A video of Craig’s speech at the recent conference on
‘Islamophobia and the war on terror’ can be viewed here
Over 650 delegates from across Britain, representing dozens of organisations, filled the People’s Assembly on 18 November 2006. The Assembly brought together peace and anti-war groups, trade unions, faith groups, community groups, political parties and other representative organisations. They came to discuss how attacks on Muslims are linked to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and how the anti-war movement can counter those attacks.
Further details on the event are available from Stop the War
Observers of the Central Asia scene will be surprised by a sweeping statement by a Central Asia specialist at Britain's Royal Institute for International Affairs, claiming "Islamists in Afghanistan may see Niyazov's death as a chance to expand their influence."
Those well versed in Turkmenistan's may find it difficult to reconcile such claims with concrete indicators such as record of secure external borders, the country's cautious historical interaction with Afghanistan and the way religious tendencies of the Afghans are perceived among Turkmen citizens.
Are such conclusions following exchanges with knowledgeable persons from the region? Turkmenistan has 250,000 ethnic Uzbeks and shares 1621 km long border with Uzbekistan. A close observer of regional issues is Uzbekistan's ex-Oil Minister Anwar Husainov who states that a threat from any Islamist extremists is little likely since Islamists have a very weak standing. Turkmens are not staunch believers and as people from the steppe they are incline to their own social values. Another close observer from neighbouring Kazakhstan Nurlan Erembetov reminds that the Turkmen society have been had all modes of free expressions pulled off from their roots. Such conditions have made
Russian Islamologist Alexander Malashenko say that the building of a civil society in Turkmenistan needs to begin from zero.