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Islam Karimov won a ‘sham election' in a state condemned for torture and corruption, say critics, who fear it will now get worse.
The electoral commission reported a whopping 91.08% turnout. To no one's surprise, the incumbent president won another five-year term, with 90.39% of the vote even though the constitution stipulates a two-term maximum for heads of state. Criticism by observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe passed largely unnoticed.

Steve Swerdlow, a central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said Karimov's "sham re-election" would condemn Uzbekistan's citizens to life under virtual totalitarian rule unless the US and European Union began pressuring him to make reforms. "Torture is systemic in the criminal justice system, millions of Uzbeks are forced to harvest cotton in abysmal conditions each fall and thousands remain imprisoned on politically motivated charges," he said.

A Human Rights Watch report published last September highlighted the extent of the regime's crackdowns on the political opposition, Muslims and street protesters. According to the report, an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 political opponents have been imprisoned. Of 34 prisoners profiled in detail by Human Rights Watch, 29 have made credible allegations of torture or ill-treatment, including beatings, electric shocks, hangings from wrists and ankles and meagre allowances of food and water. In the past, some prisoners have even reportedly been boiled alive.
Transparency International has called Uzbekistan one of the world's 10 most corrupt countries. ... (Source: The Guardian, 04/05/2015)

Comment

Karimov is a killer. A thug who rules not by truth or trust of the people but by torture and massacre. He surely would not survive were it not for his political masters. That such a ruler could continue to exist in this century is a testimony to the hypocrisy of the so-called ‘first world' nations. Neither Russia nor the West are ignorant of the mass murders and the tens of thousands of political prisoners, but neither side have voiced taken any meaningful action.

The truth the ruling Kuffar nations have no permanent values apart from self-interest. Their ‘civilisation' is a pragmatic one. There are no determined ‘good' or ‘bad'; everything is relative to their national self-interests. Hence there are no permanent ‘friends' or ‘enemies' and animals like Karimov whose cruelty measures up to Western ‘bogey-men' like Hitler and Stalin, are not only tolerated, but also courted and supported with the sales of arms - which the West very well knows will be used to suppress, oppress and kill.

How far is the ‘civilisation' of the west to the justice and peace of Islam. Islam does not agree with this barbaric moral-relativism. It describes what is just and what is tumult and oppression. It differentiates Right from Wrong. It has complete systems of justice and ruling which protects the people, even from oppressive rulers. In Islam, rulers are duty bound to look after the affairs of the people and Islam holds them accountable for the welfare and wellbeing of each and every one of their citizens regardless of creed, geography or race.
And it is Islam and the sincere Muslims of Uzbekistan Karimov fears, this is why he has massacred tens of thousands and imprisons tens of thousands of Muslim men women and children, without shame or mercy. The only threat to ignorance and tyranny is Islam. Allah (swt) instructs,

((هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ))

"It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion, although they who associate others with Allah dislike it." [T.M.Q. 9: 33]

For justice and peace to return to this world, we have to reject falsehood including failed values of a corrupt civilisation. Islam is, not only the solution for the violently oppressed Muslims of Uzbekistan, but also for all of mankind. Allah (swt) informs us in Surah Yunus:

((يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءتْكُم مَّوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاء لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ))

"O mankind, there has to come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers." [T.M.Q. 10:57]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Hamzah Muhammad