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Thursday, June 13, 2013

The rise of Islamic extremism in Central Asia and the Caucasus

New wave of radicalism predicted as region undergoes transition

Islamic extremism in Central Asia and the Caucasus will further increase in the next few years, predicts a new report by Anna Münster, a Fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House.

US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014, and expected regime changes in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan threaten to destabilise the region, providing radicals with a platform from which to operate, claims Growing Islamic Extremism in Central Asia and the Caucasus – Situation and Outlook.

The situation is further complicated, writes Munster, by the 'New Great Game' unfolding in Central Asia – part two of the 'Great Game' of the 19th and early 20th centuries, during which time Britain and Russia vied for power within the region.

The report, written for the World Watch List, traces the roots of Islam within Central Asia and the Caucasus to Dagestan (a republic of Russia, in the North Caucasus) in the seventh century, although the religion has since taken a variety of different shapes in different countries. Read more

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