Victoria Panfilova, Nezavizimaya Gazeta observer. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
Azerbaijan attentively studies the experience of holding the Olympic Games in Sochi. Interest is not idle. Ahead of the Sochi Olympics, experts predicted possible terrorist attacks in Russia. Baku will host the first Summer European Olympic Games next year. And today the Azerbaijani authorities are taking appropriate measures for prevention of possible attacks by radical extremists.
The problem of extension of radical Islamists is acute not only for Azerbaijan, but for many countries of the world, notwithstanding their level of economic development, military potential or statehood structure. It could be the USA, Russia, poor Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan, fighting Afghanistan and Syria.
By the way, today Syria is the main source of radical Islamists. James Clapper, Director of the USA National Intelligence, stated on February 11th that groups of militants used instability in Syria; their main target is the United States and European countries. At the same time, he noted that militants spread violence in neighboring countries, including Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon. According to Clapper, it leads to prolongation of the conflict. Calling the humanitarian situation in Syria “an apocalyptic disaster,” Clapper added that, according to some estimations, 7 500 foreign militants from 50 countries are present in Syria. “It worsens the problem of security dramatically,” the head of American intelligence stated.
Half of these militants are natives of former Soviet republics. About 300 militants are from Kazakhstan, about 200 are from Azerbaijan, the same amount is from Kyrgyzstan, and the majority – about 2,000 people – are from Russia. Alexei Malashenko, expert of Moscow Carnegie Center, spoke to Vestnik Kavkaza about it. Nobody knows how many of them ethnic Russians are. The expert believes that “if there are Russians, nobody will state their names.” Malashenko thinks the problem of “Russian Islam” exists and worsens. Ethnic Russians are being involved into radical Islam and extremist activity. And this is the point, rather than that Russia boosts an amount of Muslims.
The number of terrorists who are Russian Muslims (their number is several thousands in all Russia) is much bigger than an amount of terrorists who are representatives of the five-million population of Tatarstan where Islam is “national” religion. It was emphasized at the scientific conference “Islam and State in Russia” devoted to the 225th anniversary of the Central Spiritual Directorate of the Muslims of Russia.
Islamic scholar Ruslan Gereyev, who deals with the problem of Russian Wahhabis thinks that one of reasons for Russian young people turn to Islam is “a result of a poor work of the Russian Orthodox Church and officials who don’t pay sufficient attention to the Russian youth.” However, there are other motives as well. What makes Russians take part in a foreign war? Ajar Kurtov, an expert of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, told kursiv.kz: “Fundamentalists take part in fights, i.e. devoted supporters of radical Islam in its extreme form. Their goal is not money, but a struggle for their ideals. Their state of mind contains an element of pan-Islamism: to spread a radical interpretation of Islam all over the world. Of course, first of all they involve members of their family into the activity which they think is “a duty of faith”, “an act of faith,” and true jihad.”
“As life in Syria improves, militants will come back home, to Russia or the CIS countries. And this is a threat for peaceful life in the countries. These men will strive for using their potential. Therefore, they will be involved in international Islamist centers in Russian regions and will disperse in the CIS countries. Despite their ethnic belonging – Uzbeks, Tatars, Azerbaijanis – they will stand for Hizb ut-Tahrir. This organization accumulates forces, even though it is forbidden almost in all countries,” Alexei Malashenko says.
Hizb ut-Tahrir (Islamic Party of Liberation) is a forbidden, non-systemic, radical opposition party which rejects terrorist attacks. Traditionally it acts in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Its arms are agitation and propaganda, penetration to a regime from the inside. Leaders of the party have many times stated that caliphate in Central Asia should be established by peaceful means. At the same time, they have militant groups. “The program of Hizb ut-Tahrir says that a mujahidin should not differ from common people and be able to copy anyone, even alcoholics and gays. So, it is required that strict norms of Islam should be forgotten in favor of conspiracy. Everything for an idea. Hizb ut-Tahrir is a strong organization which continues to gain power. They have centers in 70 regions of Russia. They spread flyers and pamphlets. They used to have a proverb in Uzbekistan: “Open a window and a Hizb ut-Tahrir leaflet will fly into your room,” Malashenko said.
To be continued
