In Tashkent, at the sixth international academic and practical conference “Combating Terrorism. Cooperation without Borders”, Vladimir Norov, Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan, delivered a presentation entitled “Pressing Aspects of Countering the Radicalization of Youth: A View from Uzbekistan”. We offer it to the attention of readers.
In recent years, the rapidly changing situation in the world, the escalation of geopolitical tensions, the exacerbation of modern challenges and threats have actualized the problem of the indivisibility of security. Today, the threats of radicalism, extremism and terrorism have become unprecedented, global in scope.
They penetrate into all societies, regardless of the level of socio-economic development, civilizational, cultural and religious affiliation of their countries.
The negative consequences of these trends are clearly manifest in regions nearby, affecting the stability and sustainable development of the SCO space.
Improving the effectiveness of countering contemporary challenges and threats requires close dialogue and interaction from the world community and the development of common approaches to ensuring security. In this context, the main task should be the struggle, especially among the youth, with the root causes of these phenomena, and not with their consequences.
It is necessary to protect our young people from falling into the network of extremist ideas.
This largest generation in the history of mankind, numbering 2 billion people, is becoming the main target of the struggle for destructive forces.
According to some experts, there are about 300 thousand representatives of the younger generation in the ranks of religious extremist organizations in the world, younger that 18 years old.
Currently, the problem of the radicalization of young people is one of the most dangerous and acute, and is taking place against the backdrop of a complex of unresolved social, cultural and moral issues in many states of the world.
In the context of globalization, the problems of cultural and civilizational identification are becoming increasingly acute.
According to experts, the lack or absence of such important human values as the status of the individual, the feeling of being in demand in society are key reasons for strengthening radical moods among young people.
Destructive groups use religious, ideological and nationalistic tools to become the so-called “agents” of change, “promising” possibilities and dedication for “lost” young people.
The development of telecommunication technologies and an increase in the Internet audience have made the limitless possibilities of international terrorist organizations and extremist movements not only to spread their ideology, but also to create conditions for self-radicalization of the population, recruiting new members.
The internet allows extremist and terrorist organizations to cross borders and circumvent time and space.
It should be emphasized that in the field of countering the propaganda of terrorism and extremism, the practical component in the activities of the SCO Regional Antiterrorist Structure is strengthening.
As a result of work in the area of information security in 2016-2017, access to 100 thousand internet resources containing more than 4 million information materials of terrorist and extremist nature was liquidated or confined.
Taking into account effective results in the work of the SCO RATS, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, speaking at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana (June 2017), proposed to make necessary changes to the constituent documents of the RATS, empowering it with the authority to organize a system for monitoring emerging threats in cyberspace and counter them.
This initiative of the President of Uzbekistan was supported by all the heads of the SCO member states, which was reflected in the Declaration adopted at the SCO summit in Qingdao in June of this year.
According to the UN, Twitter has almost 50 thousand accounts supporting the so-called “Islamic State” (IS).
In turn, the data of the Brookings Institution indicate that Twitter can contain up to 90 thousand accounts that are somehow connected with the IS. Each of them has an average of 1 thousand readers. A significant part of visitors to the data of internet resources is boys and girls.
Analyzing these statistics, the experts conclude that the youth environment, due to its social characteristics and sharpness of perception of the environment, is the part of the society in which the accumulation and realization of negative, often unjustified protest potential occurs most quickly.
Taking into account the above factors, the approaches to the implementation of measures to counter terrorism and extremism are conceptually revised in Uzbekistan.
The stake is being made “on the struggle for the minds” of people, primarily young, by increasing the legal culture, spiritual and religious enlightenment.
Systematic work is being done on social rehabilitation, the return to normal life of those who have come under the influence of extremist ideas and realized their mistakes.
Comprehensive measures are being carried out to disseminate the true values of Islam, especially among young people, and to root in their consciousness of traditional Islamic culture and worldview.
Considering that 60% of the population of Uzbekistan is young people, who are regarded as a “strategic resource of the state”, a special policy has been developed and is being implemented for young citizens of the country.
First. Representatives of all branches of government are actively involved in the implementation of youth policy in Uzbekistan:
- At the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, a Commission on Youth Affairs has been established and operates;
- in the system of executive power, the position of deputy heads of regions, cities and districts on social issues, spiritual education and youth has been introduced, in the system of law enforcement agencies - deputy head of the department / department of internal affairs on youth issues;
- The Council of Youth Leaders has been formed in the Supreme Judicial Council and the Supreme Court of the Republic to protect the rights and interests of the young generation;
- in the system of self-government of citizens: in each mahalla (a territorial unit within the city) there are advisers of aksakals on youth issues, who are considered deputy chairmen of citizens’ gatherings.
