Islam in Kyrgyzstan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Islam in Kyrgyzstan - Term Paper Example This paper will analyze Islam in Kyrgyzstan and present an objective account of the role that this religion plays in this country. In order to do so, the paper will provide a general overview of the religion in question in the country and examine the process of introduction of it. Next, it will analyze the extent of influence of tribal religious system of the contemporary Islam as it is practiced in Kyrgyzstan, paying particular attention to tengriism, elements of shamanism as well as the peculiarities of their coexistence with the Muslim faith. The following aspect of investigation is the relationship between Islam and the state, namely the way the former influences rhetoric of certain politicians as well as legal system of the country. Finally, the paper will analyze the current status of Islam in Kyrgyzstan, including the increase in the number of mosques, introduction of Islamic banking and national holidays. Kyrgyzstan is a rather peculiar country. It is situation in the Central Asian region is border with such influential countries as China and Kazakhstan. It was a part of the Soviet Union and, therefore, was able to experience influence of communistic atheism on its religious life. In spite of the fact that Kyrgyzstan does not play a key role in the politics of the religion or its cultural life, this is a country that should be taken into account when it comes to understanding the diversity of the part of the world in question. It would not be a mistake to suggest that Islam was introduced to these lands relatively late: in the tenth century the southern part of the modern Kyrgyzstan was converted into Sunni Islam. However, the process of consolidation of tribes and their unification was slow: even today there is a big different between the southern and the northern parts of Kyrgyzstan. The people of this country were closely connected to their traditional beliefs; that is why to a certain extent such