The vast majority of today's Kyrgyz are Muslims of the Sunni branch, which came into the region during the 8th century. The Kyrgyz (also spelled Kirgiz, Kirghiz) are a Turkic Ethnic group found primarily in Kyrgyzstan. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic ^[1] Some Kyrgyz Muslims practice their religion in a specific way influenced by tribal customs. The practice of Islam also differs in the northern and southern regions of the country, with the south being more practicing. Kyrgyzstan remained a secular state after the fall of communism, which had only superficial influence on religious practice when Kyrgyzstan was a Soviet republic, because of the policy of state atheism. Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан State atheism is the official promotion of Atheism by a Government, typically by active suppression of Religious freedom and practice Most of the Russian population of Kyrgyzstan is atheist or Russian Orthodox. The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries Atheism See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure The Uzbeks, who make up 12. The Uzbeks (Self designation sg O‘zbek, pl O‘zbeklar) are a Turkic people of Central Asia. 9 percent of the population, are generally Sunni Muslims.

Contents 1 The introduction of Islam 2 Tribal religion 3 Islam and the state 4 Current status 5 See also 6 References

The introduction of Islam

Islam was introduced to the Kyrgyz tribes between the eight and twelfth centuries. The most intense exposure to Islam occurred in the seventeenth century, when the Jungars drove the Kyrgyz of the Tian Shan region into the Fergana Valley, whose population was totally Islamic. Dzungar (also Jungar or Zungar; Mongolian: Зүүнгар Züüngar) is the collective identity of several Oirat tribes that The Tian Shan (天山 Pinyin: Tiān Shān "celestial mountains" also commonly spelled Tien Shan, is a Mountain range located in Central The Fergana Valley or Farghana Valley (Farg‘ona vodiysi Kyrgyz: Фергана өрөөнү Tajik: водии Фaрғонa Ферганская долина However, as the danger from the Jungars subsided, elements of the Kyrgyz population returned to some of their tribal customs. When the Quqon Khanate advanced into northern Kyrgyzistan in the eighteenth century, various northern Kyrgyz tribes^[2] remained aloof from the official Islamic practices of that regime. The Khanate of Kokand ( Uzbek: Qo'qon Xonligi) was a state in Central Asia that existed from 1709&ndash1876 within the territory of modern Uzbekistan By the end of the nineteenth century, however, the entire Kyrgyz population, including the tribes in the north, had converted to Sunni Islam.

Tribal religion

Alongside Islam, some Kyrgyz practice Tengriism, the recognition of spiritual kinship with a particular type of animal. Tengriism ( Tengerism, Tengrianism, Tengrianizm, Tengricilik) was the major belief of the Mongols and Turkic peoples before Under this belief system, which predates their contact with Islam, Kyrgyz tribes adopted reindeer, camels, snakes, owls, and bears as objects of worship. The sun, moon, and stars also play an important religious role. The strong dependence of the nomads on the forces of nature reinforced such connections and fostered belief in shamanism. Traces of such beliefs remain in the religious practice of many of today's Kyrgyz residing in the north.

Knowledge of and interest in Islam is said to be much stronger in the south, especially around Osh, than further north. Osh ( Kyrgyz: Ош) is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan located in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country and often referred Religious practice in the north is more mixed with animism and shamanist practices, giving worship there a resemblance to Siberian religious practice. Animism (from Latin anima ( Soul, Life) commonly refers to a religious belief that Souls or Spirits exist in Animals Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving

Islam and the state

While Religion has not played an especially significant role in the politics of Kyrgyzstan, more traditional elements of Islamic values have been urged despite the nation's constitution stipulating to secularism. Koshkol' (Кошкөл Кош-Кол or Кош-Коль is a Village in the Issyk Kul Province of Kyrgyzstan. Issyk Kul Province ( Kyrgyz: Ысык-Көл областы) is a Province ( Oblast) of Kyrgyzstan. The Politics of Kyrgyzstan take place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic Republic, whereby the President is Although the constitution forbids the intrusion of any ideology or religion in the conduct of state business, a growing amount of public figures have expressed support to promote Islamic traditions. ^[3] As in other parts of Central Asia, non-Central Asians have been concerned about the potential of a fundamentalist Islamic revolution that would emulate Iran and Afghanistan by bringing Islam directly into the making of state policy, to the detriment of the non-Islamic population. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Islamism ( Islam + ism; Arabic: al-'islāmiyya) a set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Because of sensitivity about the economic consequences of a continued outflow of Russians (brain drain), then president Askar Akayev took particular pains to reassure the non-Kyrgyz that no Islamic revolution was threatening. A brain drain or human capital flight is a large emigration of individuals with technical skills or knowledge, normally due to conflict, lack of opportunity Askar Akayevich Akayev ( Аскар Акаевич Акаев) (born 10 November 1944 in Kyzyl-Bairak, Kirghiz SSR) served as the The Iranian Revolution' (mostly known as the Islamic Revolution, Persian: انقلاب اسلامی Enghelābe Eslāmi was the Revolution that transformed Akayev paid public visits to Bishkek's main Russian Orthodox church and directed one million rubles from the state treasury toward that faith's church-building fund. He also appropriated funds and other support for a German cultural center. Nevertheless, there has been support from local government, to build bigger Mosques and religious schools. A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger ^[4] Additionally, recent bills have been proposed to outlaw abortion. Also, there has been numerous attempts to decriminalize polygamy, and to allow officials to travel to Mecca on a hajj under a tax-free agreement. The term polygamy (a Greek word meaning "the practice of multiple marriage" is used in related ways in Social anthropology, Sociobiology, and Mecca ˈmɛkə also spelled Makkah ˈmækə (in full Makkah Al-Mukarramah (Arabic mækːæ(t ælmʊkarˑamæ مكّة المكرمة, literally Honored The Hajj (حج is a pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah It is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world ^[5]

Current status

During a July 2007 interview, Bermet Akayeva, the daughter of former president Askar Akayev, stated that Islam is increasingly taking root in Kyrgyzstan. Milyanfan (Милянфан Милянфан Милёнчуан 米粮川 Miliangchuan is a Village in the Ysyk-Ata District of the Chuy Province Districts of the Chuy Province Chuy province is divided administratively into 8 districts and the district-level city of Tokmok:: Gallery Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Bermet Akayeva (Бермет Акаева (born June 3, 1972 in Leningrad) is a Kyrgyz politician and former MP. Askar Akayevich Akayev ( Аскар Акаевич Акаев) (born 10 November 1944 in Kyzyl-Bairak, Kirghiz SSR) served as the ^[6] She emphasized that many mosques have been built and that the Kyrgyz are increasingly devoting themselves to the religion, which she noted was "not a bad thing in itself. A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger It keeps our society more moral, cleaner. "^[7]

The state recognizes two Muslim feast days as official holidays: Eid ul-Fitr, which ends Ramadan, and Eid ul-Adha, which commemorates Ibrahim's (Abraham's) willingness to sacrifice his son. Eid ul-Fitr or Id-ul-Fitr (عيد الفطر ‘Īdu l-Fiṭr) often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim Holiday that marks the end of Ramadan or Ramazan ( Arabic: رمضان Ramaḍān) is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic Eid al-Adha ( Arabic: عيد الأضحى ‘Īd ul-’Aḍḥā, Urdu: بقرعید or the Festival of Sacrifice is a religious festival celebrated It also recognizes Orthodox Christmas as well as the traditional Persian festival of Nowruz. Nowrūz ( /noruz/ ↔, (English New Day various local pronunciations and spellings) is the traditional Iranian New year Holiday celebrated

See also

• Islam by country

References

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