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Thus, the analysis of emergence of radicalism in Islam gives a chance to define it primarily as a political phenomenon. Political radicalism in Islam has, in essence, not a religious origin. The reason of its origin is not at all the supposition that Islam does not accept the principles of organization of the contemporary society.
"Politicheskaya religiya: Teoriya i metodologiya issledovaniya problemy", Stavropol, 2010, p. 81-96.
Alan Jioyev,
political scientist (the RAGS under the President of the RF) EXTREMISM AND SECURITY IN THE NORTH-CAUCASIAN REGION
Against the background of the last decade, the significance of the North-Caucasian region (NC) in the contemporary geopolitical picture of the world grows more and more. For the period of millenniums, owing to its particular geo-strategic situation in the joint of European-Asian civilizations the Caucasus always attracted attention of various states being subject to great influence of different cultures and religions. Under contemporary geopolitical conditions the main redivision of the world is realized as an establishment of the control over natural resources, geo-strategic and military-sea routes; therefore the big world powers urge towards achievement of their principal strategic aim, which consists in pushing Russia to the north-east part of Eurasia far away from one of the main communication points of accesses to the center of world resources - the Mediterranean-Black Sea-Caucasian-Caspian region. Their nearest aims are as follows - to make uncompetitive the Russian main gas and oil pipelines and to lay round Russia their transportation routes, which deliver cheap raw resources
from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Iran to Europe and America. Therefore the internal political instability in NC and in the Trans-Caucasus to a large extent is advantageous to a number of state and inter-state entities, pursuing exclusively their national (political and economic) interests.
At the same time, the following mid-term tasks are being achieved: to prevent renaissance of Russia to the level of super-power; to undermine its influence in former Soviet republics; to reduce its geo-strategic space to the limits of its borders and to promote separatism in different Russian regions, including NC, decreasing in this way its prestige and image in the world community; to transform it into a natural resources' addition to the developed countries of the world; to enforce their own influence on the processes, going on in the region, having received economic and political dividends. In these circumstances, of particularly dangerous becomes the practice of amalgamation of self-consciousness of the peoples with religious fanaticism. In this connection, under conditions of NC the greatest threat to integrity of Russia comes from Dagestani-Chechen extremist Islamic organizations of wahhaby type. The spread of wahhabism in the NC region is advantageous for the strategic interests of the USA and Saudi Arabia. The already tested "Near East" scenario is being applied in NC. Up to the present time, the spread of wahhabism was realized through Saudi religious foundations and organizations - "al-Kharamei" (Two Sacred Places Foundation), company "Benevolence", League of Protection of Mother and Child, "Lashkar Taiba" and others.
For the last decade, in the Russian Federation (RF) and particularly in NC there took place the inter-national and internal confessional conflicts, which had very negative influence on the social-political situation in the country and which were appraised as a tense situation. The role and the significance of the religious component of
public consciousness of the population in the region rose considerably, and the apprehension of appropriateness of existence of religion and its institutions in society increased definitely.
The new religious situation in the RF and the trend of its development should attract greater attention to the whole complex of impact of the religious factor on the internal political security of Russia. A special significance acquires the following circumstance: at present, Russia lacks a thoughtful political conception relating to the community of religious organizations in Russia and particularly in NC. A great concern is being caused by the negative trends connected with the rise of religious extremism, terrorism and narcotics' trade as well as by potential conflicts, which may be caused by territorial, ethnic and social contradictions. The militarization of the region presents a threat to its security. Since the beginning of democratic reforms the scale of influence, role and significance of religions in society increased resulting in creation of the situation when religion became a significant factor of public development in contemporary Russia, particularly in NC.
In the RF just NC (as a unique entity in terms of ethic composition and culture) is the most complicated region from the point of view of its social-economic and political situation as well as state governance and ensuring national security. It is characterized by poly-ethnicity, poly-confessional structure, overpopulation, problems of peoples-victims of repression under conditions of artificially determined and repeatedly changed borders, which turn out to become permanent military conflicts. The social-political situation in the region was deteriorated due to the negative influence of wahhaby ideology, which started its dissemination since the 1980s. The religious-political extremism is characterized by the urge towards rapid solving of complicated problems irrespective of "the price", which must be paid
for it. This is the source of the forceful methods of struggle. It denies use of dialogue, content, consensus, mutual understanding. The extreme display of religious-political extremism is terrorism, which is the complex of particularly ferocious forms and methods of political violence. For the last decade the religious-political extremism more often applied the terror as a means of achievement of its aims. The extremist display is characterized by the protests: dissatisfaction with the political regime, the social inequality, the position in society of certain social strata, ethnic, racial and confessional groups. But the problem may be solved, if the state purposefully is in charge of making amends for faults.
