Scientific Discoveries

Author: Karasartova Ch.Zh.
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Acting Associate Professor Kyrgyz State University named after I. Arabaev Bishkek с.
Author: Raimbekov E.T.
master's student Kyrgyz State University named after I. Arabaev Bishkek с.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE ISLAMIC FACTOR ON THE RELIGIOUS POLICY OF KYRGYZSTAN

Key words: Religious activity, religious sphere, politicization, secular state, extremism, tolerance, Islamic factor, religious policy, polygamy, proselytism.

Annotation. This article analyzes the sharp rise in religious activity in Kyrgyzstan following the collapse of the Soviet Union, set against the backdrop of socio-economic challenges in Central Asia, and examines its impact on the socio- political situation. The study reviews both the positive and negative aspects of the proliferation of religious organizations, which has been facilitated by foreign funding and missionary activity. The main focus of the article is the threat of the politicization of religion and its influence on the principles of a secular state. The author provides specific examples of attempts by religious figures and politicians to interfere in state governance (e.g., efforts to shift weekend days, calls for polygamy, and marriage-related disputes). Furthermore, the article addresses the issue of children refusing education, the intensification of extremism (particularly among ethnic Uzbeks), and conflicts arising on religious grounds (including cases of reburial of the deceased). The author highlights the state's efforts to address these challenges (specifically the Concept of State Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Religious Sphere) and concludes that the growing role of religion in the political arena poses a threat to the country's stability and its secular nature.