Infiltration and expansion of

Wahhabism in the North Caucasus

after 1992

Iuliana Oprea

University of Bucharest1

Faculty of Political Science, Security Studies

department

Introduction

North Caucasus has become known over the time due to ethno-

political conflict that took place between the Russian

Federation and this region. Underlying causes of conflicts are

separatist nature, religious extremism, territorial disputes,

and cases related to military operations or terror acts. In

general, these processes are related to socio-economic

contradiction and cultural and political transformations that

took place throughout the Russian Federation1.

The revival of Islam in the North Caucasus region has got

another dimension by entering extremist elements of Wahhabism,

which are out of religious and traditional spirit of Islam and

did not comply spirit that defined those people. Often, the

1 Julie, WILHELMSEN; Erika, FATLAND (ed), Chechen Scholars on Chechnya, Norwegian Institute of Foreign Affairs, Oslo, 2010, p.63.

2

followers of Wahhabism and Salafism were accused of illegal

practices and accused that they have forgotten their origins2.

How traditional Islam worked in the North Caucasus

To understand the changes that have been made with the

penetration of Wahhabism in the North Caucasus region, first

should be presented the situation of traditional Islamic

society and how it worked. Thus, the majority of Muslims from

southern Russian Federation are Sunni, following the Shafi and

Hanafi schools of Islamic law. In some regions, however,

nowadays Islam is characterized by Sufism, but also throughout

history. Thus, due to different periods in which Islam spread,

but also because of the steps it has developed in this region,

it formed a true religious mosaic.

One first example of this is Dagestan, the Islamization process

was linked to the Arab conquest campaigns from the middle of

the eighth to the tenth century. According to historical

writings, Arabians enslaved Dagestan populations by force and

bloodshed on the one hand, and peacefully after their

conversion to Islam on the other hand. This process of

converting the population of Dagestan was held in five phases

during X-XVI centuries and it is related to the actions of

local missionaries3.

2 Ibid., p. 63.3 Ibid., p. 65.

3

Chechnya’s case is different, being likened to that of

Ingushetia, their people adopted Islam later than Dagestan, at

the end of the eighteenth century. The way in which Islam

succeeded to enter through these territories is also different

one. Russian army captain, Umalat Laudayev claims that the

Chechens adopted Islam from neighboring tribes of Dagestan,

through Muslim preachers. Sufi tradition of Islam in

northeastern Caucasus was represented by three classifications

- the Naqshbandiyah, Qadiriyah and Shazaliyah, each one was

based on different ideas and theoretical sources, the

fulfillment of rituals are also different4.

Going back to the time before the spread of extremist

conception of Islam in the North Caucasus, the situation in the

second half of 1991 is represented by the crisis between

Chechnya and Ingushetia . In those circumstances, a large part

of Sufi brotherhood was involved in the political struggle of

the country. The leader of the National Congress of Chechnya,

Dudayev Djokhar along with his supporters, took advantage of

the August coup that took place in Moscow, fighting for taking

control over the Chechen territory5.

Of course, they needed the help of population, drawing on their

side Sheikh Kunta-Hajji and his deputy. Even if Dudayev

declared that he is an atheist to receive influence and support

from Sufi brotherhood, he announced that he was part of the

Kunta-hajji brotherhood. Following the takeover of the power,

Dudayev’s regime was established, and several leaders of

4 Ibid., p. 65.5 Ibid., p. 68.

4

Qadiriyah’s brotherhood dominated politics and religion areas.

They have shown in the same time their support for Dudayev in

his actions to gain the independence of Chechnya.

The followers of Sufism in Dagestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia

are Sunni Muslims who respect the fundamental doctrine of

Islam, being the closest to the Sufi tradition. Through their

practices, they revere teachers, sheikhs, or even whispered an

aloud prayer, organize pilgrimages to the tombs of saints and

many such habits. Due ethno-cultural characteristics, Islam in

the North Caucasus acquired its own peculiarities, as defined

by freedom and tolerance towards other faiths.

