Mythologizing Sharia Courts in the Post-Soviet North Caucasus

Abstract

The discourse on re-enacting Islamic law in the post-Soviet North Caucasus uses key terms such as sharia courts, highland Muslim traditions, and Islamic insurgency. What seems important here is to shed light on these notions by answering such questions as: To what extent do these terms reflect the post-Soviet legal reality or diverge from it? What can be said of the sharia mythology shared by both adherents and opponents of re-Islamization in the North Caucasus? What is the historical background of discourse on sharia courts?