Between Geopolitical Tensions and Social Fragility: Explaining Youth Radicalization in Central Asia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46991/jia.2026.2.1.092Keywords:
Central Asia, youth radicalization, religious extremism, terrorism, geopolitical tensions, regional security, political IslamAbstract
This article examines the impact of geopolitical tensions on youth radicalization in Central Asia, arguing that the phenomenon emerges from the interaction between domestic vulnerabilities and external strategic pressures. It moves beyond causal explanations based solely on socio-economic or religious factors and situates radicalization within the broader context of Eurasian power competition and regional insecurity. Using an interdisciplinary framework that combines political and geopolitical analysis with systemic and institutional approaches, the study identifies key drivers of radicalization, including unemployment, marginalization, labor migration, digital propaganda, prison radicalization, and identity-based tensions, alongside the destabilizing spillover effects of conflicts in Afghanistan and the Middle East. The article further demonstrates that intensifying rivalry among major and regional powers reshapes the regional security environment in ways that can indirectly facilitate extremist mobilization. It concludes that addressing youth radicalization in Central Asia requires a comprehensive and coordinated strategy that integrates domestic reform with a clear understanding of the broader geopolitical dynamics influencing regional stability.
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