‘Noviy Vestnik’ gathers the views of some of the city’s leading citizens on the nature of rumors that were going around Karaganda.

On November 4th, Karaganda experienced a mass hysteria. Townspeople terrified each other with horror stories of about human sacrifices, bombings, and murders. Once passions subsided, ‘NV’ asks what went on.

Anatoly Kim, lawyer for the Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law:

-Many people benefited, including officials who found it beneficial to escalate this situation of fear. Recently a new law on religion was adopted, and they are using it to tighten the screws on extremism and terrorism. The fact that there were explosions in Atyrau — there it was some fool, excuse me, but it was no terrorist. Their theory, that it was a terrorist attack, it just does not stick. This was the act of a madman, or someone who had been deceived or put up to it. What kind of a terrorist goes and blows himself up out on the outskirts, in a trash dumpster? What is the point? Personally, I think that panic was necessary in order to prove that there are certain extremist movements that must be dealt with, and citizens need to prepare for it — otherwise they will be blowing up buses, trolleys, trams, and so on. It was necessary so that the security services felt they had a free hand, so they can say: “Guys, we got to do this, we got to stop these rogues, look what they’re up to!” But was it really rogues who did this? That is the big question, and that is my personal opinion.

Ruslan Telegin, press secretary for the Ecomuseum:

-I think there is such a thing as a collective unconscious. This was a sort of mass hysteria, and here it did not matter from whom you heard it. It turned into an avalanche. I also ran into this when I heard it from sane and intelligent people, some with more than one degree, and I saw their panicked conditions. It was beneficial to those who wish to intimidate the public. When they commit a terrorist attack, they usually do it on a subway, airport, bus, or concert hall, somewhere where there are lot of people. But here our terrorists are somewhat more humane. All of them have blown up things very carefully, and without casualties. Only the bomber died. Terror is always the message, and it reaches the public very quickly when it involves a large number of casualties. I think that all of this was dreamt up within our country and does not come from elsewhere, from Wahhabi terrorists or some non-existent organization. It is all being done right here. This is what happened in Russia in the late 1990s and early 2000. They were also blowing things up, as if on a schedule. I think it was according to some principle of political science, however much this may sound cynical, but I think it is all the work of our own specialists.

Yuri Krivodanov, director of the ‘Blago’ public organization:

- Rumors about a terrorist attack? What do you mean! This is the first I have heard about it. Here in Karaganda? I talked to a lot of people, even sat down in mixed company, and no one heard anything about it. But my personal theory is that only the authorities benefit from it. Elections are coming, and they need consolidation and all that. It is the same old, same old. Everyone does it — the Americans, the Russians. It may not be as strongly developed here, I suppose, but the Americans and the Russians cannot think of anything else, just as soon as someone gets blown up, they courageously go after Bin Laden, who may or may not be alive. I will tell you this, though: organizing a major event like this is very difficult, even if it was legal and not a matter of somebody’s neck. And organizing such as thing is only within the means of organizations with multimillion-dollar budgets and world-class management. I evaluate the importance of Kazakhstan as very high, but not so high that organizations engaged in terrorism would pay any attention to us.

Igor Nesterenko, director of ‘Cinema Lenin’:

-It would be beneficial to those who want to destabilize our society. But for what purpose? That would be anyone’s guess. It is a pity that people here are so prone to panic. Fortunately, we have government and law enforcement agencies that know how to cope with their tasks. Apparently, the more incredible the tale, the more people are willing to believe it. It is clear that we all have been pumped up by media reports about events in the near and far abroad. The situation in Kazakhstan, even with all the political and social ambiguity, does not suggest a reason for such panic. I do not know who spread these rumors. It was according to the ‘I heard it from a friend’ principle. By word of mouth, from cell phone to cell phone. On the Internet a kind of hysterical orgy started. One can understand why officials and educators wanted to stay safe and ruined the holidays for the children — here a fifth grade class from one school cancelled their plans to see ‘Puss in Boots’. They had even bought tickets already. Now they want to postpone it for an indefinite time. On Friday and Saturday they called up and warned us. Today is Monday, and it does not look much like a holiday. There is practically nobody here.

