Constructing the image of an “Islamist” in the media of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan

the article analyzes the construction of the image of the "Islamist" in state and semi-state media in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan from 2014 to the present. The study reveals how media discourse is used as a tool of "soft power" to legitimize security policies and strengthen the secular model of the state. Based on a comparative analysis of materials from leading media in the two countries, the authors identify key narratives used in shaping the image of the "Islamist": a threat to national security, an external threat, and betrayal of national interests. It is shown that Tajik media predominantly use an emotional and tragic narrative referring to the civil war, while Uzbek media are dominated by a bureaucratic and legal discourse. It is established that, despite differences in rhetoric, in both countries the image of the "Islamist" is deliberately simplified and demonized, which contributes to the consolidation of society around the current government and justifies the existing model of secular authoritarianism.

islamist, mass media, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, media discourse, image, national security, secular state, narrative, comparative analysis