Djumataeva, Venera. "In Kyrgyzstan Polygamy's Rise Takes its Toll." Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, March 8, 2010, Features section, http://www.rferl.org/content/In_Kyrgyzstan_Polygamys_Rise_Takes_Its_Toll_On_Women/1977852.html.

Djumataeva describes the experience of two women in Kyrgyzstan whose husband has two wives, the second of which he married through a religious Islamic ceremony that is not recognized by the state.  The first woman is older and her husband married a younger wife without her consent.  The second is the younger second wife of her husband.  Both women are not happy with their situation.  The article discusses the tension between state law and Islamic law with regard to polygamy and the negative effects of polygamy on women.

Sections: Signs of Improvement; Fears Punishment.  Descriptors: 2010s, Bishkek, D, e-news, Islamic law, journalism, Kyrgyzstan, marriage, women

Sarwar, Sultan. "Central Asia: Madrasahs Lead Religious Teaching Revival (Part 4)" Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, August 9, 2005, By Country / Afghanistan section, http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1060537.html.

Sarwar appears to be discussing madrasas in post-Soviet Central Asia from an Afghanistan perspective.  Only interview quotations from Afghanistan and Uzbekistan are represented.  Those from Uzbekistan only discuss the historical legacy of madrasas in the region.  While the article discusses state control of madrasas in Uzbekistan, it lacks a good perspective of the current situation of madrasas throughout contemporary Central Asia (cf. Najibullah).  Here are links to the other parts in this series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.  Descriptors: 2000s, Afghanistan, e-news, journalism, madrasa, post-Soviet, revival, S, Uzbekistan

Saidazimova, Gulnoza. "Central Asia: Region Returns To Muslim Roots (Part 1)." Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, August 4, 2005, http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1060413.html.

This is a basic overview of Islam in Central Asia, which mentions, among other things, the five pillars of Islam, the four classical Sunni madhabs (guilds of jurisprudence), and the contemporary authoritarian state control of religion.  Here are links to the next three parts: Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

Comments: 2/3/10
It is interesting that Privratsky (2001) discusses how phrases similar to the following quote from this article have become the profession of faith (shahada) for Kazakh Muslims in Turkistan, Kazakhstan: "I have no special knowledge of Islam, but Al-hamdulillah, I am a Muslim," said one man in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.

Descriptors: 2000s, e-news, interview, journalism, overview, post-Soviet, revival, S.