The Transformation of Tajikistan’s Religious Field

From Religious Pluralism to Authoritarian Inertia

Bibliographic Data

ID13063483
AuthorsShahnoza Nozimova (0000-0003-2994-9239, George Mason University, corresponding author), Tim Epkenhans (0000-0003-0257-1184, University of Freiburg, corresponding author)
Year2019
Volume6
Issue2-3
Pages133-165
Publication date2019-05-13
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueCentral Asian Affairs (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2214-2282 • E-ISSN: 2214-2290
PublisherBrill (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.1163/22142290-00602004
OpenAlexW2945733331
LanguageEN
Citations received4

The recent transformation of Tajikistan’s political system has significantly altered the social and political context in which the country’s lay Muslims and religious elites negotiate Islam and Islamic normativity. The quasi-governmental Islamic Center ( Markazi Islomi ) has taken on a more dominant role, becoming the sole official (state-approved) Islamic institution in Tajikistan defining Islamic normativity. In this work, we explore the rationale behind the Tajik state’s pursuit of this political trajectory, conduct a detailed examination of the religious edicts ( fatwas ) issued by the Islamic Center, and identify its conservative trends. Our research suggests that the Islamic Center offers the Tajik government a way to achieve its much-desired monopoly over the religious field. Furthermore, we argue that the Islamic Center’s conservative interpretation of Islam, with its emphasis on political conformity, social patriarchy, and limited mystical experience, is far more “legible” and administratively manageable for the authoritarian regime than the previous religious pluralism

Authoritarianism · Democracy · Epistemology · Islam · Pluralism (philosophy · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sharia · Sociology · Theology · Eurasian Exchange Networks · Law · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East · Soviet and Russian History

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