Central Asian Women’s contextual politics: the case of Muslim women in Uzbekistan

Working toward theorizing Central Asian women’s variegated and dynamic socio-political activism, in this article, I argue that the contextual nature of their activism remains the only viable analytical generalization we can make at this time. This activism emerges always in a particular existential and relational context presenting a range of problems local activists aim to address through the means available to them, including discourses on Islam, gender, and justice. I exemplify my approach by focusing on several Muslim women activists at different levels of Uzbek society, including an individual, communal, and a societal ones. Inspired by their interpretations of Islamic duties and responsibilities, these women fostered their individual moral transformation simultaneously extending it beyond themselves toward their local communities and the government.