In summing up the results of 2018, a number of domestic and foreign experts called it the year of cessation of the existence of one of the most terrifying terrorist and extremist movements in the region - the Islamic Revival Party.
A review of the events of last year shows that, in reality, the TEO IRP showed its last attempts to prove its existence and gradually went into oblivion. Despite the numerous efforts of its owners, this terrorist organization was thrown into the dustbin of history.
This reality, that is, the political decline of the TEO IRP, can be observed with a comprehensive study of practical political processes and with comparison of exact figures and facts.
- Ideological defeat of the TEO IRP in 2018
One of the biggest defeats of the TEO IRP was their ideological defeat. Since this year a large group of former authoritative members of this party officially recognized the fallacy of the extremist ideas of the Nahzat people and openly condemned them. In particular, Said Kiyomiddin Ghozi (Eshoni Qiyomiddin), Sattorov Ayomiddin (Mavlavi Ayomiddin), Karimov Rahim (Mavlavi Abdurahim), Saidibrohimi Nazar, Mirzomuhammadi Navid and Zarafo Rahmoni recognized and their subcontractors, from them and called on the people of the country to stay away from this organization.
In turn, the members of the Higher Board of the TEO IRP, the eldest son of the founder of the Islamic Party S.A.Nuri - Muhamamajoni Nuri, a member of the Board of the TEO IRP, and Nuri’s daughter - Rukia Nuri, and the whole Nuri families completely removed themselves from today's activity of the TEO IRP and refused to participate in their provocative activities in European countries. Most of the members of the leadership of the TEO IRP in custody also appealed to the state authorities that they realized their dangerous anti-national way and were ready to openly condemn the TEO IRP. Hundreds of activists and former members of this organization also repented of their mistakes, condemned the terrorist essence of Nahzat members, returned to peaceful life. Information about each of them is available in information sites.
In addition, the outgoing chairman of the party, M. Kabiri, in September 2018, during his speech in Warsaw, officially called the Nahzat people “a continuation of the Basmachist movement” and a “third generation of the Basmachis” and thus completely dispelled the myth of the Nahzat people as a democratic movement. This statement by M. Kabiri aggravated the party’s ideological crisis even more and led to its complete ideological devastation.
Thus, the ideology, spirituality, and objectives of the TEO IRP in the party itself were completely crushed, which were condemned and rejected by the majority of the former party leadership. This is a sign of a serious collapse of the ideological and moral methods of TEO IRP in the political and historical arena.
- The complete information debacle of the TEO IRP
Another sign of the decline in activity of the TEO IRP is the decline in their activity in the information space. Of course, in the information space of Tajikistan this terrorist organization for many years did not occupy any place and had no influence. However, in 2018, and in the overseas information and Internet space, it completely failed. The situation can be observed in two directions:
The first, in 2018, the informational activities of the management of the TEO IRP, their websites and news agencies at once dimmed, the volume of information materials offered declined tenfold. For example, if you compare the materials of extremist sites of the PAYOM, VostokNews, Kimiyoi Saodat, Nahzat, Ozodonishon and other materials, with 2017, you can see that by their content and scope they turned into nothing. The provocative site “Payom” is being updated only once or twice a week, the extremist website of Nahzat’s “VostokNews” has not been updated at all over the past few months. Maybe someone will think that Nahzat’s money has been exhausted. But it is not so. The fact is that the Nahzatis have nothing more to say. They will not make sense of what to say, when our country is progressing, peace reigned in Tajikistan, the people rallied around the President.
Secondly, in this process, the attention of readers to materials from Nahzat sites, their announcements and statements decreased by 80%.
Statistics show that in 2015, about 35,000 users (mostly outside the country) watched one video message by the TEO IRP Chairman M. Kabiri, but his last two messages in the middle and end of 2018 were viewed only by 4.3 and 2.1 thousand users. These figures suggest that the number of people willing to listen to the leader of the TEO IRP in the information space has decreased by 10-15 times.
Such a disastrous trend can also be seen in the example of the reduction in the number of readers of the TEO IRP sites. For example, in comparison with 2016, the number of users of the site “Payom” decreased by 20 times, “VostokNews” - by 34 times. In 2018, only the number of users of the Akhbor information agency increased, and this figure was formed due to the distance of this site from the positions and policies of the TEO IRP.
Thus, in the foreign information space, the extremist IRP group is completely forgotten and no one can cope with it. Informed readers already avoid this extremist provocative group and do not want to listen and read their monotonous propaganda destructive materials.
