Traditional Islamic View on Religion and State Relations: The Case of Kazakhstan

Lyazzat  Kalybekova; Kalmakhan Yerzhan; Alau   Adilbayev; Yernar  Yessimkulov; Shamshat  Adilbayeva

doi:10.32350/jitc.152.09

Lyazzat Kalybekova Department of Religious Studies, Nur-Mubarak Egyptian University of Islamic Culture, Kazakhstan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4588-966X
Kalmakhan Yerzhan Department of Religious Studies, Nur-Mubarak Egyptian University of Islamic Culture, Kazakhstan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1951-5867
Alau Adilbayev Department of Islamic Studies, Nur-Mubarak Egyptian University of Islamic Culture, Kazakhstan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8499-1344
Yernar Yessimkulov Department of Religious Studies, Nur-Mubarak Egyptian University of Islamic Culture, Almaty, Kazakhstan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6034-3468
Shamshat Adilbayeva Department of Islamic Studies, Egyptian University of Islamic Culture Nur-Mubarak. Almaty, Kazakhstan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8073-4044

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32350/jitc.152.09

Keywords: Kazakhstan, prevention of radicalism, religious administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan, religious studies expertise, state policy, traditional Islam

Abstract

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The current study aimed to examine the primary functional activities of Kazakhstan following its independence, focusing on state-confessional relations with the Islamic religion. Moreover, it explored the nature of state-confessional relations, state policy on religion, and the principal measures implemented by the government to combat and prevent the spread of radical and destructive ideologies within the country. To this end, both secondary sources and empirical research data were utilized. As a secular state, Kazakhstan’s relationship with religion, including Islam, was analyzed through the lens of fundamental theoretical frameworks proposed by various scholars. The study also investigated specific measures taken by the state to rehabilitate citizens who left the country under the influence of radical ideology to engage in armed conflicts abroad and have since returned. A deductive approach was employed to consider the theoretical foundations of traditional Islamic discourse and its practical application within Kazakhstan. This research provided a case study of the mechanisms and functional interactions between the state and Islam within the context of state-confessional relations. In this regard, the importance and outcomes of religious and religious studies expertise of traditional Islamic texts and literature in the prevention and reinforcement of anti-radical narratives were analyzed. Using research findings and statistical data, the study presented an analysis of the activities of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan. Moreover, it also identified the key mechanisms that have proven effective in maintaining religious stability.

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