An Open Advisory Session on “Religious Extremism and Its Prevention” was held

The Department of the Middle East and South Asia held an advisory session for students on the topic “Prevention of Religious Extremism”. The event was organized by the department’s senior advisors F. Zhumazhanova and A. Khavan.

The special guest of the session was Islamic scholar, PhD Temur Oralbayuly Amankul. In his speech, he spoke in detail about the causes of the spread of religious extremism in modern society, the impact of radical ideas on young people, and the dangers of religious misinformation in the online space.

The main issues discussed during the event included:

• the importance of improving religious literacy among youth;

• signs of radical religious movements and ways to protect oneself from them;

• proper understanding of the principles of secularism;

• the need to critically evaluate religious information on social media.

Students had an informal discussion with an Islamic scholar and received answers to their questions. The expert emphasized that strengthening young people’s informational immunity is an important factor in preventing religious extremism. In conclusion, representatives of the department highlighted the importance of continuing educational outreach among students and noted that such meetings will be held regularly.