Abstract:

The tragic events in Boston very recently had a rather peculiar effect: to remind the international community that there are jihadists and separatists active in North Caucasus. Indeed, the Russian authorities have had to deal with a rebellion in Chechnya since the fall of the USSR, that has evolved into tensions all over Chechnya’s neighborhood. But it would be a mistake to imagine that Northern Caucasus is the only place where Islam is present in Russia, on the contrary. It would also be a mistake to imagine that Russian Muslims are necessary in rebellion against the Kremlin. The situation of Islam, Islamism, and jihadism in Russia is much more complex that one could think, and necessitate careful analysis.

This presentation will try to offer a panoramic view of the Russian situation towards Islam, islamism, and jihadism today. First, there will be an essential focus on Russian Islam alone, taking into account History and contemporary politics. Second, a totally different issue, i.e. jihadism, mostly in North Caucasus, will be analyzed. Rather than religion here, it will be showed that the roots of terrorism targeting the state are mostly political, and strongly linked to a territory and its difficult History. Last, but not least, a presentation on Russia and Islam would not be complete without a presentation on Russia’s foreign policy towards the Muslim world, and towards the jihadist threat coming from the South, i.e. the AfPak region.