hello! idk if ur active but since ur bio says that ur from kazakhstan and ur bi, i was wondering if u’ve come out to ur family/friends? like i heard that the openly lgbt community is pretty small in kz bc of the cultural norm,,, hope u see this ask lol
Hi there and Happy New Year! You’re correct in assumption that the queer community in KZ is small and mostly underground, and even the more progressive political groups (that have emerged following the mess that was the election in summer2k19), while generally supportive of queer rights, are hesitant to make that a clear point in their manifestos. I have a privilege of living in a bigger, more progressive city, having relative financial stability and more or less reliable support group. I’m out to both my brothers and all of my friends, and none of them have betrayed this trust so far. Not out to my parents, but I think they are aware, it’s an awkward thing that’s been hanging between us ever since I hit puberty and became increasingly outspoken in my support of LGBT+ people and their political efforts in foreign countries. I think they are comforted by the fact that I’m currently not interested in pursuing a long-term relationship with anyone, no matter man or woman or nb person. If I ever become interested tho. Uh. That’s a thought I’m putting off.
Also don’t call it “cultural norm” please. Its violent rampant homophobia, let’s call things their real names in 2020.
Sorry to trouble you. I saw your Kazakhstan 101 / guide to Otabek post. Do you know of any guides or do you have any pointers about how nicknaming generally works in Kazakhstan? How are they usually derived from the actual name? Or can they not even be related? Thank you in advance if you can help in any way. :)
Hi! Sorry for taking so long to answer, midterms and irl has been a dick.
Ugh, nicknaming is complicated. Sometimes a nickname is whole separate name, sometimes its a Russification of a Kazakh name, sometimes it’s a -eke suffix added to the root noun of the name... Lately its becoming more... fashionable/cool, I guess, to give your friend Western name-like nickname, like my high school classmate with last name Zhamesh was called James. This all depends on age, disposition, social context (nickname in school ≠ nickname at home). Really, if you have a name in mind, and a bit of info about the character, I can probably think of a nickname, but there isn’t any type of definitive system.
darling, since you are part kazakh, happy Nauryz! wishing you to be happy and in good health! 🌿☀️🌼 (i really enjoy your blog <3)
Thank you! The Kazakh part of my heritage is something that I've been getting the chance to connect to more as an adult, so this is really sweet, and also something where I'm like, "oh it never even occurred to me that someone would think to give me wishes for one of the big important holidays from that" and it's really sweet of you.
I appreciate you a lot for including me in this! I am having a little trouble articulating the feelings this is giving me, but like, big sincere ones.
Thank you!
Happy Nauryz! I wish you to be happy and in good health as well!
Thank you so much for answering! It was helpful, and actually that's sort of what I assumed it to be like after doing extensive research (which wasn't really all that extensive considering how little resources there are out there). The name I was looking for a nickname for was Erzhan. Would parents affectionately call them "Zhanym" as a nickname? I was also thinking of a Russified nickname Yura. Is that weird at all or possible? Again, thanks! I am very interested in Kazakh culture lately. :)
Okay so I’ll answer in the order the questions were posed.
Zhanym is technically an endearment of all applications, but it’s very… mushy? Maybe it’s just my personality, I’ve been told I’m not nearly meeting the Kazakh average standard of ~feelsy~, but I’d only use it sarcastically, when teasing a friend or SO. But some people do use it as an actual endearment, tho in modern context it’s starting to become more romantic than platonic. A very affectionate parent can call their child “zhanym” I guess, but if the child in question is a growing boy or a teen boy, I feel like he will grow pretty uncomfortable with that quickly. Or at least let the parents know to not call him that in public, god. If me or my classmates caught a wiff of someone being called zhanym!! By their mom!!! when being picked up from school? Idk, the person in question would probably die from being teased too hard.
