CEIP, Mar 07: A Face of Islam: Muhammad-Sodiq Muhammad-Yusuf
The role of Islam in the formally secular state of Uzbekistan remains a potentially volatile issue. Critics of President Karimov often cite his hard-line stance on radical Islam as a cornerstone of his authoritarian regime. Whether Karimov will again seek to extend his time in office remains uncertain, yet it remains vitally important that both domestic and international actors understand the influence of Islam in Uzbekistan to understand the potential problems facing the nation and the Central Asian region more generally.

In this Carnegie Paper, Martha Brill Olcott, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment, provides an in-depth analysis of Sheikh Muhammad-Sodiq Muhammad-Yusuf—the most prominent theologian and unofficial spiritual leader of Uzbekistan. Olcott gives insight into Muhammad-Sodiq’s life, his spiritual and ideological writings, and ultimately, his political agenda....