Immediately after the end of 1980s, tensions in the region have

escalated due to the entering of a new religious doctrine,

represented by a pronounced political nature. This doctrine was

known among the region's Muslim clerics as "Wahhabism", an

offensive name among followers of this trend. They presented

themselves as Muslims, advocates of "pure" Islam and of a

religious establishment, and their role was to rebuild the true

Islam of the Prophet Muhammad and the Four Rightly Guided

Caliphs6.

They had to purify traditional Islam which has been made at

local level for all pagan elements that distorted this

religion, but also to eliminate errors caused by Sufis. In

order to begin this process of purification of Islam in the

North Caucasus, religious followers wanted the implementation

of new current of Islamic law, "sharia" in all socio-cultural

6 Ibid., p. 70.5

reality belonged to Muslims. In the opinion of some

researchers, these activities were known as Salafism, others

believing that this term is rather used to characterize the

neo-Wahhabism7. This phenomenon brought a new perception of

Islam among Muslims in the North Caucasus, including Chechnya,

whose organizations and social structures could be identified,

mainly by the existence of Sufi Brotherhoods8.

In popular Islam, ethnic components are more entrenched than

religious ones, thus the believer faces with this dilemma,

wondering whether if he is a Muslim or simply a representative

of his nation. This problem has become even more important

during clashes between supporters of neo-Wahhabi Islam and

traditional Islam. For neo-Wahhabists, the religion was the one

that appeared long before the appeareance of ethnic ties

between families. On the other hand, traditionalists consider

radical behaviors as a threat to their spiritual and cultural

foundations9.

Another problem found in the North Caucasus is inevitable

confrontation between Muslim youth and the older generation.

This older generation is declaring itself the defender of

traditional Islam. Members of the younger generation expressed

their criticism against the traditional religion, calling for a

return to pure Islam of the Prophet Muhammad, religion which

was practiced during his life. They were categorized as

belonging to Jamatist or Wahhabi groups led by local leaders or

7 Ibid., p. 70.8 Ibid., p. 70-71.9 Ibid., p. 75.

6

foreign emirs, opposing not only to traditional Islam, but also

to secular authorities.

Because of this opposition, the young rebel groups were

persecuted by the armed forces and constraint agencies and

security services have started a campaign to eliminate

Wahhabism, organizing a major hunting in the North Caucasus for

such individuals accused of anti- national and terrorism

acts10. This conflict for revival the Islam in Russia has

characterized the late twentieth century and early twenty-first

century11. Safety and stability could be achieved not by force,

but through the use of dialogue.

The classification of the divisions of Islam in the Caucasus

was made between traditionalism followers and supporters of

fundamentalism. This division has examined the main processes

that took place in the region, the contradiction between Sufis

and Wahhabi followers, simplifying in the same time social

interaction along Muslims, suggesting homogeneity within each

category. In these circumstances, Sufi brotherhoods assumed the

role of the traditional order defenders while the reformers

wanted to change not only the religious structure, but also

social one. Thus, the elements which defined traditionalists

were freedom and existence of a tolerant Islamic religion,

while a return to the strict religion and fundamentalism

characterized terrorist Wahhabists, representing a real threat

10 Ibid., p. 76.11 Ibid., p. 76-77.

7

to the already social and political unstable situation from

Caucasus12.

The emergence of Wahhabism in the North Caucasus and

its threats

Wahhabism in the North Caucasus was represented by a special

phenomenon, with political and religious consequences. It is a

form of regional Salafism, which aims at retrieving the

guidance of Muslims to pure Islam which was practicing during

the Prophet Muhammad and the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs.

Wahhabi doctrine claimed that it can fulfill its purpose by

removing local traditional Islam and by eliminating any source

of pagan beliefs, which over time have distorted the true

religion of Muslims. They also considered the followers of

Sufism as heretics.

Important is the source from which Wahhabsm appeared and

expanded in the North Caucasus, with a focus on perestroika and

glasnost reforms that have contributed to the weakening of

communist ideology, enabling a gradual process of "re-

Islamization"13. In this way, religious centers and schools

have profited at the time of recurrence of success anywhere,

12 Wiktor, DOBROSLAWA, „Competing Islamic Traditions in the Caucasus”,Caucasia Review of International Affairs, http://www.cria-online.org/6_6.html, accesson 28.12.2014.

