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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Turkmenistan
Index
Traditionally, the Turkmen of Turkmenistan, like their kin in
Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Iran, are Sunni Muslims (see Glossary). Shia
Muslims (see Glossary), the other main branch of Islam, are not numerous
in Turkmenistan, and the Shia religious practices of the Azerbaijani and
Kurdish (see Glossary) minorities are not politicized. Although the great
majority of Turkmen readily identify themselves as Muslims and acknowledge
Islam as an integral part of their cultural heritage, many are
non-believers and support a revival of the religion's status only as an
element of national revival. They do not attend mosque services or
demonstrate their adherence publicly, except through participation in
officially sanctioned national traditions associated with Islam on a
popular level, including life-cycle events such as weddings, burials, and
pilgrimages.
Data as of March 1996
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