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Paper abstract:

Islam has been disseminated among small number of individuals for decades in Central Asia. The glasnost played crucial role in Islamic revivalism and the method of spreading Islamic thought has gradually shifted from hujras to wider society through leaflets, tape cassette and emerging mosques during late 80’s and early 90’s. Subsequently, Islam become not only social issue but political phenomenon in the region. The governments of newly independent states of Central Asia faced challenge from the radical Islamists and took measures to minimize role of religion in their respective societies. However, today we observe the second Islamic revivalism in Central Asia that is attached not only with the developed self-confidence of governments but also available infrastructure for dissemination of Islamic thought. This paper analyzes selected Muslim intellectuals’ YouTube channels in Uzbek language and argues that contemporary Islamic revivalism is comprehensive and penetrative in nature. For instance, YouTube channel of Abror Muhtor Aliy who is based in Uzbekistan has more than 400 thousand subscribers and his videos reached 66 million views. Another channel, “Ixlos TV” contain videos of Sodiq Samarqandiy who is based in Turkey and has 89 million views. Similar numbers can be observed in “Osh mTv” that posts voices of Abdulloh domla who is based in southern Kyrgyzstan. The contemporary trends in these videos are that discussions are not specifically about the philosophies and doctrines of Islam but concentrate daily lives, political as well as international events. They engage in debates among each other, put effort in increasing number of subscribers. These channels becoming authority for significant portion of Uzbek speaking communities. The followers have been mobilized in number of occasions including in humanitarian support during pandemic and anti-LGBTQ activities in Tashkent. The topics of the videos are transforming from understanding Islam towards attitude of Islam to ongoing social, political, and international processes.