Atheism and Cultural Security Policies in Yesevi Territory: Islamic Policy of Soviet Administration in Kazakhstan between 1920-1940

Abstract

Kazakh Turks have enriched their cultural structure in their negative social life since the VIII century, after the acceptance of the acceptance of Islam and sharia values in the steppe. Various propaganda methods were carried out against the Islamic values adopted by the Kazakh society with this cultural momentum, which lasted about 10 centuries, the annexation of Tsarist Russia and the colonial administration that followed, and the policy of atheism, which was adopted by the Soviet Communist party for 70 years. In the early years, the Soviet administration carefully treated the religious feelings of the native Kazakh Turks. On the one hand, the Bolsheviks pledged to "protect Muslims" and their rights, on the other hand tried to destroy their democratic principles. In the second half of the 1920's, the "violent attack" policy against Islam started in the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). The totalitarian system, which strengthened until the end of the 1920's, implemented a political campaign against the clergy. The organs of the OGPU (United States Political Administration under the People's Commissariat Council of the USSR) used various methods to prevent the unification of the country's Muslims and the political empowerment of religious and clergymen and their National intellectuals. The Bolsheviks made decisions regarding the registration of religious associations, opening and closing mosques, and managed to control cultural legislation. This new communist order led to restrictions and violations of public rights and initiated harsh administrative control over all religious activities of the country. Within these restrictions, Islam was attacked more than other religions. After the establishment of the communist administration in Kazakhstan, the first period of famine began in 1921-1922, the policy of collectivization after 1926, the new economic policy and the second period of hunger, followed by the policy of exposing the elite and genocide of the local population. Thus, in this article, the ban on Muslim religious organizations, the persecution of mollas and imams, the closure of mosques, the role of Islam in Kazakhstan, and the issue of famine were classified based on archival documents.