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“You’re Afraid I’m Not Beautiful; I’m Afraid You’ll Kill Me” – Women Rally in Bishkek

On International Women's Day on March 8th, hundreds of people took to the streets of Bishkek to participate in the annual march for women's rights. Under the slogan "A woman's life is a mirror of the time," the march started from the monument to revolutionary fighters on Chui Avenue and ended in Gorky Square on Isanov Street. The marchers carried placards and made calls for an end to violence against women, to ensure their freedom and protect freedom of speech. One of the speakers was Asel Nogoibayeva, who said she had first-hand experience of domestic violence. Her words left a lasting impression, as did her call for the police to address the problems of domestic violence. Marches on March 8th in support of women's rights have become an annual tradition in Bishkek, with the main theme always for the authorities to pay attention to women's issues. "I went with a double-sided poster that said: ‘You’re afraid I’m not beautiful; I’m afraid you’ll kill me’ and on the other side, ‘Only a human being can give birth to a human being,’” Saraya, a participant at the rally told TCA. “I also printed out some posters that I handed out." Saraya said that the march went exactly as planned with no deviations and expressed her joy at the increase in the number of participants, including girls with their boyfriends, which is a testament to the expanded audience and impact of the event. "Of course, marching is not the only way to influence people,” she said. “It doesn't work if once a year you walk around with placards and then forget about it. Businesses, for example, have different ways of attracting customers - social media, word of mouth, banners, etc. A march is like an advertising campaign, periodically loudly and announcing itself so that people don't forget it. Only women’s rights are not a business – they’re a struggle for justice."

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“Your Life is Your Freedom” – Women Rally in Almaty

A rally in support of women's rights was held in Almaty on March 7th. The event, which was approved by the city administration, was organized by Bibinur Sheralieva, an activist from the regional council for family and social protection under the Amanat Party. The gathering took place in Mahatma Gandhi Park, a place usually reserved for such events. Sheraliyeva, the organizer of the rally, put forward demands to protect the rights of divorced women, proposing that alimony laws be amended to offer a fixed amount, regardless of the fathers' income. She also advocated the introduction of mandatory marriage contracts to take into account the property interests of women and children during divorce proceedings. In addition to the organizers, a woman took the stage to share her experience of facing domestic violence and told of the tragedy of losing her home due to systematic beatings by her father-in-law. Her story highlighted the problem of impunity for aggressors. The rally also called for the repeal of the amendment on reconciliation of parties under the new law on domestic violence, as well as a legal ban on the practice of tokal (second wife) and polygamy. The rally was not without controversy, however, with one attendee demanding a ban on "feminist and LGBT propaganda," which drew disapproval from the majority of the crowd. Another organizer of the rally, Dilnar Insenova, declared her support for the need to "protect family values," expressing doubts about the impact of European standards on society in Kazakhstan. The rally briefly descended into absurdity when, instead of delivering her planned speech, Insenova began to dance to the song "Chyna" by the Kazakh artist, Irina Kairatovna, provoking laughter from those filming clips against a backdrop of portraits of domestic violence victims, their videos going viral on social media. Most continued to draw attention to important issues, however; raising placards and chanting slogans such as "Your life is your freedom" and "We demand the protection of women's rights," and demonstrating their commitment to positive change in the area of women's rights.

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Land Cleared for Tourism next to Old Bukhara; UNESCO Urges Pause

Despite UNESCO’s concerns, Uzbekistan is pushing ahead with plans for a big tourist complex next to the historical center of Bukhara, a jewel of medieval architecture in Central Asia. Workers are already clearing areas for “Eternal Bukhara,” a tourist facility that will boast a museum, teahouses and restaurants offering national cuisine, craft stalls and workshops for gold and blacksmithing, embroidery, wood carving, pottery, and painting. The design intends to evoke the urban layout of past centuries, with traditional drainage systems and ponds. All this construction would happen in part of the buffer zone surrounding the old city, potentially increasing the flow of tourists, but also putting more pressure on the integrity of the ancient site. Bukhara, a destination on the Silk Route that is more than 2,000 years old, contains the tomb of the ruler Ismail Samani, an emblem of 10th century Muslim architecture, as well as many ancient madrasas, or Islamic schools, according to UNESCO. Traveler Veronika Karobitskaya looks toward the Kalyan Mosque in the ancient city of Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Karobitskaya, a Russian citizen, visited Bukhara in September 2022 and said she was “completely fascinated” by the city’s heritage. Photograph: Veronika Karobitskaya. A view of the Kalon Minaret, a major landmark in Bukhara. Photograph: Veronika Karobitskaya. The historical center of Bukhara, registered on the world heritage list of the U.N. cultural agency in 1993, comprises 216 hectares and its buffer zone comprises 339 hectares. Some demolition has begun on the 32.6 hectares earmarked for the tourist complex, including at a sports stadium. Last year, some Bukharan residents appealed to the government not to dismantle the stadium, saying 1,200 children and 50 coaches use the stadium every day. A total of 29 buildings and facilities are slated for demolition. They include the Bukhara government building, designed by Uzbek architect Richard Blaise and built in 1980, as well as secondary and music schools, and social centers. Local authorities have tried to reassure residents who say they wish the tourist complex could be built further from the historical center. “It should be noted that on the basis of this project, it is planned to create a green park for residents and guests of Bukhara to walk in two-thirds of the area planned. In this regard, the trees in the area established earlier in accordance with the ´Green Bukhara´ program in the project area will be fully preserved and will be enriched as a new garden landscape,” the regional administration said in a report. According to UNESCO, however, there are laws and urban planning codes that “provide protection of monuments of cultural heritage and their buffer zones.” Sara Noshadi, director of UNESCO’s office in Uzbekistan, said on X, formerly Twitter, on March 2 that the U.N. agency is closely monitoring the Bukhara’s ancient site and was aware of local concerns about “potential construction plans” in the buffer zone. Russian tourist Veronika Karobitskaya, who visited Bukhara in 2022, stands next to the carved wooden columns of the Bolo Haouz Mosque in the...

