Hanks, Reuel. "Civil Society and Identity in Uzbekistan: The Emergent Role of Islam." In Civil society in Central Asia, edited by M. Holt Ruffin and Daniel Waugh, 158-179. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1999.

After defining civil society, the second section provides a basic overview of historical and contemporary Islam in Central Asia.  He argues that Islam is plural within Central Asia (e.g. Sufism and sacred places) and, due to the Soviet legacy, is different in Central Asia than in other parts of the world.  In the third section, he uses survey data (including his own small sample of students in Uzbekistan) to review the religiosity of Muslims in Central Asia.  Based on the surveys, he argues on page 166, that "Islam is seen now by many, if not most, traditionally Muslim groups as the moral foundation of Uzbek society."  The fourth discusses the mahalla and its relationship with Islam.  The final section argues that Islam would be an important factor in any civil society in Uzbekistan.

Contents: What is Meant by Civil Society?; What is the Nature of Islam in Uzbekistan?; What is the Depth of Islamic Religiosity among Uzbek Youth?; How is Islamic Tradition Contributing to the Development of Structures Associated with "Civil Society" in Uzbekistan?; What is the Nature of the Dynamic between the State Apparatus and Islam and Islamic Organizations in Uzbekistan?; Notes. 

Comments: 3/15/10
Hanks cites a study by M. A. Tolmacheva to the effect that more women in Turkmenistan claimed to believe in Islam after the age of forty.  This is interesting in light of a similar finding by Privratsky that Muslims in Turkistan, Kazakhstan often wait until after the age of 60 to begin certain religious practices. Privratsky also mentions that the youth rely upon the religious practices of the elders.  In other words, the elders perform the religious obligations for the youth, who will then take up that responsibility when they become elders.  This representative or vicarious performance of religious duties is similar to the following statement by Gioravelli (2002, 14): "In Osh, representatives of every mahallya pray 5 times a day (it is an unwritten requirement for the representatives) . . ."

With regard to post-Soviet studies on Islam in Central Asia, Hanks states the following on page 164: "Whether this is a 'revival' or simply a continuation of earlier trends is difficult to determine, given the paucity of accurate information from the Soviet era."  This is refreshing since many other works on Islam in Central Asia merely refer to an "Islamic revival" without mentioning the Soviet repression of Islam or the lack of information on religious belief and practice during Soviet times.
  
Cross References: Akhmedov (2003).

Descriptors: 1990s, chapter, geography, mahalla, post-Soviet, section, Uzbekistan, Uzbeks.