CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VOLUME VII (1, 2) Contemporary-Eurasia-3new | Página 77

LIANA HAYRAPETYAN
the religiosity of the population, the number of mosques has increased,
the majority of Tatar Muslims are not actively practicing Islam. They
mostly go to mosques on Fridays, on the other days the mosques are gen-
erally empty. As one of the experts mentioned Islam has become a “fash-
ion” in Tatarstan.
Simultaneously, in Tatarstan, the radicals are becoming more active.
According to the experts, 2% of Tatar Muslims are Wahhabi. Though
some of them have left the region, others are under arrest, however, there
are still hiding Wahhabis. Moreover, two experts mentioned that there are
Wahhabi leaders who enjoy the support of local state offi cials. For exam-
ple, head of a district may support the imam who is Wahhabi, he express-
es sympathy, protects him, and the imam uses such support and expends
the base of his followers. Now the authorities try to prevent such actions.
The appearance of radical groups in Tatarstan according to the experts
can be connected with the economic situation of the region. As a rule,
when there is a poverty people are moving towards the religion. In Ta-
tarstan the economic situation is stable. Also, two experts mention that
high urbanization of the region does not give an opportunity to radicals
to fi nd places for hiding. However, there are factors that contribute to the
radicalization. One of the experts mentions that there are quite serious
transformations of Islamic communities, such as erosion of values, trans-
formation of family institutions and inter-punctual relations. Radicaliza-
tion of the Islamic communities is the reaction to these transformations. If
traditionalists focus on preserving the established values without an open
confl ict with the emerging system, radicals insist on a coordinated break-
down of the emerging modernity. An important factor which, according
to three experts, cannot be ruled out is the factor of ‘individuals.’ Radi-
calism in Tatarstan is not a mass phenomenon, radicals are separate indi-
viduals and one expert is inclined to the view that radicalization is often a
phenomenon of self-realization.
One of the experts holds a diff erent view. According to him, there are
no radicals in the region. The terror attacks which have been in the ter-
ritory of Tatarstan are done by criminals, who use Wahhabism as cover.
Even the video of “Mujahedeen of Tatarstan” he considered as fake and
unprofessionally shot. The goal of those criminals who cover themselves
as Wahhabis is to take control over the recourses and to destabilize the
region.
According to experts, local authorities, law enforcement agencies are
controlling the situation. All experts highlighted the professional job that
the law enforcement agencies are doing. Radicals are regularly caught
and imprisoned. The law enforcement bodies adopted harsh approaches
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