Islam, Identity, and Politics in Post-Soviet Central Asia

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the five Central Asian republics have witnessed a profound transformation of religious life and political belonging. Islam, long suppressed under communist rule, has re-emerged in multiple forms—ranging from cultural and ritual practice to organised political activism. Governments have navigated a delicate balancing act between co-opting religious identity to bolster national legitimacy and repressing independent religious movements viewed as threats to secular authority. Against a backdrop of resurgent ethnic consciousness and state-led nation-building, Muslim identity has become both an instrument of political mobilisation and a field of contestation over citizenship, human rights and regional security. This dynamic has spawned debates on moderate versus radical Islam, the legacy of Soviet secularisation and the role of transnational networks in shaping local religious trajectories. The global implications of these debates extend to migration, counter-terrorism and the negotiation of pluralism in societies marked by rapid social change.

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Islam, Identity, and Politics in Post-Soviet Central Asia publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in islam, identity, and politics in post-soviet central asia across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Islamism: A political ideology advocating the application of Islamic principles in governance and public life.

Soviet secularisation: The process by which the Soviet state suppressed religious institutions and practices, promoting atheism and strict state control over faith communities.

Salafism: A conservative movement within Sunni Islam that seeks to emulate the practices of the earliest generations of Muslims.

Securitisation: The framing of certain ideologies or groups as security threats, justifying extraordinary legal or political measures.

Retraditionalisation: A revival of pre-modern social norms and practices, often invoked to reinforce communal identities in times of rapid change.

References

1. Explaining the vicious circle of political repression and islamic radicalism in Central Asia. Cogent Social Sciences (2024).
2. Some Common Patterns of Islamic Revival in Post-Soviet Central Asia and Challenges to Develop Human Rights and Inclusive Society. Religions (2020).
3. “And I Believe in Signs”: Soviet Secularity and Islamic Tradition in Kyrgyzstan. Comparative Studies in Society and History (2024).