13 Julie, WILHELMSEN; Erika, FATLAND (ed), Chechen Scholars on Chechnya, NorwegianInstitute of Foreign Affairs, Oslo, 2010, p. 77.

8

Muslim clerics began to become more involved in political and

religious activities and religious literature on the topic

appeared again.

Protests in Chechnya have been a great concern of Russia,

regarding to a possible independence of this region, the threat

referring to the dismantle of entire North Caucasus. This would

allow the creation of an Islamic state, which should be part of

Chechnya and Dagestan14. At that time, the destabilized

situation from the region became a special interest in

international and regional actors, preventing Islamic military

revolts and the emergence of an Islamic-oriented government,

the main goals of Russia and the West15.

In this context, there is a fear caused by the promotion of so-

called development model of Turkey, which was well-known

western model of liberal democracy. This model was a complete

contradiction of the model presented by Iran. There was a

probability for adopting this model as an alternative to

Islamic model which was meant to be changed in the North

Caucasus region. After the Turkish model was not successful and

it was not adopted by the population, there was another

concern, the danger that Russia would regain the power - after

this situations - was perceived as being a lesser evil than the

implementations of the Turkish model16.

During demonstrations of Muslims in the cities of Makhachkala,

Grozny, Karachayevsk, the preachers were criticizing the14 Mustafa, AYDIN, New Geopolitics of Central Asia and the Caucasus.Causes of Instability and Predicament, Center for Strategic Research, Ankara, June 2000, p. 22.15 Ibid., p. 24.16 Ibid., p. 24.

9

secular society which escaped from divine laws, requiring to

Muslim population to live strict under the Islamic law. Islamic

representatives of Renaissance Party advocated in Lenin Square,

in the early 1990s for considering the Qur'an as the

Constitution for all Muslims17.

Revival of Islam in the North Caucasus was accompanied by the

establishment of several religious parties and the organization

of movements for defending the interests of the Muslim

religion. Branches of Islamic Renaissance Party, founded in

1990 in Astrakhan, began to appear in Dagestan, Chechnya and

other regions of the Soviet Union. Muslim cleric

traditionalists understood the members of this party as Wahhabi

because of they were advocated against the cult of saints.

On the other hand, non-traditionalists accused clergy officials

of support for the corrupt regime, failing in winning the

rights of Muslims and respecting the principles of Islamic

justice. Islamic Renaissance Party was the only organization in

the entire Soviet Union that clearly states the rights of

Muslims and their position in society18.

The fall of the Soviet Union due to the weakness of communist

ideology, brought by itself the necessity of some other

doctrine to replace the void left behind by communism which was

the main doctrine for decades. The new power represented by

Islam was characterized by radical and extremist tendencies. It

was adopted especially in the North Caucasus region. This new17 Julie, WILHELMSEN; Erika, FATLAND (ed), Chechen Scholars on Chechnya, NorwegianInstitute of Foreign Affairs, Oslo, 2010, p. 77.

18 Ibid., p. 78.10

theory has been widely banished by the Muslim clergy

representatives in the region, ending the fight by dividing the

Muslim community in several groups.

After the 1991 coup, Djokhar Dudayev took power in Soviet

Socialist Autonomous Republic of Ingushetia and Chechnya. In

that context, independent Chechnyan supporters have

strengthened their positions in the administration of the new

republic. Most of them fell under the influence of religious

and political radicalism and extremism promoted by Wahabists19.

Since 1992, their actions took an ideological amplitude, and

later acquired a political and military character. In that

region, S. Markedonov supported the traditionally Islamic view

which was seen as a religion of rituals, religion which put

more emphasis on the connection created between people and

Allah, religion combated by the radical Islam that emphasizes

fairness plus how and where should take place the prayers.

Extremists believed in the idea of a monotheistic religion and

rejected the worship of saints, saying that between believer

and God should not be any intermediary. What they claimed was

really true in Islam, Allah is the only one that any Muslim

must pray directly to, He have no intermediate. North Caucasus

Muslims know this very well, but because of cultural

connections that have occurred over time between them and

Christian populations, they started to celebrate the same days

dedicated to Orthodox saints as their compatriots, only for

social and cultural reasons. Therefore, Wahhabism has become an

19 Ibid., p. 79.11

alternative to traditional Islam with its own ideology, with

its lifestyle and its own behavior patterns.

