Prerequisites for the Spread of Islamist Terrorism in Central Asia at the Turn of the 20th – 21st Centuries

Introduction. The Central Asian region has attracted the attention of international terrorist organizations since the end of the 20th century. These organizations gain the support of the local population, increase the number of participants, and put pressure on legitimate political institutions. The radical changes they propose are supported by the youth community. Methods and materials. The methodological basis of the study is the theory of social constructivism and the theory of securitization, which ensured the consideration of Islamist terrorism as a socio-political construct that poses a threat to destabilize the region. The political-historical approach and the theory of R. Putnam contributed to consideration of the geopolitical situation in the analysis of the growing influence of terrorist organizations. Analysis and results. The authors note the following as factors of sustainability of the ideology of terrorism: religious and educational conditions contribute to increasing incompetence in matters of religion and belief in the words of spiritual leaders without sufficient grounds and, as a consequence, receptiveness to radical ideas. Nation-building processes based on cultural revival reinforce the secular nature of religious-state relations and freedom of conscience. This leads to the growth of diverse religious organizations and public dissatisfaction with the declining influence of Islam, the traditional religion in the region. The quest for control over religious organizations leads to contradictory and unconstructive political decisions. The misalignment of geographic and state borders contributes to the emergence of ethnic enclaves and ethno-religious conflicts. The results of this investigation will allow optimizing counterterrorism measures and developing effective management solutions in the state-religious sphere. Authors’ contribution. D.N. Gergilev developed the theoretical and methodological framework for the study and interpreted the data obtained on the activities of international terrorist organizations. T.V. Izluchenko analyzed the dominant trends in ensuring the security of states of Central Asia, revealed the established approaches in scientific discourse, and identified factors of sustainability of the spread of Islamist ideas.