such
...
See photographs from:
Uzbekistan Gallery
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Dilshod, 2009-07-06 22:04:59