Paper long abstract:

As many researchers of the region note, the rapid religious revival (of Islam in particular) in post-Soviet societies has been met with resentment by certain parts of the population. Some of this has to do with the fact that both the society and the state were not prepared for the emergence of new non-Soviet secularism, mass circulation of new religious ideas and practices, and the spread of so-called "fundamentalist" Islam that doesn't conceptualize religion as a part of the "national tradition." Viewing religion in the framework of the secularization theory - as the "opium for people" and an archaism that is "out of place" in the modern world - is still common. Such views have also been strengthened by the rhetoric of the global war on terror and internal regional struggles against domestic terrorism, which have created a whole array of arbitrary and artificial distinctions/dichotomies between "good versus bad," "traditional versus non-traditional," and "moderate versus extreme" Islam(s). Caught in between these binaries, Muslims are facing the challenge of fitting themselves into the framework of "good, moderate, and traditional Islam" - trying to be religious while not being accused of "excessive" religiosity. However, oftentimes in order to "fit" and function in such an environment proponents of Islam are obliged to present themselves as "super-modern" and "successful" while distancing their religious practice as far as possible from any vestige of "blind faith." There is also a growing audience for messages of "rationalized" and "individualized" Islam that helps people to become "successful" in this world while remaining religious and ethical. This paper is going to focus on the two cases of "coaching for success" by Shamil Alyautdinov, a mufti-turned-trainer from Moscow, and by Kuanysh Shonbay, a former managing partner of the Kazakhstani halal restaurant chain Rumi.