Rafik Kamalov
Encyclopedia
Mohammed Rafik Kamalov was a popular imam
in Kyrgyzstan
who was shot and killed 7 August 2006, in Osh
, by Kyrgyz special forces
. He was the head of the largest mosque in the divided city of Kara-Suu
on the Kyrgyzstan side of the border with Uzbekistan
. Kyrgyz officials confirmed that they killed 3 people in an operation against "Islamic Fundamentalism
" in the city, but did not confirm or deny the death of Imam Kamalov. The officials said that the dead were members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
, a banned organization. However, Imam Kamalov had consistently denied this allegation, saying that more than 70% of the visitors to his mosque were members of the group, but that he could not deny them entry on religious grounds.
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
who was shot and killed 7 August 2006, in Osh
Osh
Osh is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country and often referred to as the "capital of the south". The city is at least 3,000 years old, and has served as the administrative center of Osh Province since 1939...
, by Kyrgyz special forces
Military of Kyrgyzstan
The armed forces of Kyrgyzstan, originally formed from former Soviet forces of the Turkestan Military District stationed in the newly independent state, includes the Army/Land Forces, the Air and Air Defence Forces, the Northern and Southern Groups of Forces, Interior Troops, Agency of National...
. He was the head of the largest mosque in the divided city of Kara-Suu
Kara-Suu
Kara-Suu is a town, river and valley in Osh Province, Kyrgyzstan, in the Fergana Valley. The town is 23km northeast of Osh and is the capital of Kara-Suu District....
on the Kyrgyzstan side of the border with Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
. Kyrgyz officials confirmed that they killed 3 people in an operation against "Islamic Fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...
" in the city, but did not confirm or deny the death of Imam Kamalov. The officials said that the dead were members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan is a militant Islamist group formed in 1991 by the Islamic ideologue Tahir Yuldashev, and former Soviet paratrooper Juma Namangani—both ethnic Uzbeks from the Fergana Valley...
, a banned organization. However, Imam Kamalov had consistently denied this allegation, saying that more than 70% of the visitors to his mosque were members of the group, but that he could not deny them entry on religious grounds.