News Right Now: Clashes in Almaty

Welcome to another episode of News Right Now: Clashes in Almaty

Kazakhstan calls for a state emergency, restricting movement, such as transportation, in three major cities and 14 regions until the 19th of January after protests and riots broke out all over the country. They started in the Mangistau region after the government raised the price controls on liquefied petroleum gas at the start of the year.

What’s the big deal with raising the prices? Well, this nation has the 9th largest land mass and is rich in oil, with 3% of global oil reserves and important coal and gas sectors. So when it raises its prices, it means there is a shortage of oil. So where is it all going? Well, simply put, it is being exported. Leaving the civilians to pay more while the government gains more from both the civilians and from the profit it makes when exporting oil. And this is a big problem for the civilians, because as many as 90% of the vehicles rely on butane and propane just in Mangistau. This enraged the civilians and led to protests. And president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev accused these protesters of undermining the state system, claiming they received military training abroad!

Eventually, Almaty, the country’s largest city and former capital, was set ablaze! Many of Almaty’s infrastructure facilities had been damaged. Violence spread overnight and Almaty’s airport was overrun by an angry mob, who president Tokayev had called “Terrorists”. Dozens have been killed, a thousand injured with 400 hospitalized, and two thousand detained!

President Tokayev sought help after the situation in Almaty got out of hand. He turned to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which is a Russian form of NATO. An alliance that was set up after the collapse of the Soviet Union with the former Soviet states dominated by Russia, such as: Kazakhstan, Belarus, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. This alliance counters external material threats. The chairman of the CSTO, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the alliance would send ‘peacemaking forces’ for a “limited amount of time”; dispatching 2500 Russian troops to protect government buildings and military installations in vehicles and aircrafts in Kazakhstan, this was the first time in history CSTO was invoked. This conflict was concerning to Russia because it does share close relations with Kazakhstan. They also share a 4700 mile (7600 kilometer) border and the situation was only getting worse, intimidating neighboring countries.

Dozens were killed by authorities when government buildings, headquarters, and district offices of the police were being stormed in Almaty. Police warned people who lived in homes near government buildings to stay put and not leave their homes, for the riots were out of control. Kazakhstan’s news channel, Khabar-24, said that two of the security staff had been beheaded! Even the hospitals were surrounded by protests! A war breaks out, with police firing at the demonstrators, who they claim were armed and had killed 18 from the law enforcement and injured 750. “Cleansing the city militants," is what police claimed they were doing.

Day and night, sounds of explosions and gunshots rang through Almaty.Vehicles and buildings were being burnt down, causing Almaty to be closed by checkpoints, leading people to narrow roads in order for people to get in and out of Almaty. Along with this, food was not accessible because stores were closed. As well an internet shut down occurred, leading people to be unable to withdraw their money and no phone access.

All of this chaos, but the question is: what is their salvation? What is the solution to this problem that is caused by the ones in power? Islam. Islam is the solution. Islam is their salvation. For with Islam comes a method of life. Giving us instructions on how to implement these methods as well. From knowing how to govern and how to live our day to lives, Islam gave us all the answers. Fixing and resolving the worldly issues we are facing, just as the people of Kazakhstan are facing now! We must put an end to their misery by stopping the support of the tyrants like Tokayev, who is only a puppet to the Russian regime, and work to bring a Khaleefa (Caliph) who will bring justice, as Allah (swt) wanted!

The prophet (saw) said,

«إِنَّمَا الإِمَامُ جُنَّةٌ يُقَاتَلُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِ وَيُتَّقَى بِهِ»

“Indeed the Imam (Khaleefah) is a shield from behind whom (one) would fight and one would protect oneself...” (Muslim)

May Allah bless us with our system, The Khilafah. A system that is the solution to all our affairs. Ameen!

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