About the Book: Identity Politics in Central Asia and the Muslim World
Nationalism was regarded as a positive force shaping "modern" societies and
states but in Europe it has been overshadowed by the disasters of two world
wars. Outside Europe it has continued to enjoy a heyday throughout the 20th
century. Covering Turkey, Iran, Abghazia, Uzbekistan, Tajikstan, Afganistan,
Pakistan and Bangladesh, this study lays bare the counter-forces unleashed by
the project of nationalist modernization, and the stimulation of identity
politics as the result of ruthless repression of minority languages, culture,
traditions and religion-the life-blood of minority ethnicity. This study
examines how these policies, which include Islam