The Islamic Movement in Uzbekistan

I. Introduction

A. Attention Device: What do you think of when you hear the word Islam? Religion? The Middle East? Terrorism? 

B. Reveal the Topic: We tend to think of current U.S involvements in the Middle East when we hear the term ‘Islam.’ But we must remember that other, more marginal bodies like Uzbekistan also experience their own narrative and relationship regarding Islam.

C. Establish Credibility and Goodwill: I have learned a considerable amount on information about Islamic in Uzbekistan. 

D. Preview the Body of the Speech: Today, we will talk about the beginnings of the IMU and the reasons for its eventual collapse.

 Transition: Let’s begin by talking about the early days of the IMU.

II. Body

A.  Main Point: The first instance of the IMU occurred in 2001, but we can trace even this event back to 1999 (Background Information on Terrorist Groups, 2011, pg 2). 

1. Detail:  In other words, these radical behaviors run concurrent with other ideas of Islamic radicalism that were plaguing the region. 

i.Example: “In August 1999, IMU militants took four Japanese geologists and eight Kyrgyz soldiers hostage. In May 2003, Kyrgyz security forces disrupted an IMU cell that was seeking to bomb the U.S. Embassy and a nearby hotel in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. In November 2004, the IMU was blamed for an explosion in the southern Kyrgyz city of Osh that killed one police officer and one terrorist.” (Background Information on Terrorist Groups, 2011, pg 2)

ii. Essentially, the IMU believes the Islamic radicalism is the most efficient way to propel their political and religious ideologies as well as maintain its hegemony.

2. Detail: We often experience difficulty tracking the history of the IMU because its characteristics are ill-defined, its behaviors mimic other fundamentalist groups, and its activity varies from region to region. 

i. Example: “Although it is difficult to differentiate between IMU and Islamic Jihad Group members, Pakistani security forces continue to arrest probable IMU operatives in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Suspected IMU members have also attacked Pakistani Government forces in the FATA and been discovered fighting Coalition forces in Afghanistan.” (Background Information on Terrorist Groups, 2011, pg.2)

ii. This is why the IMU is so difficult to trace. Its instability/difficulty to discern as well as its guerilla war-fare tactics make traditional methods of attack ineffective. (Note that the United States has experienced similar problems with Afghan and Iraqi insurgents) (Johnson, 2007, pg.114). 

B. Main Point: As the IMU gained momentum, it was subject to a series of internal tensions that have exhibited considerable impact to its progress and sustainability.

1. Detail: The Babakhan Family was perhaps the most influential unit that propelled the IMU. A religious family, their sermons and homilies provided a religious discourse that motivated the members of the IMU (Naumkin, 2005, 39, paragraph 2)

i. The Problem with the Babakhan Family, however, is that its own personal tensions ended up surfacing in the politics of the Islamic movement as a whole. 

ii. Debates over the Islamic interpretation (called in Arabic the fatwa) was the main reason why the IMU fell apart. Traditional versus more dynamic interpretations of the Koran and other holy texts were ultimately the IMU’s pitfall. 

III. Conclusion:

A. Signal Conclusion: In conclusion, it is important to note the traces and development of the IMU. 

B. Reinforce Main Points: While it is important to understand the beginnings and events that catalyzed the IMU, we must also remember that the internal struggles within the group are ultimately what destroyed it. 

C. Reinforce: Hopefully the next time you hear the word ‘Islam,’ you’ll think of something beyond your initial ideas. 

Works Cited

Background Information on Terrorist Groups. (2011, August 18). Retrieved September 21, 2011, from U.S. State Department website: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/terror_report_orgs.html

Johnson, R. (2007). Oil, Islam and conflict: Central Asia Since 1945. New York: Reaktion Books.

Naumkin, V. V. (2005). Radical Islam in Central Asia: Between Pen and Rifle. Lanham: Roman and Littlefield.