Kyrgyzstan Mob Violence: Kyrgyzstan Government Tramples Islamic Values As It Allows Kyrgyz Mob To Beat, Torture And Even Kill Male And Female Muslim Students Of Pakistan For Two Days

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 22 May 2024 Pakistani Students Have Even Said Some Girls Were Raped Main Points: 1. According to Kyrgyz Health Ministry, 41 students were injured in the violence. 2. Kyrgyz government terms the planned attacks on foreign students as brawl and 'spontaneous protests'. 3. According to Kyrgyz media, the Kyrgyz Parliament approved of the planned violence against foreign students. 4. Parliament members said in the Kyrgyz Parliament that the foreigners violated Kyrgyz sovereignty and broke the laws of the country and the Kyrgyz people only retaliated in defence. ----- Security officials stand guard outside the Kyrgyz embassy in Islamabad after protests against violence in Bishkek targeting international students [Sohail Shahzad/EPA] ------- The so-called Islamic republic of Kyrgyzstan, the second poorest country of Central Asia and one of the 50 most corrupt countries of the world trampled Islamic values for two days as its xenophobic government allowed its citizens to unleash a reign of terror for two and a half days with immunity as they beat, tortured and even killed foreign students and raped, molested and sexually harassed female students. Though the violence was unleashed against all the foreign students staying in the country, most of the victims were girls and boys of another Islamic country Pakistan. According to the students, the violence was not spontaneous as the Kyrgyz government claims but pre-planned in order to avenge the beating of some Kyrgyz hooligans by Egyptian students on 13th May because they had entered their hostel in an unauthorised way and sexually assaulted an Egyptian female student. The companions of the hooligans provoked the citizens of Kyrgyzstan and on the evening of 17th May, a mob of around 1000 people gathered in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan where 70 per cent of foreign students stay in hostels or private apartments. The angry mob armed with rods, chains, knives and even with firearms entered hostels and targeted all the foreign students, be it Indians, Pakistanis or Bangladeshis. They broke the doors and windows of the hostels and beat both the male and female students without showing any respect for Islamic values and morals. Many girls and boys said that the Kyrgyz did not distinguish between men and women. They kept the students beating for the whole night and went to one after another hostel looking for foreign students. Many students claim that many girls were raped, molested or sexually harassed by the Kyrgyz mob of Muslims of tribal mentality. It should be noted that Kyrgyzstan comprises 40 Muslim tribes and their tribal ego is more important to them than their Islamic ideals. That is the reason, while 'avenging' the beating of their comrades who molested a Muslim girl, they mostly targeted Muslim students. According to Kyrgyzstan government, 29 thousand foreign students stay in the country, though other sources claim a higher number. Pakistani students protest against the attacks in Bishkek [Sohail Shahzad/EPA] ------- The violence continued on 18th and 19th and the mob targeted foreign students everywhere: on the streets, in the malls, in the markets and in hostels. The students shut themselves in their hostel rooms and switched off lights and muted their phones. They could not go out to buy food or water and starved for 24 hours. The worse, on the next day, the matter was discussed in Kyrgyz parliament where the members said that the foreigners violated the sovereignty of Kyrgyzstan and broke the laws of the country and their people only retaliated in self-defence. In other words, the parliament and the government approved the mob violence against the hapless students who were innocent. The Kyrgyz government considered all the foreign students the enemy of the country and was virtually at war with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Egypt. According to what the Kyrgyz leaders said, the Kyrgyz government was at war with foreign invaders whereas the truth was that some Kyrgyz hooligans had molested an Egyptian girl and were beaten up by her classmates. The government should have arrested the Kyrgyz hooligans and Egyptian students and initiated criminal proceedings against them. But the government and the political leaders made it a national issue, an issue of tribal pride and unleashed a reign of terror. That the government covertly allowed the violence is corroborated by the fact that the local police accompanied the mob and provided them protection. This has been witnessed by the victims. It was only on 20th May that the government realised the damage and rushed to a damage control exercise. The deputy chairman of the cabinet of ministers Edill Baisalov visited a hostel and showed sympathy to the students. He shed crocodile tears and recalled the 'great traditions' of hospitality and fraternity of the Kyrgyz people and assured the students of necessary action against the perpetrators. It should be noted here that the Kyrgyz police arrested ony four foreign students including three Egyptians. On the 20th May, the police detained some Kyrgyz hooligans involved in the 13th May incident. But those involved in vandalism, murder, rape and torture on 17th and onwards have not been brought to book. On the contrary, the police reached a compromise with the mob after which the police claimed the mob withdrew. After three days the Kyrgyz government woke up to the reality and started a damage control exercise. It realised that if the foreign students left the country, the country will lose millions of dollars annually. The government has planned to hold explanatory conversations with students. The Health Minister met 18 rectors and asked them to hold explanatory conversations with students and assure them of access to quality medical care and full coverage of medical costs. The deputy chairman of cabinet of ministers Edil Baisalov said that the government was considering paying for the damages to the foreign students. Just before the foreign minister of Pakistan Ishaq Dar arrived in Bishkek to discuss the situation, the Kyrgyz government got a few suspects involved in the mob violence detained to show to Pakistan that it was taking action against the perpetrators whereas the perpetrators were in thousands. But how will the Kyrgyz government compensate the girls who were raped? No girl will come out and tell the police about the horror because if they file a legal complaint, they will have to visit the police and the courts in Kyrgyzstan again and again and expose themselves to threats in a hostile society where the police and the government will shield and protect the accused. This is the reason that no girl has claimed she was raped or sexually assaulted though many girls and boys say they know that rape and molestation has happened. Most of the students, especially girls do not want to stay in Kyrgyzstan where it is common for drunkards, extortionists and hooligans to intrude into hostels and harass students, and those who have returned to Pakistan do not want to go back to resume their classes. 1200 students have already returned to Pakistan and the rest may also leave Kyrgyzstan sooner or later. The Kyrgyz government, therefore, will make every effort to woo foreign students and present a flowery picture of Kyrgyz society and government but the damage has been done. Kyrgyzstan will have to struggle for a long time to regain its reputation as a peace loving Islamic country. The ribal mentality it showed during the last week has not only tarnished its own image but has also tarnished the image of the Muslims across the world. Kyrgyzstan must apologise to the world. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-politics/kyrgyzstan-islamic-values-torture-male-female-muslim-pakistan/d/132362 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism