Gadzhimuradova G.I., Rabat L., Radicalism as a factor of instability in the Caucuses and in Central Asia. Voprosiy Politologiyi, 2020, Vol. 10. No. 12 (64), pp. 3461-3471. DOI: 10.35775 ...

Abstract

The collapse of the Soviet Union, the acquisition of sovereignty by former republics, the emergence of an ideological vacuum, the search for identity and, as a result, the growth of nationalist and separatist sentiments led to socio-political instability and economic crisis in the post-Soviet space. Religion became for many during this period a means of expressing their own identity. After the fall of the iron curtain, emissaries from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and other Muslim countries poured into Russia, Transcaucasia, and Central Asia. They carried their own interpretation of Islam, which often contradicted the traditional one practiced by the peoples who inhabited these territories. The article examines the causes and methods of spreading the ideas of radical Islam, as well as the connection of religious extremism in the post-Soviet space with terrorism on a global scale. International terrorism is undoubtedly a threat to the national security of all countries in the region. The article substantiates the need for joint efforts to counter religious extremism and terrorism. The article uses systemic and institutional approaches to analyze the factors of radicalism spread in the Caucasus and the need to take measures to prevent and counter the manifestations of extremism and terrorism.