- Elimination of the influence of IRP among Tajik migrants in Russia and Europe
The activity areas of the TEO IRP were considered to be the environment of Tajik migrants in Russia. Since in conditions of remoteness from Tajikistan, the people of Nahzat forward all their attention to migrants. However, an analysis of the situation in 2018 shows that the people of Nahzat have completely lost their position among labor migrants in Russia. Because if in 2015-2016, the Nahzatis could recruit hundreds of labor migrants, in 2018 this figure was not even a dozen. If on the one hand, the situation was seriously affected by the serious struggle of the law enforcement bodies of the Russian Federation with the remnants of Nahzats, on the other hand, the anti-national and terrorist nature of the TEO IRP was revealed to Tajik migrants. On the contrary, in 2018, some influential persons of the TEO IRP with the assistance of the Russian government were returned to Tajikistan, including Eshoni Kiyomiddin, Mavlavi Ayomiddin, Naimjon Samiyev and others.
Another example of the loss of influence and credibility of the TEO IRP among Tajik labor migrants in European countries is the disgraceful defeat of the IRP in the implementation of the so-called "big rally of Tajiks in Berlin". At this event on December 10, 2018, despite many months of training and propaganda of Nahzat’s members, only 35-40 Tajiks living in Europe who are members of the TEO IRP, or receive wages there, took part.
According to various statistics, about 20 thousand citizens of Tajikistan are working or studying in European countries today. According to the UN census in 2018, there are currently about 10 thousand Tajiks in labor migration in Europe. Thus, the participation of 30-40 people in the Nahzat rally shows that this organization is not supported even by 0.001% of Tajiks living in Europe! Thus, the “big rally” plan ended with a great defeat and disgrace for the Nahzat people.
Thus, the last hope of the Nahzat people, that is, Tajik labor migrants in various countries recognized the terrorist and provocative nature of this organization, and the migrants will no longer allow the TEO IRP on their behalf and at their expense to earn their points. The publication on the website of the statements of dozens of students and labor migrant associations in various regions of the world, which speak of the aversion and separation of labor migrants from the TEO IRP, itself testifies to this.
- Unconditional defeat of the “European plans” of the TEO IRP
After the ban of the activities of the TEO IRP on the territory of Tajikistan and countries of the region, party leaders found refuge in European countries and sought to show themselves in the eyes of the West as a force building democracy. This plan of the Nahzat people worked for some time and in 2016-2017, the fleeting leadership of the Nahzat people housed their relatives in Europe. However, after the terrorist and extremist nature of the TEO IRP was revealed, in 2018 the attitude of countries and Western organizations towards this terrorist organization changed dramatically.
First, according to exact data, despite repeated requests and mediation of several international organizations, the Government of the United States of America has refrained from issuing a US visa to the chairman of the IRP M. Kabiri since 2016. In other words, the US authorities in this way prevent M. Kabiri's visit to the USA.
Secondly, other Western countries also avoid contacts and meetings with the chairperson and representatives of the IRP. For example, if in 2016 there were about 20 meetings of M. Kabiri with ambassadors, deputies of parliament, party leaders and employees of foreign ministries of European countries, then in 2018 only 3 representatives of these countries and 2 representatives of the OSCE received him. Of course, M.Kabiri’s communication with representatives of the lower echelon of the special services of these countries has not ceased, but these connections are hired and do not have political motivation.
Thirdly, since 2018, the OSCE’s international authority on the TEO IRP has also completely changed. The OSCE has officially announced that it is Tajikistan that is its strategic partner, with which it will carry out full cooperation. Especially, the annual meeting of the OSCE in Warsaw, which took place on September 10-21, 2018, showed that the attitude of the OSCE bodies to the TEO IRP has changed dramatically.
If in 2016-2017, the Nahzatis at the annual meetings of the OSCE showed considerable activity, then in 2018 at the very beginning of the meeting on September 10, the receiving party warned representatives of the TEO IRP that if they interfered with the conference, they would be denied the right to further participate in the event. During the conference, the chairperson interrupted Mr. Kabiri’s speech and urged him to speak within the subject of the meeting. In general, after the speech of the representative of the TEO IRP, the moderator stressed that there were excesses in his speeches and there was no concrete evidence.
Thus, the OSCE's annual meeting in Warsaw ended with a complete fiasco of the TEO IRP, which moved this terrorist organization one more step to the back of the story.
5.Return of residuals of the TEO IRP to terrorist movements
During 2018, the terrorist nature of the TEO IRP was finally and thoroughly disclosed, the disclosed facts and figures completely transferred this organization from the list of political to the list of military-terrorist organizations. Of course, no sensible person or specialist has any doubts about the terrorist and extremist nature of the TEO IRP. The killing of 150,000 people during the civil war and the committing of thousands of heinous crimes during the period of their activities in Tajikistan fully proved the terrorist nature of this party. However, the facts and examples, disclosed in 2018, once again proved that the TEO IRP, not only did not abandon its terrorist nature, but still has new enemy plans against the peace, tranquility and security of our country.
