I am a researcher from Almaty, Kazakhstan. I hold Ph.D. in Political Science, run an NGO, several online projects and a personal blog.
Latest posts by Adil Nurmakov from July, 2011
Tajikistan: Minors prohibited from visiting places of religious worship
Avicenna says that minors in Tajikistan are prohibited from going to mosques, churches and sinagogues, as the parliament have unanimously approved a bill “On the responsibility of parents for their children’s upbringing and education”.
Afghanistan: How aid ends up financing mansions in Dubai
Nick Fielding reviews a new Afghanistan reconstruction report, which investigates the scandal of large US currency exports from Afghanistan to private bank accounts due to ineffective aid coordination, inconsistent Afghan cooperation and insufficient cash controls.
Tajikistan: The BBC reporter released
The Tajikistan authorities have released BBC journalist Urunboy Usmonov from custody. “The international community’s appeal have been heard”, writes Tomyris.
Kyrgyzstan: Library receives grant for catalogues and digitization
Emerson reports that a Western donor organization awarded the Kyrgyzstan's largest library a generous grant to re-catalogue and digitize its rare book holdings.
Afghanistan: Taliban killing civilians with IEDs
Nick Fielding reports that civilian deaths in Afghanistan increased by 15 per cent in 2011, pointing out that the dramatic growth was mainly due to the use of landmine-like improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by the Taliban.
Afghanistan: Book offers diplomatic insights
Nick Fielding briefly reviews a book by Britain's former ambassador in Afghanistan, Sherard Cowper-Coles, and says that it is stuffed with fascinating material.
Turkmenistan: Israel's trip over geopolitics
Few observers are aware of Israel’s strange diplomatic dance with Turkmenistan, which has involved the Tel Aviv’s attempts to court Ashgabat as a potential lever against Iran, Emerson reports.
Kazakhstan: WordPress banned because of two blogs
Information about the WordPress ban in Kazakhstan is slowly trickling out. On 15 July, it was revealed that the ban is ostensibly due to two WordPress blogs that fell afoul of Kazakh censors, Schwartz writes.
Uzbekistan: World-known brands to denounce child labor
Wal-Mart, Macy’s, Eileen Fisher, Nautica, Gear for Sports, The Jones Group, Liz Claiborne and Nike are among the first companies to sign a pledge boycotting the use of Uzbekistan-sourced cotton until the International Labor Organization determines that forced child labor is no longer an issue in the country, reports Abulfazal.
Kazkahstan: The Sting of Criticism
KZBlog reports that famous singer Sting, who was scheduled to play for the Kazakh president's birthday and the Day of Astana (capital of Kazakhstan) festivities, cancelled his engagement after Amnesty International apprised him of the situation with human rights situation in Kazakhstan.
Afghanistan: Study on the Taliban's rules and actions
Nick Fielding writes about the report into the Taliban's code of conduct, using it to gain an insight into the organisation itself.
Afghanistan: Continued fracturing of politics
Joshua Foust reviews political factions in Afghanistan, trying to map out different parties in Afghan politics – both political actors, insurgency groupings and marginal gangs.
Turkmenistan: Explosion of online activity
Joshua Foust comments on the recent news about the emergence of new social groups forming online in Turkmenistan, and argues how effective they can be at gathering information.
Afghanistan: Underage girl used for a suicide bombing
Cassandra Clifford writes about a crying incident, in which a 9 years-old girl was kidnapped, drugged and forced to wear a detonation vest with orders to blow herself up in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: Ahmed Wali Karzai Assassinated
Faheem Haider reports that Ahmed Wali Karzai, President Hamid Karzai’s close relative and the most influential person in Kandahar province has been assassinated by a close family associate.
