SOCIAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS OF RELIGIOUS-POLITICAL EXTREMISM IN CENTRAL ASIA AND THE CAUCASUS: HOW IT EMERGED AND HOW TO OPPOSE IT
Keywords:
Religious and political extremism - Terrorism - Daesh - Recruitment - Wahhabism - Radical Islam - The Hanafi tradition of Sunni IslamAbstract
The authors compare and analyze the social, political, and religious situations in the Central Asian countries and the predominantly Muslim regions of the Caucasus. They study the factors that contribute to the emergence of religious and political extremism in these areas, trace the connection between religious extremism in the Northern Caucasus and Central Asia, and terrorism on a global scale. They generalize information about terrorist organizations operating in Central Asia and the Caucasus, obtained from open sources, and identify the social, demographic, ethnic, and political factors that turn local Muslims into religious and political extremists. The authors also explore the methods used by transnational terrorism to recruit migrants and young people.
The paper specifies relevant terms, relying on insights from experts in religious studies and Islam regarding extremism and terrorism, including Islamic terrorism. It reveals internal contradictions within Islam and discusses the different, sometimes contradictory, understandings and interpretations of various Islamic trends.
The authors outline ways and means used to combat religious and political extremism in Central Asia and the Caucasus, including identifying recruiters and preventing terrorist attacks. They conclude that the global community should address the threats of religious and political extremism and terrorism collectively.
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References
The term is used mainly by Russian experts in religious studies.
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