The factors giving rise to religious-political extremism in Russia are named by experts to be the social-economic crisis, the mass unemployment, the rapid fall of level of living of the population, the weakening of the sate power and discredit of its institutions, the disintegration of the former system of values, legal nihilism and political ambitions of religious leaders.
Some experts think violation of the rights of ethnic and religious minorities by officials as well as activities of foreign religious and political centers promote religious-political extremism. The problem of religious-political extremism is aggravated by dynamic of development and by contemporary internal political situation in the region marked by extreme instability. The internal conflicts in the republic of NC represent a real threat to Russia. The religious centers, official circles, special services and non-governmental organizations of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Arabic countries of the Persian Gulf used wahhabism in the political and economic situation in NC to realize their aims.
The dissemination of wahhaby ideas is one of the main sources of the spread of political terrorism. The activities of wahhabies are marked on the territory of Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria,
Karachaevo-Cherkessia, in Stavropol kray. The financial support is given to wahhaby groups and dissemination of printed and video materials is realized on the basis of the underground system; and by support of corrupted officials wahhaby emissaries penetrate in the government structures. The process is going on to replace the loyal representatives of the clergy and to replace them by the young imams trained abroad. The wahhabies are engaged in active recruitment of new adepts from the youth.
The NC and the Middle Asia (MA) became the components of the so-called wahhaby crescent with the center of oil and gas reserves in the Caspian Basin. The specific financial, political and geopolitical interests became the reasons of the wahhaby "march to the north". Wahhaby expansion in the republics of NC is aimed at the same targets. From the strategic point of view, Dagestan is of great significance, since its territory is adjacent to the Caspian oil fields. The military assault of Khattab and Basayev against Dagestan was arranged for the same purpose. But, unlike situation in Chechnya, the separatist ambitions did not exist, and therefore the terrorist failed to enjoy an expected support. In winter of 1999-2000, this circumstance helped the Russian authorities to take measures for the sake of ousting the Chechen fighters from Dagestan and to liquidate the main part of bands on the Chechen territory. Wahhabism tries to influence the public-political processes both in the subjects of the RF and in Russia as a whole. The Russian mass media promote this process, forming in Russian and international public opinion the comprehension about confessional substance of the Chechen conflict.
It is particularly important to distinguish Islamic fundamentalism from religious extremism and terrorism.
The first one, like any other religious fundamentalism comes forward for religious education, compliance with every day religious traditions.
The second trend aims at spreading by force the religious model of the state, of religious rules of behavior in society and family.
Thus, the attempt to incorporate and to disseminate "political Islam" in NC is a strong destabilizing factor. The role of power structures in the region attracts attention of the extremist wahhaby organizations; they claim for this role, since they are connected with illegal military bands in Chechnya and coordinated from the united center, represented by "fighting jamaats" network in the NC as a whole. Due to wahhabys' actions the traditional clergy and ordinary Muslims gradually started to see the danger of their activities and render all assistance to the law enforcement bodies in the struggle against this trend of Islam.
The majority of the Caucasian population does not support the idea of separation from Russia. For instance, in Dagestan the Muslim community consecutively and closely maintains reciprocal relations with the authorities sending their clergymen to the most distant mountainous villages to propagate traditional Islam. The same form of religious propaganda exists in Karachaevo-Cherkessia. Nevertheless, the attestation of imams showed that only some of elderly priests have adequate educational level to oppose propaganda of extremist religious trends.
The radical Muslim clergy, supporting "pure" Islam, enjoys great influence. The intellectual qualities of some Muslims having received training in Muslim countries represent the ideological basis of consolidation of similar feelings. Their dissatisfaction with the policy of the Federal Center in the Caucasus and actions of the regional authorities is strengthened by the critical attitude to the local Islamic
practice, which differs greatly from foreign canons. The members of such groups represent the potential nutrient medium for recruitment of military bands' fighters.
