VZCZCXRO0849
OO RUEHIK
DE RUEHTA #1921/01 3000439
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 270439Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6708
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE 2086
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
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RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 001921 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, S/SRMC, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV KISL KIRF OIC OSCE KZ
SUBJECT:  KAZAKHSTAN:  SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE PANDITH HEARS FROM 
NGOS, GOVERNMENT 
 
REF: (A) ASTANA 1179 
 (B) ASTANA 0260 
 
ASTANA 00001921  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY:  During her first overseas trip as Special 
Representative to Muslim Communities, Farah Pandith visited 
Kazakhstan October 12-13.  In Astana, Muslim civil society leaders 
told her that Kazakhs are "a different kind of Muslim" whose nomadic 
history bred a tradition of tolerance and equalQy.  In their view, 
Islam is enjoying a renaissance in Kazakhstan, and the government 
encourages this re-birth while keeping "strong control" over the 
influence of extremist ideology.  MFA's Deputy Foreign Minister 
Yermekbayev noted Kazakhstan's upcoming chairmanship of the 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the 
subsequent Chairmanship of the Organization for the Islamic 
Conference (OIC), stressing that Kazakhstan welcomes close 
cooperation with the United States on the agendas for both 
chairmanships.  The director of the Center for International 
Cultures and Religions briefed SRMC Pandith on Kazakhstan's 
tri-annual Congress of Traditional and World Religions, and she 
visited the Astana Nury Mosque and Madrassa.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
"WE ARE A DIFFERENT KIND OF MUSLIM" 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The DCM hosted on October 12 a lively lunch for SRMC 
Pandith with Muslim civil-society leaders, which included Mazhilis 
member Aigul Solovyova, the head of the NGO Women Entrepreneurs 
Union Meruert Kazbekova, the chair of the NGO Muslim Women's League 
Klara Yerzhanova, and Islam Zhussip from the Atameken public 
association.  Guests freely exchanged views on the Kazakhs' Muslim 
identity and the future of Islam in Kazakhstan.  SRMC Pandith told 
the participants that her office was created to implement President 
Obama's vision as articulated in his Cairo speech -- a new approach 
to engagement with the Muslim world based on "mutual respect and 
mutual interest."   Parliamentarian Solovyova said the SRMC's visit 
was a clear signal of President Obama's commitment to a new dialogue 
with Muslim communities. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Solovyova also noted that Kazakhs are a "different kind 
of Muslim," whose nomadic roots bred a culture of independence, free 
thinking, and gender equality.  Zhussup asserted that Kazakhs follow 
"easy Islam," one that adopts the values and teachings of the 
religion without the "sometimes onerous rites."  Kazbekova agreed, 
calling it "enlightened Islam."  According to Yerzhanova, Islam is 
enjoying a renaissance in Kazakhstan, with many young people 
exploring Muslim traditions.  She noted with some concern the choice 
of some younger women to put on the hijab, something that was "never 
part of our tradition."  She mentioned her NGO's outreach with high 
schools and universities to explain "the Kazakh Muslim tradition." 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) After explaining that he worked for 20 years in the 
government's "special services," where his specialty was 
counter-terrorism, Zhussip praised the Kazakhstani government for 
its "strong control" of the religious sphere, which, in his view, 
averted tQsocial unrest and terrorism that "plague Kazakhstan's 
neighbors."  (NOTE: Although he never explicitly said it, it was 
clear from the conversation that Zhussip used to work for the 
Committee for National Security (KNB) and perhaps for its Soviet 
precursor, the KGB.  END NOTE.)  He said that the extremist group 
Hizb ut-Tahrir was present in Kazakhstan, most notably in the south 
of the country, but asserted that the government "special services" 
keep a close eye on the group.  Solovyova interjected that "a fine 
line" exists between political stability and the individual's 
freedom of religion.  She noted that she was a strong opponent of 
the restrictive draft religion law that the Constitutional Council 
rejected in February (ref A) because, in her view, the religion law 
"should be about freedoms, not restrictions." 
 
"BUILDING CANALS" 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Kazbekova said the Kazakhstani government is pursuing a 
 
ASTANA 00001921  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
"very smart policy" of encouraging the Kazakhs to explore their 
Muslim heritage by building new mosques and supporting the 
newly-inaugurated Islamic TV channel.  (NOTE: SRMC Pandith gave an 
interview to the Islamic channel in Almaty (septel).  END NOTE.) 
"Religion will always find its way to the surface, either as a 
spring or as a flood," she said.  "The government is building 
canals." 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The participants expressed great eagerness to cooperate 
with the U.S. Embassy on future projects.  "We are ready to learn 
from you," said Zhussip, "and perhaps we have something to teach." 
He noted that he previously worked with at-risk youth, finding 
talented young people to recruit into government service.  Kazbekova 
said that she recently launched a project, supported by an Embassy 
Democracy Commission grant, to organize a leadership school for 
rural women.  She hopes to expand the project nationally.  SRMC 
Pandith welcomed the proposals for future cooperation, noting that 
the success of her office depends on close cooperation with 
grass-roots organizations and Embassies. 
 
MFA EAGER TO CONSULT ON OIC AGENDA 
 
¶8. (SBU) SRMC Pandith met with MFA's Deputy Foreign Minister Nurlan 
Yermekbayev, whose portfolio covers the OIC, the Shanghai 
Cooperation Organization (SCO), and cooperation with Turkic 
countries.  Yermekbayev highlighted Kazakhstan's role in the 
promotion of inter-ethnic and inter-religious understanding, noting 
that tolerance will be one of the themes for its OSCE chairmanship. 
He told SRMC Pandith that the Kazakhstani government is eager to 
consult with the United States on the agendas for both its OSCE and 
OIC chairmanships.  SRMC Pandith recommended that the OSCE expand 
Muslim engagement, particularly among Muslim youth in Europe.  She 
suggested that as OIC chair, Kazakhstan could also encourage the OIC 
to take a greater interest in integration of European Muslim youth. 
Yermekbayev promised to seriously consider her proposals. 
 
CENTER STRESSES INTER-FAITH DIALOGUE 
 
¶9. (SBU) SRMC Pandith met with Dr. Aidar Abuov, the director of the 
International Center for Cultures and Religions.  The newly-created 
Center promotes Kazakhstan's model of inter-ethnic and 
inter-religious understanding and organizes the tri-annual Congress 
of Traditional and World Religions, an initiative of President 
Nazarbayev that brings together international religious and 
political leaders.  An expert on religions who recently returned 
from a conference in the United States on law and religion, Dr. 
Abuov told SRMC Pandith the most recent World Congress in July 
initiated the Center (ref B).  He said that attendance at the 
Congress is growing, and that the Center plans to expand the agenda 
of future Congresses to include side events on gender and youth. 
 
MOSQUE ATTENDANCE IS GROWING 
 
¶8. (SBU) SRMC Pandith also visited the Astana Nury Mosque, Astana's 
central mosque, where she met with Imam Kalizhan Zankoyev.  Zankoyev 
gave SRMC Pandith a tour of the mosque and the madrassa, giving her 
a short history of the building.  He said that mosque attendance is 
steadily growing as more young people seek to learn about their 
traditions.  "On Fridays, we are fully packed," he said, estimating 
that close to five thousand people come for Friday prayers. 
 
HOAGLAND