Central Asia Is Not a Breeding Ground for Radicalization
Svante E. Cornell
Both in Europe and the United States, this argument is made with increasing frequency but it doesn’t reflect reality, argues Svante Cornell.
On October 31, a citizen of Uzbekistan was arrested for the terrorist attack in New York City that led to the death of eight people. The attack drew parallels to a similar truck attack earlier this year in Stockholm, as well as terrorist deeds in Istanbul and St. Petersburg. In these cases the perpetrators were of Uzbek origin. In addition, over 2,000 Central Asians have taken part in the civil war in Syria, fighting for jihadi organizations like the Islamic State or the Nusra Front. Is Central Asia a breeding ground for extremism?
Both in Europe and the United States, this argument is made with increasing frequency. Fingers are being pointed at Central Asian states, as connections are made between the radicalization supposedly going on in Central Asia and the authoritarian character of these governments and their economic problems. In other words, many appear to assume that repression and/or poverty leads to radicalization.
Related Publications
-
Centralasien – ingen grogrund för radikalisering
OPINION · ”Många pekar finger mot de centralasiatiska länderna. Problemet är att individerna i fråga inte radikaliseras i Centralasien. Förövarna i Stockholm och New York lämnade båda Uzbekistan för närmare ett […]
-
Uzbekistan’s New Foreign Policy: Change and Continuity under New Leadership
Since Uzbekistan gained independence in 1991, its government has sought to maximize its national security and sovereignty by limiting dependence on foreign actors. This priority has continued under former President […]
-
How the U.S. Promotes Extremism in the Name of Religious Freedom
On July 26, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Kansas Governor Sam Brownback as U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom. The position was created by the International Religious […]
-
Terror in Stockholm
Last week’s terror attack in Sweden should raise important questions about how the West defines its enemies. Last Friday, an ISIS supporter rammed a truck into a department store in […]
-
Turkey’s Russia Affair
Turkey’s deepening partnership with Russia needs to be situated within a larger context. Turkey is moving closer toward Russia at a time when the West is beset by considerable turmoil. […]
-
The Long Game on the Silk Road: U.S. and EU Strategy for Central Asia and the Caucasus
This book argues that American and European policies toward Central Asia and the Caucasus suffer from both conceptual and structural impediments. It traces the framework of Western policies to the […]