Under the Soviet system, the rich intellectual life of Islam was eliminated, but a vigorous if unsophisticated popular tradition remained. After perestroika, an Islamic movement emerged as a form of political protest. But secular nationalism and ethnic conflict within and between the new republics also provided political dynamics. Throughout the time of change, Islam has served as a symbol of identity, a force for mobilization, and a pressure for democracy. But if successful politically, it faces economic challenges beyond its grasp.
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References
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1. A. V. Malashenko, “Novy politichesky start Islama” [The 1980s: The new political beginning of Islam]Oriens (Moscow) no. 5, p. 54:80-e (1991).
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2. S. P. Polyakov, “Tradicionaliam v sovremenom sredneaziatskom obscestve” [Traditionalism, the contemporary Central Asian society] (Moscow, 1989), p. 75.
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3. Ibid., p. 76.
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4. Grajdanskie politicheskie dvijeniya v Tadjikistane [Civil political movements in Tadzhikistan, 1989-March 1990] (Dushanbe, 1990), p. 5.
