Virtual Space as a Factor of Radicalization and Involvement in Terrorist Activity in Central Asia

Abstract

This article examines virtual space as one of the factors of radicalization and involvement in terrorist activities in Central Asian countries. Issues of radicalization and involvement in terrorist activities in virtual space are one of the main problems in modern studies of international security, political communication and digital sociology, as well as in connection with the active use of the Internet by international terrorist organizations. Nowadays, virtual space functions not only as a communication tool, but also as an independent medium for the formation of radical views and extremist identity. Due to the growing popularity of the Internet and social networks worldwide, terrorist groups have significantly expanded their global presence in the virtual space. Terrorists use the Internet as a tool for propaganda, recruitment, the spread of extremist ideology, mobilization and training of new recruits. For Central Asian countries, the problem of digital radicalization is complex. The demographic youth of the population, migration processes, the growth of religious activity, social inequality and the high degree of digitalization of society create conditions for the spread of extremist ideology in the online environment. The problem of the impact of virtual space on radicalization processes in Central Asian countries is analyzed, which in turn requires further comprehensive research, taking into account regional specifics and the transformation of modern digital communications. The results of this study show that virtual space is not an independent cause of radicalization. It functions in close interrelation with social, economic and political factors in Central Asian countries, which indicate the presence of both general regional patterns and significant inter-country differences. Universal factors include socioeconomic vulnerability, the growth of digitalization, and the impact of transnational extremist and terrorist networks on the region under study.

Keywords: virtual space, Central Asia, terrorist activity, radicalization, extremist ideology, social networking, internet, religion