| This dissertation is a case study of the Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP) in the ex-Soviet republics of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan during the five year period of 1990-1995. The IRP is analyzed within the framework of the categories of parallel and official Islam and the two main bodies of literature that deal with religion in Central Asia. Also, some reference is made to the literature on identity politics. First, the impact of parallel and official Islam on the emergence of the IRP is analyzed. Then the all-Union and regional branches of the party are examined with specific reference to its implications on religious and ethnic identity in the region. It is concluded that in Central Asia, several different types of attachments, like nationalism, religion, regionalism, and clan loyalties form a complex web of ethnic identity. |
