The Birdamlik opposition movement held an awards ceremony for the Mass Joy event winners, many of whom acknowledged that it was terrible to walk outside in white.
Nothing seems to be complicated about wearing white clothes outside.
But it is not the case in Uzbekistan where Uzbek President Islam Karimov’s totalitarian and kleptocratic regime reigned for 23 years.
Only few bold spirits in the country took part in the action Mass Joy (Ommaviy Shodlik in Uzbek) held by the Birdamlik opposition movement between 1 and 10 September.
It was simple to take part in, but participants were supposed to wear white clothes and mentally say “no” to Karimov’s regime, and think about a different, democratic, free and just Uzbekistan.
To enter the contest, which provided for cash prizes for the top three places, it was necessary for applicants to send their pictures where they wore white clothes.
Women’s assembly
Only women came to an event to honour winners that took place on 19 September in a cafe of national cuisine near Tashkent’s Farhod market.
The male winners – the first place holder, Andijan-based human rights activist Saidjahon Zaynabitdinov, and Birdamlik member Valeriy Nazarov from Horezm who shared the third place with two other winners were not
able to attend the event.
In the end, prizes were awarded to women only, including nine women whose group photo was given third place, and the other two third place winners, human rights activist Elena Urlayeva and pensioner Rahbarhon Adylova.
In the end, prizes were awarded to women only – group photo of nine participants, who took the second place and third place winners of – human rights activist Elena Urlayeva and pensioner Rahbarhon Adylova.
Many feared
“The number of participants was not as big as we wanted because people simply fear,” the leader of the Birdamlik movement in Tashkent, Malohat Eshankulova.
According to her, she had sent 50 text messages to her friends and acquaintances inviting them to the same cafe in white clothes on 5 September, but only eight women showed up while others feared consequences.
“Since the killing of my husband, I have become weak in the knees from fear,” said Muhabbat Muhitdinova, the widow of human rights activist Akromhodja Muhitdinov who was murdered on 26 July. She is among the nine winner of second place.
“When on 1 September I and my daughter went out wearing white for the first time, there was a minibus with three policemen watching us outside our home,” Eshankulova said.
She said one them had a terrible look it was still making her shiver.
Even the bold leader of the Human Rights Alliance of Uzbekistan, Elena Urlayeva, had unpleasant feelings when she left home wearing white clothes on 1 September.
“On that day I received a phone call from alliance activist Anatoliy Varaksin who said a day earlier that he was coming to the Mass Joy action, but police forced him to give a written undertaking not to leave his house,” Urlayeva said.
Urlayeva said that, “disturbed” by this call, her husband and son feared very much that police would detain her.
How to overcome fear?
Confessing to their fears, women still said with pride that they had overcome their weaknesses and wore white clothes defiantly for ten days.
According to Mekhribon Kadamovoy, who was given the «collective» second place, if human rights are violated in some way, then people have every right to «peacefully demonstrate their fundamental civic position.»
Her view is backed by Eshankulova who too believes that people should not be afraid of showing their civic positions.
«It is not people, who peacefully protest, but the authorities that should fear,» Eshankulova said.
She believes that people can peacefully protest to show their strength, and the authorities should start reckoning with this force after all. This is the meaning of the action Mass Joy.
«There will be more people next time,» she said.
Birdamlik leaders are not embarrassed by the fact that the action failed to involve many people.
«For Russia – this is little, but it is enough for the first time in Uzbekistan” Eshankulova said.
Nor they are bothered by the fact that many are cynical about the very idea of protesting by wearing white clothes.
«To those who laugh at our actions, I will say one thing, instead of laughing, try to organise peaceful protests, we will see what you will get, we will be happy to share your experience,» she said.
Mass Joy has «awakened many» and much more people will take part in Birdamlik’s future campaigns, Malohat Eshankulova believes.
Uznews.net