Uzbekistan: Government-approved Imams preach at departure gates

As reported by Radio Free Europe on 17 July 2019, airport passengers departing for Russia are being force-fed Islamic sermons in the eastern Uzbek city of Namangan. One of the main aims of this campaign appears to be to discourage people from joining radical Islamic groups. Rolf Zeegers, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, comments: "It is quite a remarkable step by the authorities to use government-approved imams in such a public manner to counter Islamic militancy. The authorities may well have decided that other tactics (such as ruthless oppression) are not bearing sufficient fruit. The Uzbek government is definitely not relaxing its grip on religious affairs - it is simply switching tactics to keep control."