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Turkmenistan
Religion
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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