Can Islamic Extremists Overthrow The Karimov Government?
That repression of the political opposition is a fact of daily life in Uzbekistan, together with a weak Soviet-style economy and falling living standards for substantial segments of the population has been shown in a number of surveys.
Yet President Islam Karimov remains firmly in charge of the country, apparently faced by few credible threats to his rule. Despite the activities of exiled members of the opposition and international and domestic Islamic extremists, one should not underestimate the stability of the Uzbekistani regime. Karimov is still perceived domestically as promoting, if not the national economy, then the national traditions and security of the Uzbek people. Uzbeks thus apparently accept a certain level of authoritarianism in exchange for stability and public order.
Publications of Michael Fredholm
