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Abstract

Kazakhstan’s law on religious activities and religious associations recognizes the historical role of Hanafi Islam and Orthodox Christianity, which makes these religious traditions officially state-recognized. However, there are dozens of other religious traditions present in modern Kazakhstan, though Hanafi Muslims remain the majority. Muslim clerics and scholars often describe Hanafi Islam as a tradition that upholds moderation, tolerance, and cultural continuity. This paper examines the role of Hanafi-Maturidi Islam in shaping interreligious engagement in contemporary Kazakhstan. Drawing on recent cross-cultural religious awareness events in Almaty and Astana, featuring participation from Muslim, Christian, and government officials, this paper argues that Islamic clerics are consciously aligning their public engagement with the theological tradition’s emphasis on reason, ethical coexistence, and accommodation of local customs. Rather than analyzing Islamic revival in Kazakhstan through securitized or identitarian frameworks, this paper focuses on the social impact of Islamic discourse in pluralist spaces. It highlights how references to Hanafi theology enable clerics to support interfaith understanding without compromising religious integrity, and how such efforts subtly reshape public notions of religious pluralism and historical memory, including renewed acknowledgment of the region’s Christian heritage. By combining textual analysis of official sermons, event transcripts, and interviews with organizers and participants, this paper seeks to demonstrate that the Hanafi-Maturidi tradition is not merely a symbolic reference point but an active resource for reimagining Islam’s public role in post-Soviet Central Asia.