Religions in Kyrgyzstan

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The Kyrgyz Republic has been a secular state since its independence in 1991 , but Islam plays an essential role.

Islam

The country has been predominantly Muslim since Islamization in the 10th to 12th centuries. 75% of the population today are Sunni Muslims from the Hanafi school of law. The new religion was mixed with old traditional customs. The Russian researcher Valihanov wrote that Islam was "just a covering that was placed over old shamanistic beliefs".

In the 1920s, the Communist Party spoke of commonalities between socialism and Islam. Nevertheless, a Sufi brotherhood was organized against the new rulers. They founded the Basmati rebel group . Many farmers also joined the movement, who wanted to prevent the nationalization of their fields. Soon, however, the movement was crushed and state-mandated atheism was introduced. Mosques and Koran schools were closed. But the old traditions survived.

After independence, the state's influence on religion was relaxed in the course of the market economy and political restructuring. This resulted in the establishment of a "moderate" Islam, consisting of traditional values ​​and nomadic elements. This popular character of belief was revived especially under ex-President Askar Akayev and played an important role in the process of national integration. In the meantime, however, there are also voices advocating a more literal, more international interpretation of Islam.

Christianity

The Christianity today is the second largest religious group . The first Christians already existed in the 7th century. These belonged to the Assyrian Church of the East (Nestorian Church, see Nestorianism ), which today only exists in Iraq , Iran and Syria . Two places of worship were excavated in Ak-Besim and in Navekat .

Russian orthodoxy

The Russian Orthodox Church has existed in Kyrgyzstan since the 19th century. Since 1868, many Russian and Ukrainian colonists have settled under Governor Kaufmann . These built Russian churches .

Some of the old buildings are now used again for worship . About 20 percent of the population are Russian Orthodox.

Evangelical Christians

The evangelical Christianity arrived by German settlers ( Germans in Kyrgyzstan ) or by the forced relocation Russia German in the 1940s to Kyrgyzstan .

  • The Mennonites ( old Protestants ) founded several colonies in Kyrgyzstan between 1882 and 1901 . Today only Rot-Front (mountain valley) is inhabited by Mennonites.
  • Lutherans also came to Kyrgyzstan in the 1940s ; they belong to the ELKRAS . Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, many of the Lutherans of German origin have emigrated to Germany. Due to active missionary work there are now 17 churches in Kyrgyzstan again. Today 30% of the members are of German origin.
  • Since the fall of the Wall, more and more free churches , mainly Baptists and Seventh-day Adventists , have been active in Kyrgyzstan. Adventism also got there through the Russian Germans. Today, however, almost all believers are local.

Catholic Christians

The Roman Catholic Church in Kyrgyzstan has around 1,000 believers (as of 2014). The spread of Catholicism in the country is mainly done by Jesuit missionaries. During the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI. The Apostolic Administration of Kyrgyzstan was founded in 2006 from the Mission sui juris, which has existed since 1997 . In 2016, the country had three Catholic parishes in the cities of Bishkek , Talas and Jalalabat .

Shamanism

Even today there are still many old shamanistic customs among the Kyrgyz people . Mixing these pagan rites with Islam is known as popular Islam .

Buddhism

Before Islamization in the 8th century, Buddhism was widespread in the Talas Valley . Evidence of this can be found near Ak-Besim or on the drawing stones of Tamga Tash , for example .

Judaism

Fewer than a hundred Jews live in Kyrgyzstan . They are mainly Bukharian Jews , their ancestors came from the Emirate of Bukhara . A small minority are Ashkenazi Jews who immigrated when they belonged to Russia and the Soviet Union.

Most of the Jews of Kyrgyzstan emigrated to Israel , Germany or the USA after the end of the Soviet era .

Old religions

In Kyrgyzstan, several different religions have appeared in the course of history, which today or generally no longer exist there. These include:

Individual evidence

  1. Till Mostowlansky: Islam and Kyrgyz on Tour. The reception of “nomadic religion” and its effect. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2007, ISBN 978-3-447-05583-3 , p. 4; and Ralf Elger (ed.): Kleines Islam-Lexikon. History, everyday life, culture. Beck, Munich 2008, ISBN 9783406572951 , p. 177.
  2. Ralf Elger (ed.): Small Islam Lexicon. History, everyday life, culture. Beck, Munich 2008, ISBN 9783406572951 , p. 177.
  3. Meyer's Large Country Lexicon . Meyers Lexikonverlag, Mannheim 2004.
  4. Chris Hann , Mathijs Pelkmans: Realigning Religion and Power in Central Asia , 2009, p.
  5. ^ Philippa Hitchen: Kyrgyzstan's only Catholic bishop dies. Vatican Radio , July 18, 2016, accessed on July 19, 2016 .
  6. ^ Bukharan Jews