Leaving Kyrgyzstan and Heading to Tajikistan

Today I fly from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to Dushanbe, Tajikistan.  I think the 90 minute flight will provide an excellent opportunity for me to reflect on my experience so far and also talk a bit about what might be ahead. 

Before I began my journey, I mentioned that I was eager to see how the Soviet and Muslin influences can be seen in Central Asia today.  Central Asia has been predominantly Muslim since the early part of the 8th century. The area fell under Russian control in the 1860's. While Islam was a concern for Russia's ability to control the people, it was tolerated. 

The Russian revolutions and rise of Soviet rule in 1917 continued the governments concerns over Islam as the young Soviet Union encouraged atheistic beliefs.   As Marxist Ideology spread, the practice of Islamic traditions began to be suppressed. Many mosques were closed or repurposed and Muslim rituals were restricted to these limited remaining mosques. By 1930, the Soviet government had moved from a position of tolerance to condemnation of Islam.  All religious practice was now highly regulated by the government. These restrictions also included the Orthodox Church. 

   

The glasnost policies of Mikhail Gorbachev began to relax restrictions on religion and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union allowed a more complete revival of Islam and other religions practice. 

   

As I traveled through Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, I observed a very strong Soviet influence remained in the cultures of both countries with a less obvious display of Islamic culture. I expect this to change significantly as I move into Tajikistan. So, as I continue my journey, it might be interesting for us to compare and contrast how government and religion interact in the U.S. and the rest of the  Western Hemisphere verses Central Asia. It might also be interesting to compare and contrast how religious influences vary in the various regions of the U.S. and Central Asia.

Don't forget you can still earn house points by posting questions and comments on my blog. So, keep following along as I continue my "Great Adventure in Central Asia".