On Unrest in Uzbekistan: Islamist Dissidents or Seekers of Liberty?

It seems that the sweep of generally peaceful revolutions occurring in former Soviet republics won't be soon replicated in repressive Uzbekistan--a U.S. anti-terror ally--with reports that government troops have killed and wounded scores of (some say mainly unarmed) demonstrators. This is the republic ruled by iron-fisted former communist Islam Karimov, whose attempts to stifle opposition include intolerance of freedom of religion and expression and torture techniques like genital mutilation and the boiling of suspects.

The unrest started late last week, when demonstrators freed jailed small businessmen accused of supporting a banned Islamic religious sect. While imprisoning individuals as account of their religious affiliation is reprehensible inter se, it is unclear that these individuals were involved in any activity requiring sanction. According to one of the jailed individuals, Abduvosid Egomov, their issue has not been the creation of a theocracy by violence but the advancement of liberty:

“We are not going to overthrow the government. We demand economic freedom,” Mr. Egomov told AP. “If the army is going to storm, if they're going to shoot, we are ready to die instead of living as we are living now. The Uzbek people have been reduced to living like dirt.”

While the demonstrators can't entirely claim a moral high-ground (some were lobbing molotov cocktails during the course of their weekend's festivities) the growing exodus of individuals to recently liberated Kyrgyzstan--normally a practice forbidden by authorities--may be a testament to the sincerity of this movement and the underlying thirst for liberty fomenting among regular Uzbeks.

One unfortunate aspect of the war on terror--the goals of which remain both laudable and necessary--is America's calculative realpolitik which foregoes significant criticism of the illiberal elements of supportive regimes, giving a freer hand to dictators like Karimov who wish to extend and perpetuate their own power. It also allows these dictators to use the straw-man of "Islamic extremism" to excuse the arbitary detention and repression of those who made the unfortunate decision to advocate greater liberty while simultaneously adhering to the teaching of some ancient named Mohammed.