Aigul Dementieva, deputy director of ‘Shakhtyor’ KGKP:

-Any sane person, especially someone who often goes on the Internet, knows that there is always somebody who has filmed some accident and uploaded the video onto the Internet. And we all go and look at what just happened three minutes ago. But in this case there were no photos, no video. Strange, especially since they said the explosions took place in the city center, where many people go. Yes, this is ridiculous! How is it even possible to believe this? There is a type of person who likes to sow panic and discord. They had to delay a visit by the President to our social facilities. Somebody just decided to destabilize the situation. I will not say that this was the work of the Wahhabis. I read that recently the Interior Ministry decided to get stricter in the jails, and in particular they do not allow prisoners to read their prayers. Perhaps by spreading rumors, this was one of the ways they are saying something about it. Maybe they are trying to get someone to pay attention. That is my opinion.

Natalia Usachev, chairman of the Gender Information and Analysis Center:

-The schools fueled the rumors. Some classes were canceled that day. An old friend called me up, she teaches at the College of Arts, and they sent the students home. Later her child was supposed to go to swim lessons, they also called up and said not to come because they feared a terrorist attack. On Friday we had just gone to the labor bureau, and there was the deputy chief, and with her was her 10-year-old daughter, because they would not let her go to school, and they said to keep off the streets. I did not believe it from the very start. None of it was very believable. Apparently someone needs to get people worked up and in a panic. I think that it was somebody close to the Wahhabis doing a test. This spreading of rumors was done so that they could figure out what people might do, whether they might get frightened or not. More than likely it was certain radical opposition groups that are putting forward some kinds of demands. People do not always know this, but they give warnings that if you do not give in to them — perhaps elect someone or change some law — then you only have yourself to blame. It was the extremists sending a warning.

COMMENTARY FROM A PSYCHOLOGIST

NV: Why did people believe these rumors?

Psychologist Alexander Pak: Rumors about explosions and murders were spread in order to sow fear in people, to provoke anxiety and panic. In principle, it worked. Perhaps the rumors had an ideological subtext, especially when considering the fact that they were spread on the eve of Eid. This is a Muslim festival associated with sacrifice. There is a special religious ceremony, which involves the sacrifice of an animal, but the word sacrifice could be distorted and given another, more sinister meaning. Information is distorted and rumors start. In spreading rumors, special importance is given to understatement and mystery, and that is why they are anonymous. Events that have an effect on basic human values are incorporated into the subject of the rumor, and in this case it was the children, and their lives and health. Typically, a person is afraid for themselves and their loved ones. It is no wonder that people, when the rumors started flying, ran to the schools and kindergartens to get their children. The mechanism of action for rumors is rather simple: one can ignore something in the paper or on TV, but if a relative or close friend tells me about some terrible event, of course I will believe them, and this is what they were counting on. If ten friends all tell you the same thing, you are likely to accept it as truth. A rumor is possible under only one condition: that it summons an emotional response from people. If the transmitter of this information is a friend or relative, then this can more rapidly cause a reaction.

NV: To what end can terrible rumors provoke people?

Psychologist Alexander Pak: When there is panic, people think, “What will happen next?” It is easy to think up a lot of horror stories while remembering the script from some disaster film. People give in to the excitement and rush to buy salt, sugar, flour, and stock up on essential commodities. If the person is at that moment a member of some destructive cult, he can do anything, up to the most extreme. People with an unstable mentality, when led by sectarian leaders, can commit suicide. They think: “It’s all over, there’s no reason to live. The end of the world is here.”

NV: How should one cope with psychological pressure?

Psychologist Alexander Pak: We must receive rumors with a bit of humor, and laugh at them. Healthy irony and sarcasm are in this case the best helpers. No matter what the terrible story, it ceases to be scary once a person starts to laugh.

In ‘Noviy Vestnik’, Karaganda, Kazakhstan
http://www.nv.kz/2011/11/08/23552/

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