Expression of Islamic identity and the myth of religious fundamentalism in Central Asia

The expression of Islamic identity (Islamic revivalism) in Central Asia involves the search for historic and cultural heritage containing pre-Islamic, Islamic and Soviet era traditions. The following historic, cultural and political factors make it unlikely for the Islamic revivalism to take a radical character or to dominate the process of identity formation and state building in Central Asia: (1) Central Asians have been exposed to many currents of civilizations such as Persian, Turkic, and Islamic. Despite the dominant influence of Islam, Central Asians have partially preserved their pre-Islamic and traditional cultures. (2) The nationality based territorial units, created by the Soviet state, became the basis of a new national identity for the Republic's ruling elite. The Soviet era leadership remained in power and is determined to confine Islam within the cultural sphere. (3) The Jadid religious reform movement of 1920s created a more modern and secular view of Islam among the Central Asian intellectuals. (4) The public sentiment and knowledge of Islam is weak and cannot provide sufficient support for the establishment of theocratic regimes in Central Asia. The civil war in Tajikistan is described by the Central Asian elite as a surge of Islamic fanaticism. A close analysis of events unveils that the traditional Tajik localism and regional politics were responsible for the war not the Islamic fundamentalism.