Second. In June 2018, the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Countering Extremism” was adopted. It gives clear definitions of such concepts as “extremism”, “extremist activity”, “extremist organization”.
The main measures to prevent extremism among the population are:
- carrying out explanatory work;
- organization of legal education and upbringing;
- development of educational and methodical and scientific literature on countering extremism;
- strengthening cultural traditions, spiritual, moral and patriotic education;
- improvement of educational programs;
- carrying out scientific and practical events.
Third. The Youth Union of Uzbekistan (YUU) has been established and is actively functioning. More than 10 million young people are members.
The Union of Youth of Uzbekistan, in cooperation with other public organizations, is carrying out systematic work to support children whose parents have fallen under the influence of religious extremist movements.
In particular, in 2017 alone, about 10 thousand young people from such families were employed.
Fourth. At the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Imam Al-Bukhari International Research Center in Samarkand, the Center for Islamic Civilization and the Islamic Academy in Tashkent were established.
The main motto of their activities is “Enlightenment against ignorance”, which is aimed at explaining to the youth the true essence of the Islamic religion and its acquaintance with the rich heritage of great theologians and scholars of the past who laid the foundations of enlightened Islam in our state.
According to the results of events held in the republic, the number of registered crimes of a terrorist nature for 6 months of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 among persons under the age of 30 years decreased by more than 65.7%.
In this context, it should be pointed out that the “Uzbek model” of combating the threats of extremism and terrorism attracts the attention of many foreign experts.
According to expert estimates, this political course of Uzbekistan lays the foundation for an important and unprecedented new direction and model for the Muslim world - the idea of “enlightened Islam”.
The Human Rights Watch report published in 2018 notes the importance for ensuring a sustainable social policy of the decision to exclude from the “special lists” of the country’s law enforcement agencies about 17,000 people who have fallen under the influence of religious extremist movements, but have repented and confessed guilt, as well as the need to return them to normal life.
Uzbekistan attaches special attention to strengthening cooperation in the framework of international and regional organizations in developing common positions and approaches in the fight against religious extremism and terrorism in order to prevent young people from falling under the influence of various destructive forces.
In September 2017, in his speech at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed that providing conditions for the self-realization of young people would create a barrier to the spread of the “virus” ideology of violence.
In this regard, it was proposed to develop the UN International Convention on the Rights of Young People and to adopt a special resolution of the General Assembly “Education and Religious Tolerance”.
Its main goal is to help ensure universal access to education, eliminate illiteracy and ignorance, promote the establishment of tolerance and mutual respect, and create all the necessary conditions for young people to realize their potential.
The adoption of this international convention can help states take on firm commitments to raise this sphere to the level of one of the main vital priorities of their social policy.
Under the auspices of the OSCE, an international conference on the role of youth in preventing and combating violent extremism and radicalization leading to terrorism was held in Samarkand in June of this year, which resulted in practical recommendations for the international community.
At the summit of the heads of the SCO states in Qingdao, on the initiative of Uzbekistan, the Joint Appeals of the Heads of SCO Member States to the youth and the Program for the implementation of its provisions were adopted.
Thus, the SCO outlined the priorities for conducting comprehensive work on enlightenment, spiritual and moral education of the young generation.
The Action Program has the following tasks:
- the formation of a comprehensively harmonious personality and the ability to resist various destructive forces;
- the introduction of young people to modern knowledge;
- strengthening international and civil consent and mutual understanding, education of patriotism and internationalism;
- promotion of joint initiatives aimed at involving young people in entrepreneurial activities and innovative projects;
- intensification of scientific and technical exchange and joint research;
- establishing cooperation between youth organizations.
At the same time, a special responsibility for the implementation of this Program falls on the SCO Youth Council, in whose activities Uzbekistan takes an active part.
In conclusion, I would like to note that the creation of effective tools to prevent the radicalization of our young people, both at the national and international levels, can provide, to the maximum extent possible, the protection and formation of a young generation of lasting immunity against various ideological threats and alien ideas.
I am convinced that the ongoing effective cooperation within the framework of the SCO on youth issues will contribute to the creation of mechanisms for comprehensive cooperation in this area, and will be a powerful incentive for strengthening security and sustainable development throughout the space covering by the organization.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
