Why Do They Hate Us?

The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), an al Qaeda-linked Islamist group, has threatened the leaders of Uzbekistan, Kyrgystan and Tajikistan.

Why? Because the someting the US did? No, IMU says those leaders will be punished for the persecution of Muslims:

“We demand that all regimes in the region stop persecuting, terrorizing and repressing Muslims,” the statement said, further stating that the presidents of the three countries will be “punished for the crimes they keep committing.”

The statement especially singled out Uzbekistan’s president, Islam Karimov (whom the IMU has reportedly “sentenced” to death). Referring to the killing of what most believe to be hundreds of innocent citizens in Andijan in May of 2005, Yuldash’s statement said, “we haven’t forgotten the Muslims shot dead in Andijan.” (Registan)

So why is this filed under "Why do they hate us"? Reading on in the Registan post we find:

So who is REALLY behind all of this? Well, according to one Vladimir Anokhin, in an “analysis” published on the Russian website Pravda.ru, the United States is lurking behind and controlling the IMU. On the website, Mr. Anokhin is described as a “political scientist, Vice President of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems.”

Interestingly, the statement appears on the Russian language version of Pravda.ru, but not on the English version.

The article is nothing more than a new chapter in the "Bush was in on 9/11" lunacy, and the Russians see it for what it is, explaining why they didn't repeat it in the English-language version. Presented as it is in Pravda, a mainstream Russian news outlet, gives uninformed and gullible Rusians -- and Russian Muslims -- reason to hate us.

Related Tags: Russia, Terrorism, Uzbekistan, Islam, Muslim