Religion, Culture, and Cyberspace

Abstract

The study examines the relationship between the digital media environment, sociopolitical contexts, and information resilience in Muslim communities. The study is a systematic literature review and theoretical synthesis using comparative-historical, discursive, and systems approaches. The findings show that digitalization has transformed online space into a key sphere for religious practice and religious socialization, contributing to the emergence of “digital Islam.” Among young people, religious socialization and the choice of preachers increasingly occur online within “information cocoons.” In Central Asia, the influence of the internet and social networks has nearly equaled television: 56% of the population receive news from television and 50% from social networks, mainly via smartphones. Television remains dominant among people aged 55+, while younger audiences rely primarily on online sources. Young people, elderly people, and linguistic minorities are especially vulnerable to disinformation and manipulation and often become targets of Islamophobic and radical narratives. In Tatarstan, Islam is understood mainly as heritage or ethnic Islam, associated with Tatar identity and cultural heritage rather than strict ritual observance. States and organizations combine control measures with media-literacy programs, although excessive securitization can push users into closed online spaces and increase radicalization risks. The study concludes that digital technologies do not generate radicalism but accelerate its spread and transform its forms within the intersection of religion and security policy.