THE ISLAMIST INSURGENCY IN TAJIKISTAN
While Islamic fundamentalism exist to a greater or lesser extent in every Central Asian country, these threats are greatest in Tajikistan. Regardless of whether radicalized Islam in Tajikistan is considered a consequence of the civil war including the marginalization of former allies of President Rakhmon and members of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRP), poverty exacerbated by corruption driving people to seek justice through religion, or a crumbling regime losing control at the “top” and “bottom” of its society, the new pattern of violence indicates serious challenges for Tajikistan. Unless the government finds ways to improve its intelligence and security forces, the unrest will likely continue and worsen. BACKGROUND: The causes of Tajikistan’s civil war lay in the struggle among elites at the republican level, which spread to other regions as the clash of interests among different regional clans intensified. As a result, the IRP was created as a regional counterbalance ...