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Religion in the Cities of Kazakhstan – Opinion by Gulmira Ileuova

The research discussed in this article was conducted in July-August 2023 by the Strategy Center for Sociological and Political Studies Public Foundation in collaboration with the office of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Central Asia. A total of 1,604 people were surveyed in six cities. Since the goal of the project was to study atheism and atheistic views, the choice of where to conduct the survey was made based on the latest census data, according to which the following regions/cities had the highest proportions of nonbelievers: Kostanay Region (4.84%), Mangystau Region (4.38%), Almaty (4.32%) and Shymkent (3.65%), versus an average across the whole country of 2.25%. Table 1. Religion of the population of Kazakhstan (%; census data) Muslim Orthodox Refused to answer Nonbeliever Kazakhstan overall 69.31 17.04 11.01 2.25 In cities 64.45 20.45 11.84 2.81 Of course, the term “nonbeliever” is not necessarily equivalent to the concept of “atheist,” but nevertheless we decided to start with these statistics with the goal of understanding the religious identities of city residents in the given areas and identifying the reasons contributing to the increased share of nonbelievers, including atheists. This study was conducted in cities at three administrative-territorial levels: so-called “cities of republic significance” (Almaty and Shymkent); regional capitals (Kostanay and Aktau); small towns (Rudny and Zhanaozen). The survey in these six cities showed that 72% considered themselves Muslim, 10% Orthodox and 4% atheist (Rudny 5.6%, Almaty 4.7%, Zhanaozen 4.5%, Kostanay 3.0%), while about 1% named other denominations (“protestant movements,” “Baptists,” “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” “New Life”). Twelve percent refused to answer the question, while 1% could not answer. Analyzing the responses to this question by age, we see that there are more atheists in the youngest age group of 18-24 years old at almost 5%, while in this same cohort, as well as in the 31-49 age group there is a higher proportion of Muslims (77% each, versus 65% in the 50+ group). A higher share of people over 50 are Orthodox Christians, while in this oldest group more people also refused to the question (17%). Thus, 87% of city dwellers who took part in the survey reported that they were followers of one religion or another. However, if we use the Dawkins spectrum (of theistic probability) – which we slightly modified for the purposes of this study – we see that among those surveyed only 77% were believers. Overall, only 48% were strong theists, absolutely convinced that God exists. Another 29% were uncertain that God exists but still assume so. Twenty percent classified themselves as agnostics – lacking a clear position on whether God exists or not – while 3% are atheists, strong or uncertain. Table 2. Which statement best reflects your position? (% of total respondents) Statement Share, % Decided theist (I am convinced that God exists) 47.9 Uncertain theist (I do not know for sure that God exists, but the probability is high, so I believe that he does) 29.4 Agnostic (I do not know whether God exists...

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Great Women in the History of Kazakhstan

