20 Pages Posted: 16 Aug 2018

Date Written: July 4, 2016

Abstract

This study, first of all, argues that the secularist Tajik hegemonic elite have decided to construct their own version of official Islam. The study, secondly, tries to answer the question why they have launched such an ambitious social engineering project. The paper identifies 5 main reasons that can explain their decision to construct an official Tajik Islam: 1. Islam’s continuing influence in society; 2. A perceived need to maintaining hegemony by suppressing opposition and Islamists; 3. Security concerns and international security threats stemming from ‘radicalism’; 4. Hegemonic elite’s desire to use religion as a helping hand, especially in social engineering; and 5. Benefiting from Tajik Muslim identity in building the Tajik nation and constructing the good Tajik citizen: MUSST (Muslim Sunni Secular Tajik).