FRENCH RESEARCH ON ISLAMIC ISSUES IN POST-SOVIET CENTRAL ASIA: HISTORIOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

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Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive and critical historiographical analysis of the French school of research on the socio-political and cultural dynamics of Islam in post-Soviet Central Asia. The study is based on a qualitative methodology, specifically a systematic analysis of sources, employing thematic and diachronic approaches. The primary objective is to trace the epistemological and methodological evolution of French scholarship from 1991 to the present, identify key paradigm shifts, and define the distinctive position of this school within global Central Asian studies. The analysis reveals that French research has evolved through three main intellectual phases: [1] the foundational works of the 1990s, which focused on deconstructing the "political Islam" paradigm and rejecting geopolitical alarmism (O. Roy); [2] a fundamental anthropological turn in the 2000s, shifting the research focus to "everyday Islam," local practices, historical traditions (S. Dudoignon), and gender dimensions (H. Fathi); and [3] a contemporary phase marked by the emergence of new and complex themes such as transnational religious movements (B. Balci) and the state's instrumentalization of religion (S. Peyrouse). The article compares the distinct methodological strengths of the French school—such as its emphasis on terrain (fieldwork), longue durée (long-term historical perspective), and the de-essentialization of Islam—with the approaches of Anglophone and Russian academic traditions. It also discusses certain methodological limitations and critical aspects of the French school. In conclusion, the article assesses the fundamental contribution of French scholarship in liberating the study of Islam in the region from simplistic frameworks and revealing its complex social reality.