An analytical study of the perceived threat of Islamic 'fundamentalism' and subsequent regime response in Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tadjikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan)

After the demise of the Soviet Union, six of the newly independent states were of Islamic background: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tadjikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan, Five of these six are in Central Asia, with Azerbaijan being in the Caucuses region. Specifically in the Central Asian states, a rise of Islamic "fundamentalism" is present.; It is the contention of the research that perceived threat "fundamentalism" will continue to rise in these countries. However, the perceived threat and real threat will be mired in politics. Especially with the "War on Terrorism," the leaders of each country will have a free hand to do whatever they see necessary to quell the opposition as long as they claim that the Islamists are "terrorists." Many groups who are not extremists and are non-violent may be the targets of government crack-downs, just for professing their faith. The research will go into further detail and outline the basic political and social changes that the "fundamentalists" are seeking, the problems they pose for the current regimes in the region, and will delve into the labeling terminology of "fundamentalist" and "terrorist" and how it is used as propaganda to give the government carte blanche , to do as they please. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...