DIGITAL LANDSCAPE OF CONTEMPORARY SUFI GROUPS IN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

Innovative technology has changed the modern world. The development and mass availability of the Internet has expanded the possibilities for people to communicate. The processes of globalization and the popularization of social networks have practically erased the borders of states. The entire social and public life of people have undergone transformation. New religious communities and cults are being created. Religious postulates are changing. Proselytism and the translation of religious ideas are carried out in a new format - online or live, that is, it becomes more accessible, there are new ways and forms of transmission of spiritual knowledge. The content of Internet sermons seems relevant for modern society, but requires separate consideration in terms of structural analysis of texts. Sufi practices in Kazakhstan are also undergoing changes. Many of the Sufi groups are actively involved in the processes of digitalization and use new technologies in religious practice. In this regard, the purpose of this article is to consider the activities of Sufi tariqats through the prism of digitalization. Accordingly, the objectives are to identify what modern technologies modern Sufis are using in Kazakhstan, the role of social networks in attracting new adherents, and the legitimacy of such practices. The article is based on materials from open sources, personal pages of Sufi leaders and their followers in social networks, as well as field materials of the authors.