OSCE presents assessment of radicalization trends in Tajikistan

DUSHANBE, 20 June 2012 - The OSCE Office in Tajikistan presented today to representatives of embassies and international organizations in Dushanbe the results of the report “Islamist Radicalization in Tajikistan: An Assessment of Current Trends”.

The report assesses public perceptions of Islamist extremism and radicalization. The research was done by the Dushanbe-based Centre for Socio-political Studies Korshinos through a combination of interviews, focus groups and a nation-wide survey of 3,500 respondents.

Based on the report recommendations, the OSCE Office in Tajikistan has proposed a number of follow-up activities to address violent extremism. They include assistance with counter-radicalization policy formulation and capacity building for government officials and civil society stakeholders.

“The research findings suggest that society in Tajikistan is quite resilient in regard to violent extremism,” said Ambassador Ivar Vikki, the Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan. “I hope the report will contribute to a more strategic understanding of radicalization trends in Tajikistan and encourage a knowledge-based approach for the development of a future strategy to counter violent extremism.”

“The findings of the survey confirm that extremism is a serious concern not only for government officials, but also for the general population,” said Pulat Shozimov, Director of the Centre for Socio-political Studies Korshinos. “However, our research demonstrated that there  is also a potential for successfully preventing the threat of violent extremism.”

The report was also presented to representatives of 13 government agencies involved in countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism.