Roberts does a good job in this chapter of showing the diversity of Islam in a village near Almaty Kazakhstan. To do so he describes the influence of religion in three community events: a Muslim holiday, the blessing of a soccer field, and a wedding.
Sections: Daily Religious Practice in Central Asia: Making Sense of Diversity; Bourdieu's "Theory of Practice" as a Means of Understanding Everyday Life in Central Asia; Zarya Vostoka: From Collective Farm to Land Port on a New Silk Road; Daily Religious Practice and Negotiation in Zarya Vostoka (Qorbon Hayit in Zarya Vostoka; Blessing of the Zarya Vostoka Soccer Field; A Wedding in Zarya Vostoka); Conclusions: Toward an Everyday Understanding of Religiosity in Central Asia
Comments: 2/23/10
Here is a quote from page 353 that I like regarding the issue of how to define Muslims in Central Asia:
While this state of affairs has led many visitors to the region to characterize Central Asians as "culturally Muslim" as opposed to "religiously Muslim," I take issue with this understanding of religiosity in the area. The majority of Central Asians will declare themselves to be believers in Islam, and this should be respected. Variations in the ways that they observe their beliefs should not suggest that they are any less Muslim than more fundamentalist believers. Rather, for most Central Asians, religiosity is a personal issue, and a multitude of attitudes are tolerated in the social interactions between Muslims in the region, especially if these attitudes do not interfere with the community’s assumed ideals of proper behavior. In a world where religious intolerance has led and continues to lead to many wars and violent acts, this attitude is in many ways a pleasant surprise.Descriptors: 2000s, alcohol, Almaty, anthropology, chapter, diversity, ethnography, holidays, Kazakhstan, mahalla, marriage, post-Soviet, Qurbon Hayit, R, rituals, Uygur
