Islam and Muslims in Russia Since the Collapse of the Soviet Union

After the collapse of the Soviet Union sovereign Islamic states arose in the traditional Islamic regions of the USSR, although Islam was not declared to be an official or state religion in the constitutions of these states, since, as before, religion was separated from the state. These states were: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. With the exception of Kazakhstan, these Muslim republics have become members of international Islamic organisations and societies. Since almost half the population of Kazakhstan are not Muslims, this state takes part in international Islamic organisations as an observer or guest. The collapse of the Soviet Union separated more than 65 million Muslims in the Muslim regions of Central Asia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan from Russia. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union did not mean that Russia ceased to be a state with a large Muslim population. Within Russia there remain nine Muslim republics: Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Dagestan, Adygeya, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Northern Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachayevo-Cherkessia, with a population of more than 20 million Muslims.