Official and Unofficial Islam in Soviet Union During the Cold War

From its foundation, the Soviet regime had oppressed the Muslims through eradicating Muslim institutions such as mosques, madrassahs and shrines and taking measures against Muslim scholars and imams. When World War II began, the Stalin needed the support of Muslim ulama to legitimize the war effort against Nazis and mobilize Muslim soldiers. Muslim ulama, along with the authorities of other religions, supported the Soviet war efforts in exchange for the recognition of the state. As a result of this arrangement, an accredited body of Muslim scholars emerged during the war and remained effective in the upcoming decades. This accredited body was institutionalized and utilized by the state to sustain a form of Islam and Muslim population that do not threaten the regime. While these Muftiates served multiple functions, they were far away from fulfilling the needs of the Muslim population. The Soviet Muslims continued to join Sufi shrines and tariqahs in an attempt to preserve their religious customs and lifestyle. This situation brought about an Islamic life squeezed in between official and unofficial institutions and state authorities