For the name Erzhan the nicknames that jump to mind immediately are “Era” [yé-rah] and Erzhik [yé-er-zheek]. There is “Ereke” but that’s for like a middle aged/older man going out to drink with some colleagues he is somewhat close to, or something. I don’t really see how nickname Yura would come to be with this base name, since Yura is just. A Russian name. And Era is already a Russified nickname, because Kazakh names/nicknames don’t end with vowels, and the emphasis is shifted from the last vowel (Kazakh language, emphasis is 99% of the time on the last vowel) to the first (Russian language, any vowel can have emphasis). The “short part of name + a” formula is taken directly from Russian. But I guess if there was some kind of personal story to this nickname, it could be possible, it’s just not what naturally comes to mind.
nice essay on otabek and his possible muslim identity, thanks so much for the answer! hope it wasnt too much of a bother <3
Not a bother at all<3 I’m actually thrilled about people falling in love with Otabek and striving to know more about him and his culture! Heals my ethnic pride after what Borat did to our image
Since Kazakhstan is a Muslim majority country, do you see Otabek being a Muslim?
Oh, you hita jackpot with this question. In my opinion this is one of the most interestingthings in Kazakh culture.
In short –yes and no, not really.
There’s a 99%chance that Otabek would be labeled Muslim BUT being Muslim in Kazakhstancomes with different stages of dedication. Otabek would surely be a “casual” Muslim. Meaninghe would only be Muslim technically (would have gone through the rite in early childhood), would maybe share some beliefs and participate as one in some events/rites on occasion (such as major Muslimholidays or funerals) and that’s about it.
For thosewho are curious about details, welcome under the cut:
Even though they consider themselves Muslims most Kazakhs don’t read Quran, don’t practice Namaz (Salah), and do not save up to go to Mecca. Kazakhs also have no qualms about drinking alcohol. Kazakh girls wear normal clothes and do many other things that Muslim girls normally don’t do.
I know it sounds stupid, disrespectful even to those who practice traditional Islam, but that’s how things are with 70-80% of Kazakhs (mind you Kazakhs, not Kazakhstan since Kazakhs are 63% of population here).
So what is being a Muslim to Kazakh?
1. Belief in one God, that is Allah; boys are going through Khitan (Circumcision) rite;
2. Visitting mosques, contributing to charity, inviting Mullah to your house to read a prayer and making a sacrifice on certain ocassions (last one is more rooted in paganism and not Islam, imo, but many would not agree);
3. Fasting during Ramadan - this one is entirely voluntary. You will be respected if you do this, but no one would bat an eye if you don’t.
Otherwise you are free from any obligations.
To summarize Islam in KZ was never fully established. Kazakhs took some parts of it, mixed them with their pagan rites and called it Islam. So like buying the status without reading the instruction. All because of its contradiction with nomad lifestyle and a mindset that comes with it.
Some of those:
lack of towns - quite hardto deliver God’s message, when people are spread over a vast territory by a group of ~60-100 families and moving 3-5 times a year
no written culture - all the knowledge common folk would get by listening to stories and speeches
active involvement of women in society and work - Kazakh women hadalways been working alongside men and were free to say and do as they please, at least, until marriage
strong beliefs, rites and superstitions leftover from paganism – SO MANY OF THEM!! ALIVE ANDKICKING EVEN NOW!!!!
in some other lands Islam was used as a tool of governor’s control but Kazakh society already had anestablished tribe system and didn’t need that at all, threfore - no active support from higher classes
In South region, there actually were several towns with mosques and Muslim boys’ schools, but other tribes were too busy riding their horses and firing arrows intothe sunset. Nevertheless there had always been at least one or two people in the settlementthat were kind of educated about this stuff. Usually the elder people.
That was the picture in X-XVIII centuries. During the Soviet time came a “freezed period”: religion was forbidden, Kazakhs got converted into the entirely new lifestyle, where they got settled,educated and drank vodka spoke Russian. Surepeople still practiced some rites but it was against communist beliefs and therefore not popular/not progressing.
Now though, for the last5-10 years the interest towards traditional Islam had been rising among young people.Society is quite wary of that, thanks to the followers of radical Islam and terrorists acts (yup, this year we experienced that too) that they set up. You can see quite a few girls in the streets dressed in hijab - a sight you would’ve never-ever encounter in the past - but the majority still sticks to the old ways.
