Abstract:

The collapse of USSR in 1991 was a beginning of new period for the countries of Central Asia to import new ideologies and thoughts. Many things were new for the society even from tasting the Coca Cola to witnessing foreign brand cars. Notion of free market economy started dominating the government policy as a way of development of country’s economy and create a self-sustained population. Kyrgyzstan was among Central Asian countries exposed to external socio-cultural, social-economic, and political ideologies which created new ideas, views, groups, and communities in society.

Huge external impact on societies in Kyrgyzstan was noticed in the sphere of religion. Muslim population was returning to religious values which they were not able to practice for seventy years in Soviet system which was dominated by atheism. Majority of population in Kyrgyzstan is followers of Sunni Islam which was introduced to the Central Asia during the eighth century. They were deprived from the religion to a large extend in terms of worship, practices, and Islamic education, which basically made them religiously illiterate. Thus, this illiteracy which removed the ability of society to filter the right from wrong was the main factor for their exposure to extreme and radical religious ideologies and thoughts leading them toward violent religious extremism. The growth of interest in religion was observed in sharp increase in the number of religious organizations. As of 2016, State Commission for Religious Affairs of Kyrgyz Republic officially registered 2,989 religious organizations in the country, of which 2,595 are Islamic and 380 are Christian, as well as 1 Buddhist, 1 Jewish community, and 12 bahá'í communities. However, the official statistics before the collapse of the USSR indicated only 39 mosques and several Christian religious establishments functioned in Kyrgyzstan.

Religious radicalizations and extremism are social evolutions happening not only in Kyrgyzstan or in Central Asia, but also in all parts of the world. Today, we are witnessing violent cost of religious radicalization and extremism in the advanced form of terrorism, mass killings, and so on. Thus, conducting the current research will absolutely add the significant value to the academia and government policies of Kyrgyzstan through its multiple analyses and results.

Results of the research will offer particular policy implications in spheres of security, education, religion, youth development and social protection.