Religion in Tajikistan Religion in Tajikistan Islam, the predominant religion throughout Central Asia, was brought to the region by the Arabs in the 7th century. Since that time, Islam has become an integral part of Tajik culture. Tajikistan is a secular country, but the post-Soviet era has seen a marked increase in religious practice in the country. The majority of Tajikistan's Muslims adhere to the Sunni branch of Islam, and a smaller group belongs to the Shia branch of Islam. The Russian Orthodox faith is the most widely practiced of other religions, although the Russian community shrank significantly in the early 1990s. Some
Kist people fighting. Vazha-Pshavela celebrates heroism of both peoples and underlines the senselessness of their conflict. During the Second World War, the Kists were the only Chechens in the Soviet Union who were not deported by Stalin in 1944. During the Second Chechen War, the Kists gave shelter to about 7,000 refugees from Chechnya. The majority of Kists adhere to religion made up of syncretized Sunni Muslim beliefs with animistic folk religion religion. Small pockets of Christian Kists still remain in Pankisi, Tusheti and Kakheti. To this day, the Kists worship the Khevsur sacred places ("jvari") and make sacrifices to the Anatori