VZCZCXRO5613
RR RUEHDBU
DE RUEHAH #0621/01 1631149
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 121149Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7436
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000621 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SCA/CACEN FOR FRESE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2016 
TAGS: KIRF PGOV PHUM PINR PREL TX
SUBJECT: TURKMEN POLITICAL COMMISSAR ON THE RAPTURE OF 
PREACHING RUHNAMA 
 
 
Classified By: CDA JENNIFER BRUSH FOR REASONS 1.4 (B AND D) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (C) On June 8 Emboffs interviewed Hojanazar Annanazarov, 
a "Higher Societal Specialist" in the Ministry of Education, 
whose sole job is to propagandize the Ruhnama, President 
Niyazov's so-called "spiritual guide."  In a private meeting 
after his unsuccessful non-immigrant visa interview, 
Annanazarov, an updated Turkmen version of the Soviet 
political commissar, provided Emboffs an amusing yet 
ultimately disturbing look into the mindset of one of 
Niyazov's propaganda police.  Annanazarov's comments coming 
from the Niyazov side of the looking glass, provide a 
snapshot of the mindset of a Ruhnama believer.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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WHO ARE THE HIGHER SOCIETAL SPECIALISTS? 
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¶2.  (C) According to Annanazarov, a 20 year old civil 
servant, who has worked as a "Higher Societal Specialist" for 
one year, his position is to ensure that Ministry of 
Education staff are fully educated on the party line, as 
fleshed out in the president's spiritual guidebooks Ruhnama I 
and II.  Annanazarov noted a special emphasis on 
&Turkmen-ness8 and the devotion to Turkmenbashi.  While 
unclear as to how many  "specialists" operate in the country, 
he said that there were six departments of propagandists 
within the government devoted to spreading the teachings of 
the Ruhnama in the military, government industry, and other 
sectors of society.  He said that after reading the Ruhnama 
for the first time in ninth grade, he became so enraptured by 
its teachings and that he devoted his whole life to the 
Ruhnama's teachings. 
 
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RUHAMA'S LESSONS 
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¶2. (C) According to Annanazarov, the Ruhnama is every 
Turkmen's principal guide to life.  The book teaches Turkmen 
about the importance of history, culture, language, and most 
importantly, respect for Turkmenbashi.  Among some of the 
other lessons, the Ruhnama shows Turkmen men how to treat 
women with respect and dignity (Note: During his interview, 
Annanazarov told Conoff that his unemployed wife will stay at 
home while he travels to the U.S., since "a woman's place is 
at home, not at work." End Note.)  He added that the Ruhnama 
taught that only those who knew the Ruhnama and were fluent 
in Turkmen could consider themselves pure Turkmen (Note: 
Annanazarov's visa application and subsequent written notes 
made during his discussion were written in Soviet-era Turkmen 
Cyrillic, not in Niyazov-era Latin.  End Note.) 
 
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RUHNAMA - "THE RELIGION" 
------------------------ 
 
¶3.  (C) Conoff asked Annanazarov about his thoughts regarding 
whether the Koran or the Ruhnama was more important to 
Turkmenistan.  Annanazarov said that the Koran was more 
important, however the Koran's teachings are "thin as a 
needle" when it comes to addressing the need for Turkmen to 
learn about their culture, history, and spiritual needs, 
instead these needs were covered by the Ruhnama.  When Poloff 
asked if it was possible for someone to believe in God and 
not the Ruhnama, Ananazarov said that he did not know, but 
noted that those who did not live by the Ruhnama were 
considered "non-believers."  When asked if he himself had 
read the Koran in his entirety, Annanazarov said that he had 
not, although he has read the Ruhnama many times.  When asked 
if he had read other &great8 books for comparison,s sake, 
Annanazarov replied that he read only the writings of the 
famous Turkmen poet (and state-sanctioned literary hero) 
Magtumguly, whose writings complement the teachings of the 
Ruhnama. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶5.  (C) This encounter with Annanazarov reveals the 
disturbing effectiveness of centering all learning around one 
book, the Ruhnama.  Annanazarov represents the vanguard of 
the upcoming &lost generation8 -- those youth who have 
grown up in the "Golden Century" of the Turkmen people, and 
have no basis for comparison, no capacity for critical 
 
ASHGABAT 00000621  002 OF 002 
 
 
thinking and worst of all, no sources of outside information. 
 With an educational and societal program dedicated to 
glorifying and studying the Ruhanma, Turkmenistan's youth are 
finding it increasingly more difficult to compete 
academically in the outside world. 
 
¶6.    (C) Annanazarov comments about the Ruhnama,s 
relationship with the Koran are noteworthy given the regime's 
sensitivity to suggestions that the regime considers 
Ruhnamaism to be a virtual new state religion.  Annazarov's 
contention that the Ruhnama with carefully-selected elements 
of the Koran is the defacto religion for Turkmen, while not 
an official statement, shows just how ingrained the book's 
influence is on the younger elements of Turkmenistani 
society.  The emergence of people like Annanazarov is further 
evidence of why the USG needs to reinforce its efforts here 
in the educational and cultural spheres, and expose 
Turkmenistan to an alternative to the Ruhnama utopia.  END 
COMMENT. 
BRUSH