Extremism in Central Asia: Pushing back on reflexive dismissals

Debate and discussion can be a healthy thing. This is especially true when it comes to the issue of extremism and radicalization in Central Asia, a region undercovered by major media outlets and difficult to access even by the researchers devoted to it. It is for that reason that a recent article published in The Diplomat that focuses on my reporting from Central Asia is a welcome attempt at contributing to this conversation and shedding light on a complex and nuanced topic.

The article, however, contains several statements that mischaracterize the nature of my reporting and some that are simply incorrect. Furthermore, it is important to note that despite alleging that my dispatch is based on “thin evidence,” the authors do not challenge any of the original reporting — the product of weeks on the ground research and reporting in Kazakhstan — conducted for the article.

Before continuing, it is important to set the record straight.

The first of such statements is that my reporting is uncritical of the authorities’ claims about extremism, pointing to a quote that informed the headline of my reported dispatch that the authors portray as peddling the Kazakh authorities’ line.

This article is courtesy of The Diplomat.

Featured image courtesy of Wikipedia.