The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan in the digital realm: a religious studies analysis

Abstract

Digitalization of religious institutions is an important phenomenon of our time, especially in countries with a historically complex configuration of relations between religion and the state. In the post-Soviet space, Islam is experiencing a phase of institutional revival, accompanied by state control and support for the «moderate» movement. Digital technologies are transforming religious communications, including Islamic practices. The article examines the religious studies analysis of the digital presence of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan (SAMK) on the official website muftyat.kz. The institutional, theological and socio-cultural discourse of the site, as well as its role in shaping the identity of Kazakhstani Muslims, are analyzed. The authors try to understand the specifics of the functioning of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan in the digital space, and to what extent its online activities will contribute to the formation of religious identity, religious education and authority in modern Kazakhstani society. Religious stability is important for society as a whole, including cyberspace. Here, traditional institutions encounter radical, marginal or informal religious movements that have no official status, but from time to time become active in response to the failures of traditional norms or their legal compromise. The official website of the SAMK is a representative source of information, broadcasting the mechanisms of interaction between the state, religion and society.

Keywords: online religion, digitalization, Islam, Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan (SAMK), Internet.