Summary: Almost 90% of Uzbekistanrsquo;s population is Muslim, but the religion hasnrsquo;t always been practiced freely there. Uzbekistan is a former member of the USSR. During the Soviet era, few Uzbeks openly practiced Islam ndash; and those that did tended to be older. Things have changed, though, since the country gained its independence in 1991; a larger portion of the population attends mosque, young people are beginning to embrace Islam and some women are even beginning to wear hijab. Indiana Universityrsquo;s Dr. Malik Hodjaev, a lecturer for the Department of Central Eurasian studies, is an Uzbeki native and said that after gaining independence, Muslims were allowed to practice freely and in the open. Independence: Before And After Before independence, mosques were used as storage places, libraries, factories and offices. Only a few mosques were open to the public. While Muslims could still pray at home, there were limitations and difficulties in teaching Islamic youth about their religion. The government would often interfere with Islamic traditions and customs. For example, during Ramadan, school officials and administrators could call fasting students to the office and force them to eat. Adults could face severe punishments and risk losing their jobs if they were caught taking their young to the mosque. After independence, thousands of new mosques were constructed and the old ones were revitalized. Religious programming and publications came about and were given the opportunity to flourish. Before, only a select few could make the sacred pilgrimage to Mecca and now, thousands of Uzbeki Muslims make the trip every year. Even though religious freedom has been restored, government regulations are in place. Since the country borders Afghanistan and Tajikistan, the government fears an increase in extremist and violent groups. Therefore, in order to curb their influence, the Uzbeki government requires mosques to be registered and imams, or mosque leaders, are appointed by government officials.
