Document Type : Research Article (International Relation)

Authors

• Zohreh Ghadbeigy ¹
• Masoumeh Ahangaran ²

¹ M.A Regional Studies, Allameh Tabataba'i University

² B.A Political Science, Shahed Universigy

Abstract

Syria's political and security developments and the growth of Salafist and Takfiri groups and its political, economic, and cultural dimensions have disturbed all the Middle East equations. In this regard, the role of radical Islamist groups, including ISIL and Jabhat al-Nusra, in the civil war in Syria and Iraq, along with changing the political and security equations of the Middle East, has also brought serious threats to international security. Given that the Central Asian region has been in the spotlight for a long time due to its geostrategic, geopolitical and geo-economic importance and in a sense, considered the heartland of the world; with facing many challenges such as ethnic and political crises, energy, drug trafficking, and terrorism, this is no exception. The Syrian civil war and the rise of ISIL led to a possible extension of the wave of Islamic extremism to the Central Asian region; To the extent that, many citizens and youths of the republics of this region have entered the stage of communication and cooperation with ISIL and the Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria and Iraq. In this way, the present study seeks to explain the future of political Islam in Central Asia in light of Syrian political and security developments. Given the presence and command of some of the Central Asian Islamist groups in the Syrian civil war, the spread of the threat of terrorism in the Central Asian region, Understanding of these groups, their recruiting factors to ISIL, and recognizing the future scenarios of political Islam in Central Asia confirms the need for this research.

Keywords

• Political Islam
• Central Asia
• Futures Studies
• the Syrian crisis
• ISIL