October 2018

Hélène Thibault’s new book on Tajikistan, Transforming Tajikistan: State-Building and Islam in Post-Soviet Central Asia, takes readers on a journey through the transformation of Tajikistan’s state structures and national ideology since the…

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15 min

Culture

Shashmaqam – Music and Poetry of Central Asia

October 19, 2018

Shashmaqam is a Central Asian musical genre typical of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It is a refined sort of music, with lyrics derived from Sufi poems. Despite this close relation to Sufi ideas and an overall perception of…

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26 min

Video

Assessing the Terrorist Threat In and From Central Asia

October 18, 2018

Through an examination of the available evidence and drawing on fieldwork in the region since 2014, Edward Lemon discusses the threat posed by terrorism in the region and beyond it,…

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3 min

Photo

With Love from New York: Hunza Photographer Searches for Roots in the Pamirs

October 12, 2018

New-York based photographer Nazir Abbas feels himself at home every time he travels to Pamirs. While in search of his roots, Nazir has found numerous friends, skyscraping mountains, honest hearts, and…

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28 min

Economy

Agriculture in Central Asia: Unlocking the Potential. An Interview with Irna Hofman

October 11, 2018

Agricultural production in Central Asia has the potential to profit its millions of rural inhabitants. Yet the sector has thus far failed to diversity its exports, which would allow it…