ABSTRACT
Is Islamic fundamentalism on the rise in Central Asia? There are rumours that women who refuse to wear the veil are threatened, that alcohol is no longer available in some areas, and that subversive groups are demanding Islamic states and the introduction of shariah (Islamic law). A cry for help is heard from frightened leaders. The Islamist International seems to stretch its tentacles into Central Asia; the Muslim belt of the former Soviet Union is in uproar. Yet some voices warn against exaggeration:
In the Russian media, the construction of a mosque in Central Asia is frequently judged as a sign that Islamic fundamentalism is reaching out into Eurasia – as if the renovation of a mosque were a fundamentally different issue than the renovation of Catholic churches in Lithuania or of orthodox ones in Russia.1
