By Paul Goble
Vienna, February 1 – When Muslims rioted in French cities, Russian officials comforted themselves with the observation that such things could not happen in their country because Russian Islam is different. But now a leading Moscow specialist on Islam argues that this self-confident assumption may no longer be entirely justified.
Aleksandr Ignatenko, the president of the Moscow Institute of Religion and Politics and a member of the Russian president's Council on Ties with Religious Organizations, says that the situation with regard to Islam inside Russia increasingly resembles that of the communities of the faithful in European countries.
And he implies in the course of this interview which was posted online at the end of last week that Russians are likely to respond as Europeans have, not only restricting immigration and tightening government control over Muslim organizations of all kinds but also becoming more self-conscious of their own national, religious and cultural identities.
Asked whether what is taking place in Europe now represents a kind of Crusade in reverse, an effort by Muslims to do to Christians what Christians once tried to do to them, Ignatenko said he would prefer describe what is taking place as "the Muslim mastering ["osvoyenie"] of Europe." Read more ...
Vienna, February 1 – When Muslims rioted in French cities, Russian officials comforted themselves with the observation that such things could not happen in their country because Russian Islam is different. But now a leading Moscow specialist on Islam argues that this self-confident assumption may no longer be entirely justified.
Aleksandr Ignatenko, the president of the Moscow Institute of Religion and Politics and a member of the Russian president's Council on Ties with Religious Organizations, says that the situation with regard to Islam inside Russia increasingly resembles that of the communities of the faithful in European countries.
And he implies in the course of this interview which was posted online at the end of last week that Russians are likely to respond as Europeans have, not only restricting immigration and tightening government control over Muslim organizations of all kinds but also becoming more self-conscious of their own national, religious and cultural identities.
Asked whether what is taking place in Europe now represents a kind of Crusade in reverse, an effort by Muslims to do to Christians what Christians once tried to do to them, Ignatenko said he would prefer describe what is taking place as "the Muslim mastering ["osvoyenie"] of Europe." Read more ...
Source: Georgian Daily
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