On 8 June 2016 IA “Novosti Kazakhstana” reported: “The president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev made a statement on the terrorist attack that took place on 5 June in Aktobe”. The statement says: “As you know, on June 5, there was committed a terrorist attack in Aktobe. The law enforcement authorities took the necessary measures for the strict suppression of that criminal action, destroying and neutralization of the terrorists. At my instructions, a special interdepartmental investigative group headed by the Minister of Internal Affairs has been working. The investigation is being conducted under the personal supervision of the Attorney General. All criminals will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. According to some data, the terrorist act was organized by the followers of the radical pseudo-religious movements, the instructions were received from abroad”.
Comment:
On 5 June a group of people who were once called the “Islamic terrorists” attacked two shops. Later on that day, taking a passenger bus they attacked Military unit 6655 of the National Guard of Kazakhstan. As a result of that event 4 civilians, 18 militants, 3 soldiers were killed. 7 militants and 8 individuals suspected of helping them were detained. The interrogation of the persons suspected of belonging revealed that initially 45 people took part in the discussion and preparation of the terrorist attack. But later, only 25 of the 45 previously discussed the possibility of a terrorist attack, attended the subsequent events. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Defence recognize that what happened in Aktobe to be a terrorist attack.
The consequences of those events were immediate. Already, on 10 June the president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev in the Security Council instructed the Government to develop a package of legislative initiatives in the field of combating terrorism and extremism, trafficking, sale and storage of weapons in the area of migration and religious associations within two months.
The pro-government experts immediately pointed out the “Islamic” track and accused ISISH of the incident. For example, Alibek Kimanov, an expert on religion and law, Head of Public Foundation Center “Akniet” said: “The main factor in the radicalization of religious groups is the attitude towards DAISH. In recent years, many residents of Aktobe region have moved to Syria. One of the catalysts was the call of Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, press secretary of DAISH, made on 22 May 2016, in which he called for terrorist attacks in the states which authorities do not allow their citizens to go to Syria”.
What is most notable is the fact that similar events have recently taken place in Tajikistan, in September 2015; in Kyrgyzstan on 20 July 2015, and such cases are many. As it usually happens, a group of several people, who have no military training and weapons, attack this or that object. As a result of the attack, most of the attackers are killed during the arrest, and several of them are detained and given wide publicity to justice.
But in the long run, after these events, the regime in the country becomes even more brutal in relation to its people and in particular to practicing Muslims. The power is able to arrest and prosecute any disagreeable man accusing him of preparing a terrorist attack or the like. Moreover, the authorities arrest ten unwanted people at once, fabricate a criminal case accusing them of preparing a terrorist attack and sentence them to long prison terms.
The latest “terrorist attack” in Kazakhstan coincided possibly with the recent mass protests of the people in connection with the changes made in the Land Code of the Republic that allow for the rent of the land to foreigners, in particular China, for up to 25 years. In April this year, thousands of protests broke out in several cities of the country: Atyrau, Aktobe and Semipalatinsk. In May, in the cities of Zhanauzen, Uralsk and Pavlodar. Also the rallies, which the authorities violently dispersed, were scheduled to be held in Aktau, Almaty, Astana and Kyzylorda.
The tyrant’s regime skillfully contrived the “terrorist attack” that distracted the public and the media from the ongoing protest rallies. And in the future this will allow to fabricate criminal cases against everyone who comes against the power.
How many tyrants, pharaohs performed injustice, hoping that would live forever and be unpunished. But history shows that the outcome of the tyrants is disastrous. More recently, Gaddafi who ruled with impunity in Libya, was shamefully torn to pieces by his own people. The Tunisian president Ben Ali fled the country leaving his wealth. And there are many such examples. And by the will of Allah, this day will come to the tyrant of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and his friends tyrants of Central Asia. Allah Almighty says in His Noble Book:
وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ اللّهَ غَافِلاً عَمَّا يَعْمَلُ الظَّالِمُونَ إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الأَبْصَارُ
“Do not consider Allah to be unaware of what the wrongdoers perpetrate. He is merely deferring them to a Day on which their sight will be transfixed”.
(14:42)
Eldar Khamzin
Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir