Living Halal in the Volga Region: Lifestyle and Civil Society Opportunities

After the dissolution of the Soviet order in central Russia’s multi-ethnic andmulti-religious Povolzhye region, a galaxy of interrelated scripturalist Sunni piety trends coalesced amongst the area’s Muslim, predominantly (though not exclusively) Tatars and Bashkirs. I collectively refer to these ethical trends as Povolzhye’s ‘halal movement’ or ‘halal milieu’.The halal milieu is a loose, theologically diverse network of faith communities defined by self-chosen adherence to strict Islamic precepts of virtue as well as by heightened mindfulness of Islamic purity. Commitment to a halal lifestyle implies being constantly alert to spiritual purity and potential sources of pollution or sin (from pop music, to gossip, to indecent sights), pursuing exactness in ritual conduct, and accumulating Islamic theological knowledge to use as guidance in one’s choices. This chapter describes the lifestyle choices and civil society opportunities of this group of Muslims in post-Soviet Povolzhye.