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Islamist movements in Central Asia: a new threat assessment approach

Islamist movements in Central Asia: a new threat assessment approach
Islamist movements in Central Asia: a new threat assessment approach
Existing threat assessment analyses of crime and terrorism rely on a series of indicators, first and foremost violence. However, these approaches tend to neglect local specificities. In Central Asia and especially in the Fergana Valley, there are radical groups that do not necessarily commit violent behaviour, but yet represent a threat for both their operational areas and the international community. How can the threat of radicalisation be assessed when violence is not a characterising element, and what processes and structures should be taken into consideration to this end? Based on primary data collected during field research, this article challenges conventional threat assessments and the crime–terrorism nexus by looking at how the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Hizb-ut-Tahrir have infiltrated indigenous social structures. This analysis suggests that the nature of security threats in Central Asia needs to be reconsidered by focusing on the informal institutionalisation of radicalisation, and it proposes the use of alternative threat assessment indicators.
threat assessment, radicalisation, islamic movement of uzbekistan, hizb-ut-tahrir, crime–terror nexus, fergana valley
1744-0572
320-336
Akchurina, Viktoria
00adaae7-8fcb-472d-b178-dd1fb78fd297
Lavorgna, Anita
6e34317e-2dda-42b9-8244-14747695598c
Akchurina, Viktoria
00adaae7-8fcb-472d-b178-dd1fb78fd297
Lavorgna, Anita
6e34317e-2dda-42b9-8244-14747695598c

Akchurina, Viktoria and Lavorgna, Anita (2014) Islamist movements in Central Asia: a new threat assessment approach. [in special issue: Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism: Different Peas, Same Pod?] Global Crime, 15 (3-4), 320-336. (doi:10.1080/17440572.2014.924406).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Existing threat assessment analyses of crime and terrorism rely on a series of indicators, first and foremost violence. However, these approaches tend to neglect local specificities. In Central Asia and especially in the Fergana Valley, there are radical groups that do not necessarily commit violent behaviour, but yet represent a threat for both their operational areas and the international community. How can the threat of radicalisation be assessed when violence is not a characterising element, and what processes and structures should be taken into consideration to this end? Based on primary data collected during field research, this article challenges conventional threat assessments and the crime–terrorism nexus by looking at how the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Hizb-ut-Tahrir have infiltrated indigenous social structures. This analysis suggests that the nature of security threats in Central Asia needs to be reconsidered by focusing on the informal institutionalisation of radicalisation, and it proposes the use of alternative threat assessment indicators.

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More information

Published date: 5 June 2014
Keywords: threat assessment, radicalisation, islamic movement of uzbekistan, hizb-ut-tahrir, crime–terror nexus, fergana valley
Organisations: Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 386259
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/386259
ISSN: 1744-0572
PURE UUID: f224683f-0683-4220-9889-ad2b4092c172
ORCID for Anita Lavorgna: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8484-1613

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 29 Jan 2016 11:39
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:52

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Contributors

Author: Viktoria Akchurina
Author: Anita Lavorgna ORCID iD

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