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This paper sought to delineate how English media frame Kazakhstan. We employed co-occurrence network and sentiment analysis across 130 newspaper pieces published in 2022 and 2023. The results showed that the news in the UK and Qatar often associated Kazakhstan with Russia and China, and also referred to it as a Muslim country, which until the events of January 2022 was considered a peaceful and quiet country. Among the prevailing terms, there were "Kazakhstan," "country," "Tokayev," "Russia," and "protest". Kazakhstan was represented as a country ruled by an influential leader (Tokayev), maintaining diplomatic relations with countries in Europe and Asia. Kazakhstan's image suffered due to the violent crackdown on protests during the January events and accusations of supporting Russia to circumvent sanctions, which the government denies. However, the January events awakened a wave of foreign media interest in Kazakhstan, which gradually subsided over time. The sentiment analysis unearthed that the peak of positive sentiment coincided with events such as scientific achievements, cultural successes and progressive changes, while the decline was characterized by coverage of problems within the country facing serious challenges, including worker safety issues, political suppression, economic instability and questions about the legitimacy of elections. Resultantly, a rather ambivalent portrayal emerged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper examines and compares ethnic identities of the Chechen and the Uighur, and their relations with Russia and China, respectively. The Russian–Chechen relationship, which has seen centuries of intense hatred and intolerance, appears to be entering a period of peace and some acceptance. In contrast, the Chinese–Uighur relationship has been mostly begrudgingly stable for a century, but rising tensions in Xinjiang could spell disaster in the years to come. We argue that identities of the Chechen and the Uighur and their interactions and conflict with Russia and China are consequences of historical legacies and social, religious and political forces. Our research supports scholarly arguments that a strong sense of marginalization endured by Muslims and trauma and anger experienced by Chechen and Uighur Muslims all play major roles in the violence and terrorist behavior conducted by both the Chechen and Uighur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the conditions to mobilize Uighur Islamist groups to carry out terrorism in China. The phenomenon of Uighur terrorism is analyzed through examining parallel developments in the political history and religious opportunity structure of the North Caucasus, where Chechens have experienced the same conflict. The religious opportunity structure created by communism with psycho-traumatic experiences in the North Caucasus case is noted stirring repertoire change in Uighur dissent.

In this article, I would like to show that China's rough treatment of Uyghurs is related not only to domestic tensions in Xinjiang but also to the legacy of Uyghurs' association with the Soviet Union and Russia against China's nationality policy. Both, but particularly Moscow, used the Uyghurs in their virtual propaganda and, moreover, also in actual acts of organizing outfits-mainly civilian but also military-including espionage, sabotage, and even preparations for invasion. While most-if not all-of these attempts failed, the memories of these actions still survive. Behind the apparent friendship between China and Russia today are hidden mutual suspicions as well as unsettled accounts going back as far as the seventeenth century. Given these potential, and occasionally actual, tensions and China's growing economic advantage over Russia, a future conflict is an eventuality that should be taken into consideration, meaning that Uyghurs may become pawns in this playground yet again. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers news briefs on religion and state issues as of June 2014. Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti was detained by Chinese authorities. The organization Union of Jewish Students has made a legal complaint against a purportedly anti-Semitic online video by comedian Dieudonne M'bala M'bala. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill spoke to Russia's legislative Federation Council, denouncing same-sex marriage.

The spread of Islamic militancy amongst the Uighur of Kazakhstan is of particular importance to understanding Kazakhstan's security and economic relations with China, Russia, and the United States, and, ultimately, to the advancement of U.S. strategic interests in the region. Significant scholarship has been developed in the last decade oriented toward the Uighur in neighboring Xinjiang, China, but relatively little has been devoted to an in-depth examination of the Uighur dynamic in Kazakhstan. This paper investigates this topic through original research that examines the extent to which Uighur extremists in Kazakhstan pose a realistic threat to Kazakhstan's national security. It specifically asks whether the prevailing Islamic practice amongst the Uighur in Kazakhstan has been made fundamental, and, if an Uighur identity exists, whether it is bound by Islamic ambitions that may manifest in widespread terrorist activity. This study finds that militant Islam amongst the Uighur in Kazakhstan remains a fringe and localized presence, which will struggle to gain sufficient popular support for historical and contextual reasons. Even so, the United States can take specific steps to help Kazakhstan ensure that Islam remains a moderate - rather than extremist- force in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]