The opposition movements gained a rather great influence in Muslim communities of the region. Their emergence was the result of competition among separate groups of believers, united by spiritual leaders, with the aim to get influence on the political elite of the region. Such contradictions, which may have ethnic characteristic, often incite religious leaders to maintain contacts with moderate fundamentalists. Thus, the growing of extremism in the religious sphere represents a significant threat to the national security in NC; therefore the purposeful activities of the state and public institutions are the must for elimination of this danger. Up to the present time, there are no mass disturbances for ethnic reasons, although the situation in the sphere of inter-national relations in NC may be characterized as complicated and heterogeneous. The extremist actions are taken for attainment of originally determined purposes in the political, ethnic-national, economic, religious and other spheres of public life, including appeals for forceful overthrow of the constitutional order of the RF.
The lack of compromises is characteristic for displays of extremism in the religious sphere. Such extremism does not make compromises with the opposing party and negates the tactic of dialogue. The urge towards the victory in the counteraction of social groups, the struggle against certain defined political groups, connected often with the aim of seizure of power by means of force using religious slogans, determine the essence of extremism in the religious sphere. Consequently, it is possible to qualify as extremism the activities of the religious associations in the case, when their activities are as follows: they are carried out in the form of illegal extremist actions aimed at the forceful overthrow of the constitutional order and
integrity of the RF; they consist in the seizure or acquirement of power authorities; they aim at formation of illegal armed detachments; they consist of terrorist acts; they provoke racial, national or religious discord etc.
Against the background of new geopolitical picture of the XXI century, Russia confronts the challenge of creating new models of counteraction against extremism irrespective of its religious, national or social ideological cover. Thus, the denial of publicity for radicalism should become the most significant strategic device of counteraction against extremism in the religious sphere. An important direction of political-legal counteraction against extremist activities of religious associations is education and enlightenment of citizens relating to cultural and religious multitude and unity of the people in the country and in the world, concerning history of intolerance, genocide and other crimes, which were brought to the people by extremism. The education process of the young and of the older people should contain precise and detailed information on history of the world genocides, anti-Semitic pogroms and Stalin repressions, but it should not allow to transform the collective trauma of the past into a subject of sacral significance and to nourish the ideas of revenge and "correction of the past".
At present, extremism lives on not only the past but also new myths and speculations. On of them is as follows: the deliberately apocalyptic appraisal of life and events for the last years for the sake of struggle for power. The clear and unambiguous articulation of aims and tasks of the state policy in NC is the needed condition of the weighed and balanced policy in this region. Of great significance is the strategy of the state impact, including legal prosecution of extremism, particularly in its forms, which should be convicted by law.
A significant ideological and political threat to national security of Russia presents the politicized Islamic fundamentalism in the form
of wahhabism, since it applies armed struggle and terrorism for achievement of its aims. It is necessary to stop activities of religious missions, of their branches and of educational institutions, of charitable and other foundations, of military-sportive camps, of individuals propagating ideas of wahhabism or other extremist teachings.
A rather great role in intensification of work of law enforcement bodies directed to counteraction against terrorism and religious extremism was played by creation and realization of the legal basis for prohibition of extremist organizations on the territory of the RF "On Counteraction against Extremist Activities". Thus, the main challenge made by wahhabism is laid not so much in the religious as in the social-political sphere.
Wahhabism in NC has a definite mobilizing ideology and is based on the support of international Islamist organizations and other external forces, which render it a great financial assistance and give it support in the field of cadres and propaganda. Under present conditions, the Islamic extremism is a destabilizing factor aimed at aggravation of inter-religious and internal religious relations, at the split of the Muslim society in Russia, at promotion of national separatism and deterioration of mutual relations between the regional and federal powers.
"Vestnik Severo-Osetinskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta im. K.X. Khetagurova", Vladikavkaz, 2010, N 3, p. 24-29.
Diana Chelpanova,
political scientist (ISEGI of UNTs of RAS)
THE PROTEST'S ACTIVITY OF THE POPULATION
IN THE NORTH CAUCASUS
The instability of the North-Caucasian region demonstrates existence of a number of problems, including particularly economic
