Sayfullo Saipov: From golden boy to ISIL supporter

Tashkent, Uzbekistan – Sayfullo Saipov, a national of Uzbekistan accused of killing eight folks in Decrease Long island on October 31, became as soon as imagined to be a golden boy.

His attack, the deadliest assault in Original York since September Eleven, 2001, became as soon as described by US officials including the president as a « terrorist » incident. 

No longer lower than 12 folks possess been injured in the violence, which has viewed the 29-year-extinct charged with 22 counts including tried abolish and supplying area cloth toughen for the Islamic Dispute of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also most continuously known as ISIS). Nine of the counts would possibly perchance perchance seek him face the death penalty.

On Tuesday at a Original York court, he pleaded no longer responsible to the costs.

The top son in an affluent household, Saipov grew up with three younger sisters, attended a deepest school and the popular Monetary Stories university, played football, and wore polished shoes that made him « be taught enjoy a gentleman », according to his sister, Umida Saipova. 

What he did became as soon as an sudden blow to us. We are waking up from a nightmare.

Umida Saipova, suspect’s sister 

In Uzbekistan, his father owns a retailer at a construction affords market, and the household lives in the upper-middle-class neighbourhood of Uch Tepa, or Three Hills, in a dwelling that appears to be like luxurious in the impoverished frail Soviet nation of 32 million.

« What he did became as soon as an sudden blow to us, » Umida urged Al Jazeera. « We are waking up from a nightmare. »

Their neighbourhood is veteran. Males in no intention wear shorts, as an different, they don jeans or suits. Ladies folks are seemingly to wear lengthy skirts; anything else revealing would possibly perchance perchance perchance be frowned upon.

Though males flock to an area mosque every Friday, a government-appointed neighbourhood legitimate said that he straight away learns about any indicators of « radicalism », from skilled-Islamic legislation diatribes to sure forms of look.

All around the frail Soviet Union, shorter trousers, beefy beards and no moustaches denote Salafis, a sect concept of vulgar of their beliefs in the dwelling. Police in Central Asia know the list by coronary heart.

« You would possibly be able to be ready to’t conceal such things here, » Bakhtiyor Yunuskhodjayev urged Al Jazeera.  As head of makhalla, an area neighbourhood, he handles day-to-day bureaucracy such as issuing paperwork proving one owns an dwelling or has a job. If a younger man desires to vary into a policeman, he wants a sure « certificate » from him.

Along with Yunuskhodjayev, the neighbours are adamant that neither Saipov nor his relatives showed any indicators of hazard.

« He’s no longer the roughly boy who hurts folks, who kills folks, » said a lady who lives shut to Saipov’s dwelling, on situation of anonymity. 

Islam versus Karimov

Despite his first name, Islam Karimov, a frail Communist apparatchik and ex-President, resisted a non secular revival in Uzbekistan and tried to root out « extremism » with draconian measures, squeezing out « radicals ». 

Hundreds escaped to Afghanistan in the tiring Nineties, forming the Islamic Motion of Uzbekistan, an armed community that sided with the Taliban and fought against the US-led coalition. Many extra fled to Turkey, the attach they formed a community in Istanbul’s Zeytinburnu district that can perchance perchance perchance ship many warring parties to Syria and Iraq.

Uzbek authorities cracked down on Muslim groups operating initiate air government preserve a watch on, and jailed 1000’s of alleged « radicals » that possess been largely strange, calm Muslims, human rights groups command. 

Though Saipov’s obvious « radicalisation » appears to be like to possess took intention in the US, he nearly for dart knew about what became as soon as taking place to Muslims round him. 

Saipov is accused of a truck attack which struck down a pair of folks on a bike direction in Original York Metropolis [St. Charles County Department of Corrections/AFP]

Govt-orchestrated trials, rights abuses and excessive torture such as beatings, asphyxiation, electrocution and rape marked the crackdown for many years. Two jailed Muslims possess been boiled to death 2002, according to research commissioned by the British Embassy in Uzbekistan. Uzbek authorities said the males doused every diversified with boiling water for the interval of an argument.

In 2005, Karimov ordered his troops to mow down 1000’s of protesters in the eastern metropolis of Andijan. He branded the whisper « an Islamist coup » and jailed 1000’s of alleged « organisers ». 

Karimov’s death final year terminated his 27-year-rule, and his successor, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, started economic and political reforms that some hailed as « Uzbekistan’s perestroika ».

On the day after Saipov’s truck attack, Mirziyoyev said Uzbekistan « is able to employ all forces and property to support in the investigation of this act of fright », and equipped condolences to the US.

‘10,000 in the again of bars’

Though 1000’s of Muslims possess been released this year, no longer lower than blacklisted 10,000 alleged « radicals » are level-headed in the again of bars, says Nadejda Atayeva, head of the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia, who fled Uzbekistan and lives in France.

