RFE/RL reports that Uzbekistan has strengthened its hate crime laws. Penalties for inciting ethnic or religious hatred are now stronger. But what constitutes inciting such hatred, especially when it comes to religion, appears to be quite creatively determined.
Abidov said a number of religious groups were still conducting what he described as “aggressive proselytizing activities” in Uzbekistan. He did not elaborate.
Aziz Abidov is the spokesman for the government’s Religious Affairs Committee, and from his statements, it appears possible that the government may be intending to prosecute proselytizers under the hate crimes statute for, one would assume, inciting religous hatred. They get points for creativity, even if I consider this possibility remote. But, if the intent is to protect against proselytization, it would not be the first time recently that Karimov–and one can safely assume Abidov, if he did not misspeak, is speaking for Karimov–has tried to paint himself as a defender of the faith.
UPDATE: UzReport has an expanded story that may clarify what Abidov meant.
“The incidents of illicit importation and publication of printed, audio and video materials of radical-religious and missionary content are identified more and more often,” said the Head of the press service of the Committee for Religious Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan Aziz Abidov, commenting on the documents.
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Nathan Hamm – author of 2974 posts on Registan.net.
Nathan is the Founding Editor and Publisher of Registan.net, which he launched in 2003. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uzbekistan 2000-2001 and received his MA in Central Asian Studies from the University of Washington in 2007. Since 2007, he has worked full-time as an analyst, consulting with private and government clients on Central Asian affairs, specializing in how socio-cultural and political factors shape risks and opportunities and how organizations can adjust their strategic and operational plans to account for these variables. Nathan is currently seeking research, analysis, and consulting opportunities. He can be contacted via Twitter or email.
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