As long as people have limited opportunities in the socioeconomic and political arenas, and adherence to a religious lifestyle is restricted, pilgrimages will remain as an accessible means of self-fulfillment.
Solidarity with and concerns about Palestine are not a new development among Uzbeks, but there have been a variety of responses to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The popularity of religious figures in Uzbekistan is tied to their legitimacy, itself derived from their formal positions within government-affiliated religious institutions.
The apparently increasing number of hujra, clandestine religious classrooms, in Uzbekistan indicates a growing need for formal religious education that is not attainable for many at present.