From the Emergence of Islam in Greater Khorasan to Fundamentalism in Central Asia

From the Emergence of Islam in Greater Khorasan to Fundamentalism in Central Asia

The history of Islam in Greater Khorasan and its transformations over the centuries until the collapse of the Soviet has always been a sensitive and debated issue. It has been several years since the dissolution of the Soviet in 1991 and the establishment of five republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in Central Asia. The sudden disintegration of the and the subsequent unintentional independence of the Central Asian states have fostered nationalist sentiments and, in some cases, a desire to re-establish the caliphate that once thrived in Greater Khorasan. This factor has led Islamist groups in Central Asia to become significant players in the socio-political developments of the region. The question that arises is whether the inclination towards Islam and the revival of Islamic thought in Central Asia is so significant and influential that it could lead to the establishment of a caliphate in this region, as it did in the past. This article analyzes and scrutinizes any potential connections between fundamentalism and the revival of Islam in Central Asia in response to the above question.

Shideh / J. Khansari