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REVIEW article

Front. Sociol.
Sec. Race and Ethnicity
Volume 9 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1447966

Revitalizing Faith: An Inquiry into Political Sufism and Religious Continuity in Contemporary Kazakhstan

Provisionally accepted
Nodar Karimov Nodar Karimov 1Risalat-Bibi Karimova Risalat-Bibi Karimova 1Khalminyam Massimova Khalminyam Massimova 1Gulzhahan Khajiyeva Gulzhahan Khajiyeva 2*
  • 1 Suleimenov Institute of Oriental Studies, Almaty, Kazakhstan
  • 2 Turan University, Almaty, Kazakhstan

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The article embarks upon a study of political Sufism in contemporary Kazakhstan and patterns of religious continuity through an examination of Islamic manifestations that stretch back centuries, juxtaposed with the current state religious policy. It examines the role of the Muftiate's 'official Islam' 5 in shaping the life of religious communities, exploring the intricate interplay between religious identity, secularism, and public perception in the post-Soviet landscape. The author employed a multi-faceted research approach, integrating historical analysis, policy examination, and an ethnographic study of contemporary religious dynamics in the country. The historical analysis provides a foundation of the religious landscape, while policy analysis examines the state's contemporary role in shaping religious practices. Ethnography, focusing on groups such as the Jahriyya, Naqshbandiyya and the Suhba, involves respondents from diverse regions of Kazakhstan, offering firsthand insights into the experiences and perceptions of Sufi communities at the grassroots level, which enriches the study with a contextual perspective.Notably, fieldwork surveys, where the author engaged with respondents, provide valuable insights into the diverse experiences shaping the dynamics of political Sufism and religious continuity. They involved a diverse group of respondents, including religious leaders, community members, and secular intellectuals, from multiple regions of Kazakhstan at both urban and rural levels. The article is of scientific and practical significance as it enhances understanding of religious dynamics in the country, offering policymakers, scholars, and practitioners valuable perspectives for 1 Nodar Karimov, R.B. Suleimenov Institute of Oriental Studies of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kazakhstan.

    Keywords: political Sufism, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Folk islam, syncretism, Secularism, Religious groups

    Received: 17 Jun 2024; Accepted: 04 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Karimov, Karimova, Massimova and Khajiyeva. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Gulzhahan Khajiyeva, Turan University, Almaty, Kazakhstan

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