The temperature in global geopolitics is heating up, and religious tensions are simmering.

Prominent political analyst Daniyar Ashimbayev writes that external forces have an interest in the growing activity of religious groups in Kazakhstan. But which ones exactly?

In his words:

«Salafist groups in Kazakhstan have significantly increased their activity lately. While they lost some of their political clout over the past year and a half, they have regrouped and launched another offensive. It’s worth noting that their backers are not so much from the global South as from the West, which has begun to loudly criticize Astana for ‘pressuring’ non-traditional Islamic movements. The motivation behind this is quite clear: intensifying radical activity will provoke instability in the region. It’s worth noting that all the heads of Central Asian states have recently been sharply critical of the attempts by ‘external players’ to destabilize the region.

Moscow and Beijing actively support Astana, Tashkent, Bishkek, Dushanbe, and Ashgabat in this, while the Americans are essentially playing against them. The state has swiftly adapted and initiated a counter-cleanup of the field. Initially, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan (DUMK) acted as an ally, but it quickly became apparent that its authority among the population was significantly inflated. Just like 20 years ago, the state authorities, the legislative body, and civil society have taken it upon themselves to restore order.»