Women have played an important role in the history of Kazakhstan, making a significant contribution to the development of the country. They have shown courage, determination and talent in various walks of life, from politics and education to culture. Today, their role is being recognized, and women in Kazakhstan are becoming more aware of their actions than ever before. "I have always been inspired by our women, the women of the great steppe," Karina from Taraz told TCA, "especially in the field of culture, because at that time, such professions were considered solely for men. Thanks to them, we now have the opportunity not only to work in such professions, but also to become respected individuals." "Because of them, I have the opportunity to become whatever I want to be," Alina from Astana told TCA. "Their talent and drive has given freedom to the next generation." Today, on International Women's Day, we take a look at some of the outstanding women whose lives have had a fundamental impact on the course of the nation's history. Tomyris[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="15001" img_size="full" el_class="scond-image" parallax_scroll="no" woodmart_inline="no"][vc_column_text woodmart_inline="no" text_larger="no"]A still from the movie, "Tomyris" The name of Tomyris, the Queen of the Massagetes, is well-known in the culture of Kazakhstan, and is a source of pride and inspiration for Kazakhstani women. Queen Tomyris fought the mighty Persian king, Cyrus the Great, demonstrating her military prowess and intransigence. Tomyris won the battle, in which most of the Persian Army was destroyed. According to a legend, she placed Cyrus’ head in a wine fur filled with blood, saying: "You thirsted for blood, king of the Persians, so drink it now to your heart's content." Thus, Tomyris brought peace to her people. Nazipa Kul zhanova[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="15002" img_size="full" el_class="scond-image" parallax_scroll="no" woodmart_inline="no"][vc_column_text woodmart_inline="no" text_larger="no"]Photo: kaznu.kz Nazipa Kul zhanova was the first accredited female teacher in Kazakhstan and the first female journalist on the editorial staff of Yenbekshi Kazakh (Working Kazakh). An educator, ethnographer and translator, she became the preeminent specialist in the preparation of the Kazakh alphabet. Among other things, her philosophical articles addressed the role of a woman's place in public life and in the family. A proponent of the importance of education and the active participation of women in the progress and development society, Kulzhanova stated that "A woman is the mother of the people. Only an educated, skillful, free woman is able to raise her people to the level of advanced nations." Nagima Arykova[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="15003" img_size="full" el_class="scond-image" parallax_scroll="no" woodmart_inline="no"][vc_column_text woodmart_inline="no" text_larger="no"]Photo: Rate.kz Nagima Arykova was an outstanding woman stateswoman and one of the leading lights of the women's movement in Kazakhstan. She was the author of "The Role of a Woman Commissioner" and "The Struggle for the Rights of Working Women in Kazakhstan." Arykova was the editor of the newspaper Kazakh capital, and was the first woman to become a leading member of the government of Kazakhstan. Manshuk Mametova[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="15004" img_size="full" el_class="scond-image" parallax_scroll="no" woodmart_inline="no"][vc_column_text woodmart_inline="no" text_larger="no"]Photo: pochta-polevaya.ru Manshuk Mametova was a machine-gunner during the Second World War and...

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Celebrating Twenty-Five Years of The Times of Central Asia – Opinion by Founder Emeritus, Giorgio Fiacconi

It is 25 years today since the first edition of The Times of Central Asia, the first English publication in the region, hit the newsstands on March 1st 1999. Twenty-five years represents a generation; many people more or less of my age have passed, and Kyrgyzstan has gone through various conflicts which have marked its history, not always for the better. With a background in journalism and as an entrepreneur, I arrived in Bishkek from Kazakhstan in 1994, investing in the reconstruction of the abandoned Hotel Kyrgyzstan - now the Hyatt Regency - before working on the Bishkek Free Zone project for the European Union and later as the main investor in ZUM Aichurek. I also served as the first Honorary Consul of Italy to the Kyrgyz Republic for approximately fifteen years, between 2000 and 2015. March for a more equal society, Tulip Revolution, 2005; Photo: TCA During my time in Kyrgyzstan, I witnessed two revolutions, in 2005 and 2010, and it could be argued that another took place in 2020. There were abuses and injustices that allowed me to understand the importance and necessity for healthy development based on reliable rules and laws, which everyone should be able to respect. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and until the judiciary is free to exercise its independence and represent a guarantee, then manipulations by elites and interested parties will continue to prevail and delay positive results. After twenty years in the Republic, I collected my experiences of the country's independence in a book, reporting on economic development and the need for justice for all. The preface to that book and its contents highlight problems that have yet to be resolved. For the realization of this better future, perhaps another generation will be needed, but we should be positive and trust in the abilities of the region’s many young people. A wounded demonstrator in Bishkek, April 7th, 2010; Photo: TCA It is not enough to say that Kyrgyzstan is a beautiful country with wonderful and hospitable people. The reality is unfortunately not so black and white, and inequalities persist. An economically poor country, Kyrgyzstan needs both financial and organizational support, and the answer in many cases is linked to foreign investment, which is difficult to channel - unless geopolitically motivated - if the rule of law is not upheld. In Kyrgyzstan, private interests manage politics in a continuous conflict between North and South, and few groups seek solutions to crime and corruption. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assert that given its geography, many decisions in Central Asia are the result of a geopolitical effort to change for the better in achieving tangible signs of progress. Recent development also related to the war in Ukraine show that Russia’s influence on Central Asia has also waned, with the EU becoming one of the major trading partners and foreign investors. Photo: TCA As a former journalist and a foreign investor, to my mind the role of the free press...