Kyrgyz mothers denounce extremism and terrorism

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz officials are turning to women to help crush extremist sentiment nationwide.

Authorities hope that women, with their great influence inside families and in society, are inclined to fight terrorism vigorously.

The effort comes as authorities concede that hundreds of radicalised Kyrgyz citizens have gone to Syria and Iraq since 2011 to join the militancy.

A demonstration called "Mothers against Extremism" took place in Gulcha, Osh Province, June 21, Gulsun Samatova, a spokeswoman for the women's council of Alay District, Osh Province, told Caravanserai.

Seeking the help of mothers

"Local police officers often meet with the public to ensure that young people don't succumb to recruiters' incitements," Samatova said. "But these measures are inadequate, so initiative groups comprised of mothers of large families decided to help society fight against jihadists."

Every mother is prepared to do anything to keep her children from fighting on a foreign battlefield, Samatova said.

"Misinterpretations of religion can influence our children's psyches," she said. "That's why we need regular educational work."

"Parents ... have a duty to watch their children's behaviour," she added.

Overcoming technological hurdles

Widespread availability of the internet and of mobile apps makes it impossible for mothers to monitor their children's correspondence or religious interests fully, Myrzagul Keldibekova, another participant at the meeting, told Caravanserai.

"If you check files on cellphones, you often have to enter a password or passcode," she said. "Extremist videos or photos could be hidden there."

Middle-aged and older women need basic computer and IT training so that every mother can identify suspicious correspondence or files on her children's phone(s), Keldibekova said.

"It's encouraging that women are becoming more responsible and resolute in defending their children from extremism," Bekmurat Boronbayev, chief of the 10th Main Department of the Alay District police department, told Caravanserai. The 10th Main Department fights extremism.

The engagement of women in fighting extremism "helps us combat social radicalisation and identify those who could be recruiters for ISIL [the 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant']", he added.

Law enforcement personnel not only describe the dangers of extremism to participants in roundtables and other public events, Boronbayev said. They also screen documentaries about the wars in Syria and Iraq that make viewers rethink any intention of fighting in those wars.

"Now we're more concerned about the fate of several residents of Alay District who went abroad to work," Boronbayev said. "Kyrgyz are subjected to extremist recruiting in big cities. Uneducated youth are the likeliest to fall for [recruiters'] tricks."

Stepped-up anti-extremism measures backed by women have markedly improved the religious situation in recent months, Ilyaz Orozaliyev, an imam from Alay District, told Caravanserai.

"In Islam, mothers have always been connected with peace and stability," Orozaliyev said. "They're the ones who can save their children from rash decisions."

Because women have the primary role in raising children and therefore in forming children's spiritual outlook, society needs to give more attention to women's religious education, Orozaliyev said.

The mothers' "level of education determines how peaceful a home and society will be", Orozaliyev said.

The need to fight ignorance

President Almazbek Atambayev, at a July 1 Bishkek ceremony honouring outstanding high school graduates, denounced the high cost to society of ignorance.

"Those who know little have a very gray and wan life," he said in his remarks. "All these radical movements ... stem from ignorance."