Throughout history, Central Asia has been a significant hub of Islamic culture and civilization. However, the influence of Islam in the region waned during Russian and Soviet rule. Leaders like Joseph Stalin and Nikita Khrushchev aimed to suppress Islam by closing mosques, destroying religious schools, burning veils in public, and eliminating Islamic Shariah courts. Despite these efforts, Islamist ideals persisted through underground networks.
After the fall of communism in 1991, there was an ideological void in Central Asia. Political Islam emerged as a potential replacement, with followers seeking to rejuvenate Islamic values in the region. While the Central Asian governments acknowledged Islam in a sociocultural context, they made significant efforts to curb politically-oriented Islamism.
Islamic extremism also made its way to Central Asia, evident in events like the March 2024 Crocus City Hall terrorist attack and the high recruitment levels of Central Asians by groups like the Islamic State and the Taliban.
The rise of radical Islam in Central Asia under repressive state regimes initially seems paradoxical. However, factors like post-Soviet transitions leading to societal instability and geographic proximity to extremist regions like Afghanistan help explain this phenomenon. Additionally, severe repression by authoritarian governments against Islamist movements pushes them to operate underground and resort to more extreme actions.
Uzbekistan
In Uzbekistan, post-independence saw a rise in Islamist organizations, which later faced crackdowns by President Islam Karimov’s regime. Movements like the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan became powerful underground forces due to state restrictions.