Central Asia, Featured, News Watch, Side Feature

The Subordinate “Independence” of Uzbekistan!

On February 13, the news agency Radio Liberty published an article on its web page: “Gas control is an important geopolitical weapon for the Kremlin. The investigator talks about how the Kremlin’s ties to the Uzbek gas sector were exposed.

Radio Ozodlik released an investigation that found that Uzbek and Russian insiders, including those associated with Gazprom, have gained control of hundreds of gas and oil fields in Uzbekistan under current President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The main beneficiaries of these projects are opaque companies whose owners include the billionaire Gennady Timchenko, a close associate of Vladimir Putin.

Comment:
While the people of Uzbekistan and neighboring republics suffer from severe cold, the authorities have limited the supply of gas, light and heat to the population. In the capital of the republic, Tashkent, there has been no light or heating in homes for several days now. People are outraged and take to the streets demanding improved livelihoods. Against the background of the shortage of heat and electricity in the cities, the Internet space is buzzing with the news that Uzbek gas, which the people need both for heating and cooking, is in the hands of the Kremlin.

This is not news, since those who study politics and world politics know that there are leader countries, independent countries and subordinate countries. Leaders and independent countries fight among themselves for the right to own natural resources. And subordinate countries, such as Uzbekistan and its natural resources, are prey to and victims of colonizing countries.

After the occupation and colonization of Central Asia by Tsarist Russia, and then by the Communist regime represented by the USSR, Uzbekistan and neighboring republics remain subordinate to the Kremlin. It would seem that more than 30 years have passed since the collapse of the USSR and the declaration of Uzbekistan as an “independent” state, but the country still remains subservient and servile to the interests of the Kremlin. Why is this happening?

Man’s behavior comes from his concepts. If a person builds his concepts on a fundamental thought about the universe, life, man, where they came from and where they go, what is the connection between them, then this person is on the path of development. That is, it is an ideological basis, which leads to the development of a man, and as a consequence, society and the state develop, and become strong and independent.

This is an example of Islamic ideology. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) brought to the world a heavenly message from the Creator of the worlds, Allah Almighty, Islam. No one cared about the Arab tribes in the Arabian Peninsula until Islam came and united the warring Arab tribes, living on tribal and nationalistic bases, into a single Islamic Ummah based on the Islamic ideology. This Ummah then carried the light of Islam throughout the world. The world powers of the time – Byzantium, Rome, Persia – trembled with fear of losing their lands and power when they heard about Islam and Muslims. And so it happened, they failed, and eventually dissolved into the dust of history, and their place was taken by Muslims on the basis of Islamic ideology. That is, an ideological basis is needed for the development of a man, society and the state. And for this development to be correct and constant we need the right ideology, and this is Islamic ideology!

The government of Uzbekistan, represented by former President I. Karimov, and at the moment Sh. Mirziyoyev, could not provide the people with any idea other than nationalism for the development of a man, society and the state. Nationalism at its core is a low and narrow idea unsuitable to unite all people and lead to development. People are frozen in ignorance, busy thinking only about satisfying their organic needs. We see constant conflicts between neighboring republics, degradation, poverty and devastation. Lands rich in natural resources do not bring any benefit to the people, while those in power and their masters colonizers enrich themselves by stealing the people’s property.

Today the Muslims of Uzbekistan live under the leadership of tyrants on the basis of nationalistic ideas, and perceive Islam as a priestly religion, separating it from life. This idea of secularism is the fruit of disbelieving colonizers from the West, who use this false and unworkable idea to enslave and control not only Muslims, but all mankind, to their advantage. That is why we see how the Muslims of Uzbekistan for 30 years have not only made no progress, but have degraded both materially and morally. The people cannot even make use of their property, which was taken away from them by the authorities.

The solution to the problems of Muslims and the establishment of the path of development, will be when the Muslims of Uzbekistan will accept Islam as a system for the life of a man, society and the state. Then the Muslims of Uzbekistan will get rid of the shackles of colonialism morally, intellectually, spiritually and materially, overthrow the tyrants of the colonizers’ servants, revive the Islamic state of the Khilafah (Caliphate) and bring the light of Islam to the whole world. Allah Almighty has said in His Noble Book:

[إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ]

“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves” [13:11].

Eldar Khamzin
Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir