Muhammad Salih Famous modern Uzbek poet, politician, dissident. Date of Birth: 20.12.1949 Country: Uzbekistan

Biography of Muhammad Salikh

Muhammad Salikh, also known as Madaminov Salay, is a renowned contemporary Uzbek poet, political activist, and dissident. He was born on December 20, 1949, in the Urgench district of the Khorezm region in Uzbekistan. Salikh comes from a well-known aristocratic family of Khorezm bek (western nobility). At birth, he was named Muhammad Salikh, which is similar to his father's name, Muhammad Amin (Madamin). Sharia law requires the use of these names without any abbreviations. However, in colloquial language, various distortions of these names are commonly used, such as Mamasali, Salij, Salay, and others. It was these distorted forms that Soviet officials chose when preparing personal documents, resulting in his surname (Madaminov) and first name (Salay).
In 1977, Salikh published his first collection of poems, which instantly brought him fame as an avant-garde poet in a literary world where the concept of avant-garde seemed contradictory. The release of the book was met with reviews ranging from enthusiastic and surprised by the emergence of the so-called "new" to benevolently skeptical, reflecting the literary feudalism prevailing in Soviet press organs. However, after a warning from the republic's chief ideologist about the "harmful influence of the West in poetry," Salikh entered the first phase of being ostracized by socialist society until the 1990s. During this time, he was labeled as a Westernized poet distant from "national traditions." However, this phase was still romantic because no one was interrogated in KGB basements for writing a poem or imprisoned for possessing books by Cholpan, the then "enemy of the people."
Unlike most official Uzbek Soviet poets who exploited pseudo-national themes, Salikh's early works were characterized by a combination of Western avant-garde (especially surrealism) with complex Sufi philosophy (especially the school of Jalal ad-Din Rumi) and metaphorical language associated with its mystical foundation. He has published more than 20 books of poetry and essays, and has translated the works of Franz Kafka and French poets of the 20th century into Uzbek. His poems have been translated into many languages, and hundreds of articles and dozens of books have been written about him in various languages. In Russian, Salikh's poems first became known through translations by Viktor Sosnora and later Alexei Parshchikov. Salikh was not a member of the Communist Party. His political activities began in the mid-1980s, closely linked to his literary reformist activities within the Writers' Union of Uzbekistan. In December 1984, he wrote his first political manifesto, which was directed against the policies of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan regarding national literature, language, and history. It was signed by 53 young poets.
During the early stages of perestroika, Salikh became one of the founders of the "Birlik/Unity" movement. In 1989, he established the Erk/Freedom Party. In 1990, he became a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of Uzbekistan. On June 20, 1990, at the initiative of the Erk Party, the Supreme Soviet adopted the Declaration of Independence of Uzbekistan. In December 1991, Salikh was the only opponent of Uzbekistan's President I. Karimov in the elections. According to official data, Salikh received 12.7% of the votes, while according to previously announced data on Uzbekistan's radio, he received 33%, and according to independent observers, over 50%. A student demonstration of Salikh's supporters after the elections was brutally suppressed, opposition newspapers were closed, and criminal cases were opened against opposition leaders. The party's secretary, Atanazar Arif, was arrested. On July 2, 1992, Salikh resigned from his parliamentary duties in protest against the repression. In December, he was accused of creating the "Milliy Mejlis," and in April 1993, he was arrested for "treason." However, under pressure from the international community, he was soon released under the condition that he would not leave Tashkent. Nevertheless, he managed to escape first to Baku and then to Turkey.
The fourth congress of Erk was held on September 25, 1993, in Tashkent without Salikh. The congress took place under strict surveillance by the authorities' security forces. However, the congress was able to adopt amendments to the party's statute, elect a chairman, the Central Council, and other party leadership bodies. Representatives of the government who were present at the congress openly demanded the replacement of the party's leader with a puppet of the regime. However, the congress re-elected Muhammad Salikh, despite the fact that he was in exile at the time. In 2001, an assassination attempt was made on Salikh's life by order of President Karimov. The attempt was foiled by the efforts of the Norwegian government and Salikh's friends. This event was widely covered in the international press.
On November 28, 2001, at the invitation of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Salikh flew from Amsterdam to Prague. He was arrested at the Prague airport and placed in the Pankrac prison, where former Czech President Vaclav Havel once served time. Human Rights Watch issued the following statement: "Renowned Uzbek dissident Muhammad Salikh has been arrested on politically motivated charges by Uzbekistan and faces possible extradition. Salikh was the sole genuine opponent of Uzbek President I. Karimov in the 1991 presidential elections. In November 2000, the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan sentenced Salikh to 15.5 years in prison on charges of "terrorism and anti-state actions." However, Human Rights Watch observed the trial and found that it was a spectacle reminiscent of the Soviet era. Not a single piece of evidence of Salikh's guilt was presented during the trial." Despite strong public pressure, the Prague City Court sentenced Muhammad Salikh to 40 days in prison with the possibility of subsequent extradition to Uzbekistan on November 30. Salikh's lawyer, Kohoutova, said, "There is tremendous international pressure to release Salikh. People from all over the world are contacting me, and many are preparing protest demonstrations. Czech authorities are waiting for documents from Uzbekistan that confirm Salikh's guilt. If they do not arrive within forty days, Salikh will be released from prison on the forty-first day."
The Norwegian Ambassador Lasse Seim was allowed to visit Salikh in prison. The ambassador assured Salikh that Norway was doing everything possible to free him from prison without going to trial. He said it was very important because the danger of extradition still existed. Muhammad Salikh said he had decided to wait for a trial. The ambassador was perplexed. He tried once again to convince Salikh of the precariousness of his situation, but Salikh remained steadfast. He said he wanted to be tried because it was the only way to clear his name of the Uzbek regime's slander. "I am willing to wait here as long as it takes. Let the Uzbek side provide all the documents proving my guilt, and let the court decide based on them," he said.
Pressure from the international community on the Czech Republic continued to grow. President Havel was forced to speak on the radio, saying, "I am certain that he will not be handed over to totalitarian leaders but will be sent to Norway. I find this case very sad. It harms our Republic." Havel added that he would do everything he could for Salikh. (December 7, 2001, RFERL, Jolyon Naegele).
On December 10, President Havel informed the press about his conversation with the Minister of Interior regarding Salikh's case and said that Salikh might be released from prison before trial. He added, "Perhaps it will be under my guarantee." (CTK, December 10, 2001)
On December 11, President Havel told an STK agency correspondent that he would meet with Salikh at Prague Castle on December 12. The President noted that his office had been flooded with messages of support for Salikh from around the world. On December 12, Muhammad Salikh was received at the Presidential Palace. Czech President Vaclav Havel inquired about the situation in Uzbekistan and Salikh's plans. On December 14, the City Court ruled. The court found all the materials provided by the Uzbek side to be politicized and acquitted Muhammad Salikh. After the trial, in the evening, Salikh flew to Oslo, where he had been living for the past three years.