VZCZCXRO7859
RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #1549/01 2231004
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111004Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8350
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1713
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1491
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1482
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1277
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1726
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 1034
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 9707
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1755
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1757
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1706
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1747
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1706
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1644

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 001549 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KISL TI
SUBJECT: THE END OF AN ERA FOR TAJIKISTAN'S ISLAMIC PARTY 
 
REF: DUSHANBE 1524 
 
DUSHANBE 00001549  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  Chargi d'Affaires attended Said Abdullo Nuri's 
funeral held in Dushanbe August 10.  Nuri, the Chairman of the 
Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) passed away 
August 9 (reftel) after a long battle with cancer.  The funeral 
was well-attended by prominent officials and leaders, reflecting 
Nuri's influential position and his critical role in 
Tajikistan's history.  During Tajikistan's Civil War he led the 
United Tajik Opposition's fight against the residual communist 
government, but also ended the war by signing the Tajik National 
Peace Accord in 1997.  Despite the high profile of his deputy 
Muhiddin Kabiri, Nuri's death creates uncertainty about his 
successor and the IRPT's leadership.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  An entire city block was cordoned off as thousands of people 
waited in line to pay their respects to Nuri's family members 
and IRPT officials.  Religious leaders, heads of international 
organizations, senior government officials including the mayor 
of Dushanbe, several ministers, officials from the President's 
Administration and the Head of the National Bank all attended 
the funeral.  President Rahmonov was in India on an official 
visit, but he is expected to pay his respects to the IRPT and 
Nuri's family upon his return.  Rahmonov visited Nuri several 
times while he was ill with cancer and the two exchanged 
emotional public toasts at the June 28 Tajikistan Day of Unity 
in Garm. 
 
¶3.  The family and Party documented the funeral for their own 
records.  Prominent figures were requested to say a few words on 
camera and Chargi d'Affaires expressed his sincere condolences 
and remarked that Tajikistan has lost an important figure who 
played a vital role in the reconciliation process after the 
country's civil war.  Media organizations were also present, 
including the BBC.  Local media organizations have published 
several articles about Nuri's death, all respectful of Nuri and 
his pivotal roles in the civil war and peace process. 
 
¶4.  Even after death, controversy around Nuri persisted.  Media 
reports state that according to his will, Nuri wanted to be 
buried next to Muhammadjon Rustamov, also known as Mawlawi 
Hindustani who was Nuri's mentor.  However, Embassy sources tell 
PolOff that the government would not permit Nuri to be buried in 
that location.  In Nuri's final days the government suggested 
that his family take him back to the Tavildara district where he 
was born and bury him there.  Nuri's family then suggested they 
should bury him at his home in Dushanbe.  Authorities rejected 
this idea as well and said that his family should bury him in a 
public Dushanbe cemetery. 
 
¶5.  The IRPT has not yet named a new party chairman.  Although 
Muhiddin Kabiri has been acting as the de facto chairman during 
Nuri's frequent trips abroad for medical treatment in Iran or 
Germany, he has not expressed interest becoming  Chairman. 
 
¶6.  COMMENT:  Whoever the party elects as their new chairman 
will have a large legacy to fill, but also the opportunity to 
shape Tajikistan's future, as the IRPT is seen as the second 
most influential party after the president's own party, the 
People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan.  As Central Asia's only 
legal Islamic political party, the IRPT needs to choose its next 
leader carefully. END COMMENT. 
 
¶7.  BIO NOTE:  Said Abdullo Nuri was born on March 15, 1947 in 
the Oshtiyon village of the Tavildara district.  Nuri graduated 
from secondary school in 1964 and received religious education 
from his father.  Nuri has a long history of government 
opposition.  In 1973 he was arrested by Soviet authorities for 
distributing Islamic literature.  He also helped establish a 
youth group in 1974 called the Islamic Revivial.  In 1987 he was 
arrested for possession of drugs and sent to Siberia for 1.5 
years.  After being released from prison, in 1988, he worked as 
the chief editor of the newspaper "Minbari Islom" (Tribune of 
Islam). 
 
¶8.  In 1990 he helped establish the Islamic Renaissance Party of 
Tajikistan.  During the Tajik civil war from 1992-1997 he led 
the United Tajik Opposition in exile from Afghanistan against 
 
DUSHANBE 00001549  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
the sitting government led by communist apparatchiks.  In 1997, 
Nuri signed the Tajik National Peace Accord with President 
Rahmonov, bringing the bloody civil war to a close and helping 
to form a coalition government.  In 1999, the IRPT unanimously 
elected Nuri as its Chairman.  For the past two years, Nuri had 
been suffering from stomach cancer. 
HUSHEK