Understanding the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Through Social Movement Theory, and Analyzing and Evaluating Its Potential Threat to Kazakhstan
Abstract
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is a group of militants from Uzbekistan established by Uzbek youth who were against the pro-communist government. It is tightly connected to the Taliban and was involved in drug trafficking in Afghanistan. After an unsuccessful attempt to revolt against the government of Uzbekistan, the party was banned, and its members fled the country. Islamic militants tried to change the economically and politically weakened governments into an Islamic Caliphate. After going through training camps, these militants were formalized into small groups that were transported through Iran to Turkey and other Central Asian countries in order to create different kinds of radical groups. Their radical ideology spread, such as killing infidels and sacrificing themselves for jihad. Decentralization of the IMU has made it difficult to track. Through social movement theory (SMT), this thesis examines how the IMU is a potential threat to Central Asian states, especially Kazakhstan, by using elements of SMT.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA620895
Entities
People
- Ulan Sadibekov
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School