Introduction

While Islam has historically been a salient part of the social fabric in the formerly communist territories of Eurasia, the number of individuals who identify themselves as Muslim and religion as a defining component of their identity and daily practice rose significantly since the collapse of communism in the Soviet Bloc and the Balkans in the early 1990s. Expressions of public piety, such as mosque attendance and the observation of Muslim dress codes, contributed significantly to the growing visibility of Muslims in the region. Besides the revitalization of local traditions, or in some cases their inventions, contacts with several Muslim networks and movements from outside the region led to a pluralization of approaches to right belief and practice among post-communist Muslims.