Islamic reformation in Northern Caucasus triggers scientists' debates

The ongoing processes in Northern Caucasus are similar to those that took place during the Reformation, Irina Starodubrovskaya, the head of the scientific direction "Political Economy and Regional Development" of the Gaidar Institute, has stated at a conference in Moscow. Supporters of various trends of Islam are able to overcome their differences; and the Islamic globalization will be an answer to the Western globalization, Akhmed Yarlykapov, a Senior Fellow at the Centre of Caucasian Problems of the MGIMO, opposes this opinion.

The conference was held on December 6 at the Institute of Economic Policy named after Yegor Gaidar, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

According to Ms Starodubrovskaya, the driving force of modernization in the Muslim Dagestan may be those who may be treated as fundamentalists. She suggested not using the term "Salafis", which is applied to all groups of "non-traditional Muslims".

Akhmed Yarlykapov has criticised this concept, pointing to systemic differences of Islam and Christianity.

Evgeny Varshaver and Egor Lazarev, employees of the Gaidar Institute, have summed up that a fair amount of value orientations of Dagestani Muslims are universal and irrespective of the age or religious affiliation.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.