In particular, a member of the Board of the TEO IRP, Ayomiddin Sattorov, after returning to Tajikistan, proved that today the TEO IRP on the territory of Afghanistan and Iran is preparing new terrorist groups. According to the testimony of this former leader of the TEO IRP, at present in the terrorist camps of Arouk, Qom, Bumekhan and Mazandaran dozens of fighters of the Nahzat are undergoing terrorist training under the supervision of Iranian instructors. A.Sattorov, who for 1 year and 8 months in these camps conducted religious training for the militants of the TEO IRP, as a direct witness, revealed all the details of this insidious plan of Nahzat people and their owners.
In 2018, the coordinator or “military commissar” of the TEO IRP for recruiting and sending young Tajiks to the terrorist camps of the Islamic Republic of Iran was detained. In general, today, among the militants of the new terrorist groups of the TEO IRP, about 20 people have been detained, each of whom was sent to Tajikistan with a specific goal.
Such numerous and irrefutable facts and figures prove that the political potential of the TEO IRP is completely exhausted, their remnants are transformed into small terrorist groups. In this regard, it may be that the TEO IRP, as a complex of terrorist groups, will be dangerous for some time, but as a political and ideological organization, it has completely lost its essence.
- International condemnation of the TEO IRP
The years 2017-2018 were years of strong international condemnation of the TEO IRP. During this period, the authoritative international and regional organizations, world powers, religious associations, Ulema, world experts and researchers officially declared this party a terrorist and extremist organization and publicly condemned it.
The TEO IRP was primarily recognized as a terrorist and extremist organization by an authoritative international and interregional organization, in particular the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the party’s activities on the territory of the members of this organization are prohibited. According to the internal regulations of the SCO, all decisions are made in agreement with all members of the organization or by consensus.
In addition, the TEO IRP is also recognized as terrorist and extremist by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the party’s activities are banned in the territory of the members of this organization - Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. This terrorist organization is officially listed in the Commonwealth of Independent States Anti-Terrorism Center (CIS ATC), which includes Belarus, Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
The ban on the activities of the TEO IRP was supported by authoritative religious and political circles of the Islamic world. In particular, the Muslim World League, which is considered to be one of the influential organizations of the Islamic world, announced the TEO IRP a terrorist and extremist organization and called on Muslims to refrain from communicating with it and avoid this party. The authoritative scientific and religious center of the Islamic world - the Al-Azhar University of Egypt also recognized the IRP as a terrorist and extremist organization and declared the activities of the party harmful to Muslims. Announcement of the IRP a rejected and terrorist organization by the Official Fatwa Center means recognition of this party as an alien, non-Islamic organization.
As a continuation, the activity of the TEO IRP was condemned and banned on the territory of such countries as Egypt, Turkey, India, Saudi Arabia and most of the Gulf countries.
In addition, the activity of the TEO IRP was condemned by the international community and was banned as part of an international terrorist and extremist network in 2018.
- TEO IRP was remowed from the political scene
Thus, the fugitive leaders of the TEO IRP and their foreign owners in 2018 were convinced of dishonor, black deeds, political agony of the party, and also that it has no chance in the future. Therefore, in 2018, the leaders of the TEO IRP did everything possible to hide and replace the name of the organization, to continue their activities under the new name and under the new mask. The name of “Islamic Renaissance Party” now not only created an obstacle for M. Kabiri’s multi-million dollar commerce and M. Kabiri’s “European” political games, but also created a serious threat to him. Since this name in the minds of Tajiks and the world community has become synonymous with concepts such as obscurantism, mercenary, betrayal, terrorism and extremism.
Realizing all this, M. Kabiri resorted to a new political trick. He, at the expense of the members of the TEO IRP themselves, created two other artificial organizations called the Association of Free-Thinkers Tajikistan and the Association of Tajik Migrants in Europe, with which he signed the artificial coalition National Accord of Tajikistan. In other words, for the sake of getting rid of the name “the party of IRP”, he signed an agreement with himself and now calls himself not the “Chairman of the IRP”, but the “Chairman of the National Accord of Tajikistan”! At the OSCE meeting in Warsaw in September 2018, at the failed rally of the Nahzat in Berlin in November 2018, and even in his New Year greeting of 2019, M. Kabiri disdained to call himself "IRP Chairman", and presented himself under the false name "Chairman of the National Accord of Tajikistan".
This behavior of M. Kabiri, who, according to Sattorov Ayomiddin, “from the very beginning was not an ideological nahzats member, but a merchant,” was the last fatal blow that destroyed the TEO IRP. Thus, M. Kabiri, in order to save his commerce and personal activities, destroyed not only the Nahzat party, but also removed its name from the political arena.
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The above seven signs, each of which is an absolute and indisputable truth, show that the terrorist and extremist Islamic Renaissance Party is completely crushed as a doctrine, ideology and organization. This organization has completely lost its social basis and does not have the opportunity to be reborn. Therefore, the attempts of the owners of this party and the futile attempts of a few remnants of activists to revive and save the TEO IRP will not be crowned with success: this political corpse no longer has the ability to influence something, no longer suitable for use.
As they say, the end of the film!
Абдулло Ғафуров,
номзади илмҳои таърих, дотсент
