2008 Woodie Awards
Modern day Stalin dies
by Sabila Baimukhamedova
Issue date: 1/8/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
The end of 2006 brought shocking news to the Commonwealth of Independent States, the world and especially Turkmenistan. On December 21, 2006 Turkmen national television announced that Saparmurat Niyazov, the first president of the Republic of Turkmenistan died from a cardiac arrest. Saparmurat Niyazov, or Turkmenbashy, "Father of all ethnic Turkmen", as he called himself, had power for over 21 years, and while in power, he developed a personality cult of such a great level that legions of beginning autocrats have a long way to go. Niyazov renamed a city on the bay of Caspian Sea, several schools, airports, and even a meteorite "Turkmenbashy", he also renamed April and the meaning of the word "bread" in Turkmen language after his mother, Gurbansoltanedzhe, and the rest of the calendar months after himself and his immediate family.
The country is filled with golden monuments of Niyazov; several of them rotate 360 degrees every 24 hours to face the sun.
Turkmenbashy is famous for very controversial and somewhat ridiculous presidential decrees. He banned opera and ballet as "unnecessary … not part of Turkmen culture." He required licensed drivers to pass a morality test, that he created himself, he encouraged youth to chew on bones instead of paying visits to dentists, news readers were forbidden to wear make-up. Niyzov banned internet, video games, opposition political parties, and pensions as unnecessary.
There are many more actions he committed that were widely criticized by the international community or made a very good joke. And now, after 21 years of secluding the Turkmen nation from the rest of the world, Niyazov dies at the age of 66, 4 years before his promised resignation. Apart from respect and diplomacy shown by leaders of several countries which include Kazakhstan, Russia, Iran, China, Turkey and Georgia, thousands of people were sincerely mourning the death of one of the most eccentric leaders known. Why? Aren't the people of Turkmenistan expected to be in high spirits to get rid of such a burden and have a chance to discover items that almost the rest of the civilized world is taking for granted? Logically speaking and observing from the side, yes. But one can't help but remember the March 6, 1953, when Stalin was given his funeral. Countless numbers of people gathered to mourn over the world's worst tyrant and mass killer. Why?
Both Joseph Stalin and Saparmurat Niyazov were around for quite a while. Generations grew up under their rule, not knowing any other way to live. And now, in Turkmenistan's case, they have to build a whole new regime. Turkmen population will have to break their habits of being dictated if they don't want to face another era of losing more rights. They now actually have to admit to themselves that Turkmenbashy's decrees were outrageous and unreasonable. The population will have to think for themselves, for it is one of the hardest things to do.
The country is filled with golden monuments of Niyazov; several of them rotate 360 degrees every 24 hours to face the sun.
Turkmenbashy is famous for very controversial and somewhat ridiculous presidential decrees. He banned opera and ballet as "unnecessary … not part of Turkmen culture." He required licensed drivers to pass a morality test, that he created himself, he encouraged youth to chew on bones instead of paying visits to dentists, news readers were forbidden to wear make-up. Niyzov banned internet, video games, opposition political parties, and pensions as unnecessary.
There are many more actions he committed that were widely criticized by the international community or made a very good joke. And now, after 21 years of secluding the Turkmen nation from the rest of the world, Niyazov dies at the age of 66, 4 years before his promised resignation. Apart from respect and diplomacy shown by leaders of several countries which include Kazakhstan, Russia, Iran, China, Turkey and Georgia, thousands of people were sincerely mourning the death of one of the most eccentric leaders known. Why? Aren't the people of Turkmenistan expected to be in high spirits to get rid of such a burden and have a chance to discover items that almost the rest of the civilized world is taking for granted? Logically speaking and observing from the side, yes. But one can't help but remember the March 6, 1953, when Stalin was given his funeral. Countless numbers of people gathered to mourn over the world's worst tyrant and mass killer. Why?
Both Joseph Stalin and Saparmurat Niyazov were around for quite a while. Generations grew up under their rule, not knowing any other way to live. And now, in Turkmenistan's case, they have to build a whole new regime. Turkmen population will have to break their habits of being dictated if they don't want to face another era of losing more rights. They now actually have to admit to themselves that Turkmenbashy's decrees were outrageous and unreasonable. The population will have to think for themselves, for it is one of the hardest things to do.
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