Astana, May 28, 2026
The International Center for Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue (ICIID), in collaboration with the Qamqor-Astana Public Foundation and the Committee for Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, convened an expert meeting entitled “Religion and Regional Stability in Central Asia.” The event served as a vital platform for leading theologians and prominent regional experts, including representatives from the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University.
In her opening remarks, Gulsana Kozhabay, Chair of the Board of the ICIID, underscored the significance of sustained international expert dialogue in formulating practical measures against transboundary threats and extremism to reinforce regional security. She highlighted the Center’s ongoing, systematic research dedicated to evaluating the contemporary religious landscape and identifying the core determinants of social stability. The Chair further emphasized that the Center’s strategic mandate remains inherently aligned with the core ideas of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, whose participants codified a unified condemnation of extremism and explicitly reaffirmed the impermissibility of conflating terrorism with any specific religion or culture in the Congress’ definitive declaration.
Ayan Oryntay, Director of the Center’s Department of Religious Studies, presented current data on Kazakhstan’s religious landscape, noting that nearly 4,000 religious associations representing 18 confessions are officially registered nationwide. His briefing also evaluated the outcomes of Operation “Zhusan,” a landmark humanitarian initiative under which Kazakhstan successfully repatriated 754 individuals—including 526 children—from active conflict zones by 2025.
Throughout the discussion, meeting participants focused extensively on the evolving mechanisms of digital recruitment and online radicalization, observing that extremist groups are increasingly adapting and disseminating radical narratives to younger audiences in Central Asia through closed online communities and messaging platforms.
Proposing alternative perspectives on the prevention of violent extremism, Professor Yulia Shapoval of the Department of Religious Studies at L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University posited that cultivating a robust civic identity and self-awareness yields greater efficacy than purely restrictive measures. According to her expert assessment, promoting national values, studying authentic history, and preserving cultural heritage serve as organic safeguards against destructive ideologies by fostering civic responsibility and a profound sense of societal belonging.
Drawing on Kazakhstan’s lived experience, Dastan Sakan, a theologian with the Qamqor-Astana Foundation, emphasized that the consistent and active role of the state remains a key factor in countering radical movements. Similarly, Parida Mammadova, Head of the Public Diplomacy Department of the Committee for Religious Affairs, detailed the changing profile of individuals vulnerable to radical ideologies. Whereas socially disadvantaged groups had previously been viewed as the primary risk category, she noted that extremist networks are increasingly penetrating educated and financially stable demographics.
In her concluding remarks, Tatyana Lipina, Deputy Chair of the Board of the ICIID, affirmed that this exchange of expert perspectives will serve as the foundation for future international cooperation aimed at preserving regional stability in Central Asia.
The forum culminated in a comprehensive discussion regarding the evolving nature of extremism. Participants highlighted a distinct paradigm shift: while localized and regional grievances were once viewed as the primary catalysts for radicalization, the phenomenon has now assumed a dominant international dimension. Experts emphasized that in a globalized landscape, destructive ideologies operate without borders, meaning that counter-strategies must be similarly systemic and transnational in scope.
