Liana Hayrapetyan
vol. VII(1,2)
Pages 61-79
Abstract
The spread of Radical Islam among Russian Muslim is a central issue for the
authorities of Russia. The fi rst confl ict in Chechnya facilitated the radicalization
of Islam in the North Caucasus. Chechen warlords became involved
in terrorism and organized terror bombings in Moscow in 1999, thus making
terrorism a domestic issue for Russia. Hence the second Russian military
campaign in Chechnya was labeled as counter-terrorism operation. In
Volga-Ural region the situation was stable. However, Tatarstan has been encountering
the issue of the radicalism since the beginning of the 21st century.
During the 2010s there were several Islamic jamaats, which were involved in
terror attacks in the territory of Tatarstan (mostly bombing pipelines), international
Wahhabi organizations are active in Tatarstan. The terror attack in
Kazan in July 2012, when the Mufti of Tatarstan was injured, indicated the
strong presence of radicals in the region. The attack made the authorities of
Tatarstan take severe approaches towards the radicals. The law enforcement
bodies operate professionally: those who are suspected to have radical views
are immediately caught and imprisoned. The active propaganda of traditional
Islam in which the state is also involved is another way to prevent the radicalization
of the region. Though the Wahhabi presence remains, the situation in
Tatarstan is stable due to the work of the law enforcement bodies.
Keywords: Russia, Tatarstan, Islam, Radicalism, Wahhabism
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