« This list is no longer getting shorter, » she urged Al Jazeera. « Uzbek authorities don’t alternate their political attitude toward non secular organisations and communities that don’t match the [government-prescribed] format. The emigration of Uzbek believers is intensifying. »

And in prison, they level-headed face horrendous abuse.

In early November, Mukhabbat Kholmatova, a 60-year-extinct woman from Andijan, claimed that her imprisoned son Alisher Kholmatov and diversified inmates had their genitals doused with boiling water after guards saw them praying, according to a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty yarn. 

But Saipov became as soon as no longer even shut to being accused of extremism.

He became as soon as a diligent pupil, and began working as an accountant at a hotel in 2009, his sister said.

« He had no time to build to the mosque, he factual studied, studied, » she said, including that he in no intention sported a beard.

In 2010, he received a Green Card.

In Uzbekistan, the attach most folks are dwelling on $200 a month and millions work in a faraway places country, this kind of model is viewed as a victory. Some 830,000 Uzbeks utilized for the US vary visa lottery, the legitimate name for the Green Card, in 2015, however simplest Four,368 received.

Billboards and slips of paper selling the English-talking middlemen who support possess in the bag forms for round $5 are ubiquitous in Uzbek cities.

For Saipov, the engage became as soon as sudden – he copied his friend’s utility and didn’t concept to transfer to the US, the sister said. Yet, there it became as soon as – a value to the American dream.

Eight years later, the dream fizzled.

He worked as a lengthy-haul truck driver, registered two transport companies that in no intention grew into anything else huge, and lived in Ohio, Florida and Original Jersey.

He fathered three children with an Uzbek woman he married in the US and grew a beefy beard. In 2015, federal agents interviewed him about imaginable ties to suspected warring parties, according to ABC Recordsdata.

Six months earlier than the attack, he turned an Uber driver.

So why would possibly perchance perchance he possess performed such an attack? 

Saipov became as soon as « manipulated » into pledging allegiance to ISIL, claims Khusniddin Kutbiddinov, an Uzbek journalist who fled to the US seven years ago.

« Within the previous a hundred-plus years, Uzbeks absolutely can no longer relate a chum from an enemy, » Kutbiddinov urged Al Jazeera, relating to the years of propaganda for the interval of the Communist period and Karimov’s rule. « They’ve lengthy misplaced an capacity to discern. And for this reason very customarily they are easy to govern. »

A alternate in immigrant males’s dwelling would possibly perchance perchance contribute to radicalisation, one other observer eminent. 

They open touting conservatism because of « the autumn of their authority in the household, the attach they customary to be breadwinners, customary to be revered by their wives – and [then] turned nothing », Vladimir Chernomorsky, an Uzbekistan-born publicist dwelling in the US, wrote on Fb.

Radicalisation « is a formulation to preserve their authority and self-recognize », he added.

‘Psychological causes have to be addressed’

Saipov became as soon as the fourth Uzbek to organise an attack this year.

In January, Abdulkadir Marsharipov, 28, gunned down 39 folks at an Istanbul nightclub. Turkey said he became as soon as an ISIL fighter who had trained in Iraq and lived in Konya. 

In April, Akbarjon Jalilov, a 22-year-extinct ethnic Uzbek with a Russian passport blew up a subway educate in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-greatest metropolis, killing 15 folks. An al-Qaeda-linked community combating against ISIL claimed accountability for the attack.

« What desires to be addressed are the social and psychological causes why boys from Uzbekistan are at risk of extremist ideas in emigration. In Uzbekistan, they for dart possess been neither non secular radicals nor adversaries of the Uzbek regime. »

Daniil Kislov, Central Asia skilled

Days later Rakhmat Akilov ploughed a truck trusty into a crowd in Stockholm, killing four and wounding 15, months after he became as soon as denied asylum in Sweden. Tackle Saipov, he followed ISIL’s on-line how-to directions.

Not like homegrown Uzbek warring parties, these four « transformed » and began following a hardline ideology after years of dwelling in a faraway places country – something that is seemingly to be ascribed to on-line propaganda of radical groups, Daniil Kislov, Central Asia skilled says.

« What desires to be addressed are the social and psychological causes why boys from Uzbekistan are at risk of extremist ideas in emigration, » Daniil Kislov urged Al Jazeera. « In Uzbekistan, they for dart possess been neither non secular radicals nor adversaries of the Uzbek regime. »

Many Uzbeks are inflamed about what Saipov has carried out to their nation’s image – and to his personal household.

« They’re stunning, laborious-working folks, » neighbourhood legitimate Yunuskhodjayev said. « Now they are being cursed. »