The Question of Russian Islam: A Cultural Sociological Analysis

OpenAlex Türkçe

This article examines how the Russian state attempts to reshape Muslim identities and practices through language policy, state-controlled religious institutions, and managed discourse. These efforts form part of a broader project to integrate Russia’s Muslim population into a unified national identity. Using a cultural-sociological lens that draws on Bourdieu’s concept of symbolic power, cultural constructivism, and Gramsci’s theory of cultural hegemony, the study investigates how official narratives and practices shape Islamic identity to align with Russian national culture. The study employs a qualitative content analysis of sources from 2006–2025, including Friday sermons, public speeches by muftis, Russian Qur’an translations, and political addresses on Islamic holidays. The findings reveal a concerted effort to recast Islam as an integral part of Russian heritage and patriotic values by promoting a “traditional Islam” loyal to the state. State-aligned Muslim authorities adapt Islamic terminology and practices to Russian linguistic and cultural norms in order to cultivate this loyalist narrative. As a result, an official Islamic discourse has emerged that emphasizes civic loyalty, interfaith harmony, and conservative values, while portraying non-Russified Muslim identity as foreign or extremist.