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Causes of Violent Extremism in Central Asia: The Case of Kazakhstan

2021; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 46; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/1057610x.2021.1872163

1521-0731

Dina Sharipova, Serik Beissembayev,

Economic Sanctions and International Relations

The article focuses on causes of violent extremism in Kazakhstan by looking at the violent attacks on law-enforcement bodies in 2011 and 2016 in Aqtobe, Almaty, and Atyrau. Drawing on interviews with the convicted extremists, we argue that criminal youth subculture, grievances, the Salafi-jihadist ideology, and propaganda in the Internet have promoted extremist violence in Kazakhstan. We also make a brief comparative analysis of European jihadists and violent extremists in Kazakhstan, highlighting some important similarities and differences across the regions.