CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VOLUME VII (1, 2) Contemporary-Eurasia-3new

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA ation of a secular independent Tatar state, Bayamova claims independent Tatarstan as an Islamic republic and calls for a Chechen style resolute ac- tions. In 2014 Bayamova was convicted to one-year prison for inciting ethnic hatred. 35 Along with the rise of nationalism in the 1990s Wahhabism and Salaf- ism started to penetrate into the social layers of Tatarstan. “Tablighi Ja- maat” ideological movement appeared in Tatarstan in the 1990s. The followers of the movement are also known as silent Wahhabists 36 can be noticed in traditional Pakistani clothing. Though they declare that they won’t participate in socio-political life the region, they have political am- bitions – that is the establishment of a radical and uncompromising form of Islam. In Tatarstan, Tablighis can be found in Nurulla and Salikhjan mosques. Though the movement was banned in 2009, it continues its ex- istence. 37 In 2017, nine members of the movement were arrested and sen- tenced to prison, there were accused of propagandizing the creation of a caliphate. The members mostly conduct activities in mosques and various public places and try to attract as many people as possible. 38 “Hizb-ut-Tahrir al-Islam” is an international Salaﬁ movement which came to Tatarstan in 1996. The ﬁ rst emissaries came from Uzbekistan and created their own circle, which included local Tatars, of which the most famous was Rustem Saﬁ n, who later became the imam of “Al-Ikh- las” mosque. The tactic of the moment at ﬁ rst was distribution of leaﬂ ets and newspapers. Then social networks became a popular mean to spread the information. Though the movement was banned in 2003, the follow- ers continued their activities in Tatarstan. In 2006, 25 followers were de- tained of which 12 were sentenced to four to eight years in prison. They were accused of “preparing for a forcible takeover of power.” After the events of 2012, seven members were arrested including the head Rust- em Saﬁ n. That raised the outrage of the members and for the ﬁ rst time, the banned organization publicly manifested itself by organizing massive 35 36 37 38 “Tatarstan’s Outspoken Activist Gets One-Year-In-Prison Suspended Sentence,” Radio Free Europe. October 2, 2014, https://www.rferl.org/a/tatarstan-fauziya-bayramova-sentence-tri- al/26617458.html (accessed April 15, 2018). Dmitrij Katargin, “S “Tabligi Dzhamaatom” polemiziroval ubitij terroristami Valiulla Jak- upov,” (in Russian), [With “Tablighi Jamaat,” polemized Valiulla Yakupov killed by Tali- ban”], Biznes Online. October 20, 2016, https://www.business-gazeta.ru/article/326153 (ac- cessed April 15, 2018). Islam Nurly, “Dzhamaat Tablig v Tatarstane,” (in Russian), [“Jamaat Tabligh in Tatarstan”], DUMRT, December 19, 2011, http://dumrt.ru/ru/articles/mm-islam/mm-islam_1369.html (accessed April 15, 2018). Andrej Smirnov, “V Tatarstane osuzhdeny uchastniki jekstremistskoj organizacii “Tabligi dz- hamaat,” (in Russian), [“In Tatarstan, participants in the extremist organization Tablighi Ja- maat.”], Kommersant, April 4, 2017 https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3276620 (accessed April 15, 2018). 70

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