Spirituality

Years of Soviet influence and limited knowledge of religion led to the secularisation of societies of Eurasia, especially in the cities. Marxism excluded the existence of the spiritual dimension of life. These days the capitalism of incoming western culture made it easy to fill one’s life with goods and possessions. For many, materialism becomes an end and the purpose for living. Many urban young people say: “It’s hard to believe in God when you have been taught atheism all your life.”, or “I am a Muslim but I am an atheist, and I am not sure that God exists.”, “Allah – yes, but what really counts today is money and connections.” Russian scholars concluded that religion in the region is the survival of archaic shamanism or animism overlaid with a thin veneer of Islam. This is why we meet fortune tellers and spiritual healers on the streets. People will visit holy places, pray to ancestors and deeply believe in dreams. However the popular religion is a genuine Muslim spirituality. Their identity is expressed in the statement “I am a Muslim.”