The Fight for Followers: Muslimness and Authenticity in Tajikistan

Recently, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon has sought new ways to reassert his Muslim identity.  These public acts of piety serve not only to sway the population toward the state muftiyat, but also to counter opposition narratives that the ruling family is not Muslim enough. This presentation explores the growing ideological and practical divisions between the socioeconomic elite and common classes as they both seek to claim an authentic Muslim identity in Tajikistan.

Marintha Miles is a graduate student in the Department of Anthropology at George Washington University. Previously she studied and researched media, migration, and religion in Tajikistan. Her current research focuses on women as objects of both the state and  international development community policies and practices.

This event is part of the Central Eurasia-Religion in International Affairs (CERIA), generously funded by the Henry Luce Foundation.

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