Religious Identity of Afghani youth in Czechia in a historical perspective

The thesis will examine the role of religion among young Afghans in the Czech Republic. The Afghan "exodus" began with the overthrow of Zahir Shah in 1973 and was followed by massive waves of emigration during the 1980s and 1990s. Even in the last decade, Afghans remained one of the largest groups of refugees in Europe. The destination for most Afghans in Europe is the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands or Scandinavia. However, a significant number of Afghan refugees also live in the Czech Republic. The thesis first maps the history of migration from Afghanistan to Europe in general and to the Czech Republic in particular. Given that Afghans are often understood as Muslims, the work will also analyze the history of Muslims in the Czech Republic. Then the work will focus on the role of religion in shaping the identity of young Afghans in the Czech Republic. The analysis of secondary sources will be complemented by my own qualitative research in the form of in-depth interviews with young Afghans. Keywords: identity, religion, ethnicity, migration, Afghans, Muslim