Orientalists tell about Chechnya vs. Dagestan fight for leadership in Russian Ummah

New political and ideological trends in the Russian Muslim community was the topic of Orientalists' discussion at the seminar "Caucasus in the Past and Present" held in Moscow.

The inability of the state to solve their painful problems is forcing Muslims of Northern Caucasus, in particular of Dagestan and Ingushetia, to appeal to Sharia norms in resolving their land and legal disputes. This was stated by the Orientalist Akhmet Yarlykapov in his report on the Islam in modern Russia.

Mr Yarlykapov has noted that the Islamic community in Russia is becoming increasingly mosaic due to the emergence of new religious groups, including inside various trends, in particular, inside the Salafi Islam.

He also pointed to the growing role of Islam in the legal, economic, educational and other spheres of life in the North-Eastern Caucasus.

He believes that another important trend is the rivalry of the official Spiritual Administrations of Muslims (SAMs) with informal Islamic centres.

Akhmet Yarlykapov named the SAM of Dagestan and the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, as the major fighters for leadership in the Russian Muslim community.

According to Yarlykapov, Kadyrov is the second force in the struggle for leadership among Russian Muslims, although he has not publicly declared such ambitions.