Nexus Between Politics and Islam in Kyrgyzstan Since 2005 in the Context of Islamic Revival and Unconsolidated Democracy

Abstract

Islam is one of the discourse strands in politics in Kyrgyzstan. This study is aimed at investigation of the correlation between the problems of democratization process manifested in political actors’ reduction of the public recognition and growing public interest to Islam, on the one hand, and addressing Islam by Kyrgyzstani political actors in their speeches and behavior, on the other. In this respect, the study asks: how have Kyrgyzstani political actors addressed Islam in their public rhetoric and behavior in the context of unconsolidated democracy since 2005, and what is the role of Islamic revival in this process? Based on a review of the literature, as well as media analysis of facts of addressing Islam by political actors and discourse analysis of their speeches the study has provided the following results. Firstly, there is a tendency of growing number of facts of addressing Islam by Kyrgyzstani political actors in years of national election campaigns since 2005. This address is based on external most visible manifestations of their religiosity and since 2015 there are facts of illegal direct involvement of Islamic clergymen in election campaigns. Secondly, there is a correlation between growing public salience of Islam and the growing number of facts of Kyrgyzstani actors’ address Islam in their rhetoric and behavior making emphasis on their trustworthiness and honesty, as well as social justice and mutual accountability. Thirdly, it is impossible to make strong assessments regarding pragmatic or pious religiosity of Kyrgyzstani political actors, as well as regarding the crucial importance of Islamic rhetoric in political competition. Thus, the results indicate that: a) Islamic rhetoric can be used by political actors as a tool of image-making, but not obligatory in this respect, as it can be manifestation of their pious religiosity; b) addressing Islamic rhetoric by Kyrgyzstani political actors is aligned with the process of Islamic revival.