Hijra to “Islamic State” through the Female Narratives: The Case of Kazakhstan

Abstract

The article deals with factors and motives for the emigration of women, citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, to the territory of the so-called “Islamic State" (IS). The idea is to represent the voices of women, who performed the Hijra to IS, through the analysis of their personal narratives. The study is based upon interviews with forty women who were returned from Syria and Iraq with the humanitarian operation Zhusan. The case of female emigration to the territory of the “Islamic State" is presented against the background of the process of formation of various types of female identity and problematic issues of the development of the Kazakhstani ummah. The compiled social profiles of women refute their stereotypical portrayal as people with a low level of secular education, low income and lack of agency. The dominant discourse in women’s narratives is a break with the previous secular life, the rejection of old religious patterns in favour of a new community - a female jamaat - based on the idea of “pure" Islam. The main factors of the Hijra were: identity crisis and religious quest; striving to find social support in a new community; romantic relationships; insufficient development of religious education for women; socio-economic deprivation; ISIS propaganda.