In the Whirlwind of Jihad

Martha Brill Olcott

In Uzbekistan, Central Asia’s most populous country, Islam has been an ever-present factor in the lives of the people and a contentious force for political officials trying to build a secular and authoritarian government. In the Whirlwind of Jihad examines the intertwined and evolving relationships between religion, the state, and society in Uzbekistan from the late 1980s to today, encompassing the period from the collapse of the Soviet Union to the launch of the U.S.-led “war on terror” in neighboring Afghanistan. Martha Brill Olcott, the foremost expert on Central Asia, concludes that in an era of global communication and increased contact with international Islamic communities, a new role for Islam in Uzbekistan will ultimately emerge with implications beyond the country’s borders.

Martha Brill Olcott Martha Brill Olcott is a senior associate with the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C., and co
-director of the al-Farabi Carnegie Program on Central Asia in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Praise for Martha Brill Olcott’s Kazakhstan: Unfulfilled Promise
“Olcott’s expert knowledge combined with her accessible writing style has produced a book that not only is essential for those experts working on this country but should also prove popular with many who have a general interest in the area.”
—John Glenn, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

Praise for Martha Brill Olcott’s Central Asia’s Second Chance
“Both specialists and generalists will benefit from reading this book. Written in accessible language, it addresses the key issues of this important region with sensitivity and objectivity.”
—Gary Bertsch, University of Georgia