Aga Khan Accused of Working with British Intelligence to Spark War in Central Asia and Redraw Map of the Region

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Mar. 18 -- Many in both Moscow and the West have focused on the influence of the Aga Khan on the Ismaili community in Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan, viewing it as a source of increasing instability there (windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2023/06/fearful-of-secession-in-gorno.html).

            Two weeks ago, two Russian commentators argued that the Aga Khan’s influence in Central Asia extends far beyond Tajikistan and represents a threat to Moscow’s interests because the religious leader in their view works in lock step with Western NGOs (imemo.ru/files/File/magazines/rossia_i_novay/2023_04/20-Filaretova.pdf as discussed at ia-centr.ru/experts/ia-centr-ru/deyatelnost-fonda-aga-khana-v-tsentralnoy-azii/).

            Now, a Moscow-backed outlet, Asia.Today, has upped the ante by declaring that the Aga Khan, working with together with British intelligence, is seeking to destabilize Central Asia in order to create in place of existing states, two new ones, Greater Waziristan and Kypchakistan, that the Aga Khan and London could dominate (asia-today.news/18032024/3391/).

            The article praises Dushanbe for suppressing Aga Khan-connected initiatives in Tajikistan and denounces Bishkek for continuing to cooperate with the Aga Khan’s organization in Kyrgyztan. And it suggests that this divergence in the position of the two states will be used by the Aga Khan and London to spark a war between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

            On the one hand, this appears to be yet another Moscow effort to torpedo the border agreements Bishkek and Dushanbe have reached in recent months, agreements that reduce Russia’s opportunities for meddling. But on the other, it is likely a harbinger of repressive Russian moves against what it calls non-traditional religions not only there but in Russia too,