"Vestnik Kavkaza"
In recent years, the Islamic world has gained a clear tendency towards radicalization. In the Middle East, North Africa and Sudan and also the Western Sahara, there are waves of demonstrations and revolutions of the Arab Spring, many regimes have been replaced by force, and vast areas of Iraq and Syria have come under the control of the Islamic State group.
The Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Vitaly Naumkin, suggests that Islam is just a cover for people who bring chaos into a vast region: "Islamic State", or ISIL, and al-Qaeda and al-Nusra Dzhabbat and other terrorist groups actually only bring harm to the bright high prestige of Islam and actually help to spread Christianophobia and Islamophobia. The instability and chaos that are reigning in some countries of the Middle East as a result of gross foreign interference, deterioration of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and the collapse of hopes for a quick solution to the Palestinian problem just increase the possibility of recruiting radicals."
The expert noted that "in their ranks there are also natives of Eurasian states, of our states, including Russia, whom the extremists are able to attract with utopian, often just delusional projects. And these projects are hiding either geopolitical plans alien to the interests of Muslims, or basic ideological misanthropic schemes."
According to Naumkin, “we all, including teachers of people of faith, still don't seem to be doing enough to resist evil, capable of undermining the relationship developed over a century of solidarity, tolerance, constructive mutual enrichment of the peoples of our country and our neighboring countries in the Eurasian region, where Muslim communities today are increasingly manifesting their desire for integration.”
The expert sees the cure for radicalization in integration, development of Islamic education and understanding of Islamic traditions and cultural achievements: "Growing Eurasian economic and political interstate integration – for example, the project of the Eurasian Economic Union – certainly contributes to this process, and we hope will continue to contribute. Naturally, in these circumstances, it is necessary today to consolidate the efforts of all Muslims in the Eurasian space in the interest of maintaining and strengthening the traditional values of our Muslim heritage, national heritage, that for centuries provided the coexistence and cooperation of all faiths and nationalities. Precisely these values can save us from the troubles brought by radicalism, intolerance, and apologies for the exclusivity of violence.
Naumkin is sure that “The experience of cohabitation of Christians and Muslims in the framework of the unique Russian statehood today can serve as a role model for many countries. We managed to overcome the most sophisticated attempts of our enemies to undermine our national unity, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, resting on the àauniversal and general religious ideals of tolerance and even forgiveness. Look how today the Chechen capital Grozny is blooming before our eyes, and the courage of the Chechen defenders of our national unity, who oppose the criminal actions of the thugs, becomes the pride of all Russians.
To resist the threat posed to the complicate relations between Russia and other Eurasian states with the West, the situation deteriorated sharply in some parts of the Muslim world, the actual decay of individual states, it is enough to mention the unfortunate Libya, where there was an actual collapse of statehood, the ongoing conflict between the West and the Islamic world, incessant wars and conflicts – in these conditions (as we have said) the thorough development of Islamic education is necessary – this is very important – that would present a general educational component, and where emphasis is placed on adherence to the best examples of the national Islamic heritage. Greater Tartarstan, Central Asia, Azerbaijan, the North Caucasus and Alims have created a treasury of thought that can teach Muslims beyond the borders of our civilization.”