Starting with the first war from Chechnya in December of 1994,

the religion began to be more addressed to the general public.

The war radicalized Islam in Chechnya, its population taking

part in military commitments to defend the villages, cities and

republic against federal forces which have intervened in that

area. Chechens received also help from Arab mercenaries.

In 1995, at the recommendation of Dudayev, Akhmad Kadyrov was

named “mufti” in the south of Shato city, having the function

to interpret Islamic law; later he became president of

Chechnya. After the war, the Chechen secular courts were

abolished by the president from that time, Zelimkhan

Yandarbiev, in October 1996, replacing them with the Ichkerian

Supreme Court of Sharia (Islamic law). For several years, many

civil and criminal disputes were discussed in such courts20.

The postwar period was also characterized by an intense

Islamization of social and cultural nation’s life. However, in

society in general, there was a special incapability for such

major changes imposed by the new rules and by the measures

taken under Islamic law across the nation. These changes have

required the adoption and implementation of Islamic law which

had no positive impact for Chechen population, but only served

to strengthen the contradiction between traditional culture and

Wahhabi strict adherence to Sharia21.20 Ibid., p. 80.21 Ibid., p. 80.

12

In these circumstances, all those who were part of traditional

Islam supporters, were thrown from the edge of public life,

enhancing their negative feelings towards wahhabists, trying to

compromise their true faith using the influence they had

acquired. The authorities of Ichkeria, seeing the

traditionalists oposition toward this subject, have formed a

new radical clergy composed only by those who had anti-Russians

feeling. The elements of Wahhabism in the North Caucasus,

mostly their ideology and their activities, were directly in

contradiction with the principles of religious brotherhoods,

making them to mobilize traditionalist clergy against

Wahhabists, generating a large Islamic conflict22.

One of the goals of religious extremists was to create an

Islamic state that should be part of Ichkeria and Dagestan,

seeking the establishment of a Caucasian caliphate. In order to

achieve their purpose, they use betrayal, fraud and criminal

acts against Chechens. Only six months after Aslan Maskhadov

introduced the Islamic law in the Chechen administration, on 2

August 1999, Khattab armed troops invaded the mountainous area

of Dagestan. Islamic opposition in Dagestan announced the

creation of the Islamic Republic of Dagestan, the choice of the

Supreme Islamic Shura of Dagestan and the formation of a

government led by Siradjin Ramazov23. It was clear that he

wanted the seizure of power in the country, continuing the

release through the mountainous region of Dagestan, calling

22 Ibid., p. 80.23 Ibid., p. 81.

13

this action "jihad" in order to release all Dagestan, and then

the entire North Caucasus.

What is Jihad? Is this a holy war as most of the international

community believe? Well, it certainly is not a holy war! Jihad

should not be misunderstood as a holy war, this concept does

not exist in Islam. The Qur'an does not specify anything about

the definition of jihad as a holy war, therefore, the real

definition is absent in classical Islamic doctrine. Jihad is a

foreign concept, inoculated by leading crusaders of the "holy

war" against "infidels" Muslims. Jihad is a tool used to impose

Islam by force, as common people know.

On the contrary, "Jihad should never be seen as an expansionist

movement, the concept was meant to strive, although, from

historically perception, even today, some Muslims interpreted

it as such of this thing. This distortion of the moral

character of the jihad concept is in total contradiction with

authentic Islamic ideologies. Jihad is, in all its grandeur,

the noble effort to improve your soul, family, community,

nationality, world24. Jihad, for example, can refer to a mother

during her pregnancy, birth and growth of his own child; it

also represents years of hard work of a student who strives in

completing his education; represents the sacrifice exhibited by

firefighters when they risk their lives to save others; it is

showing courage in army on the battlefield to defend life,

country, freedom and faith of the other citizens25.

24 AMR Team„Jihadul – Striving for peace. Is jihad a holy war?”, Islam RomaniaMultimedia, http://islamromania.ro/, http://jihadul.blogspot.ro/, accessed on 1.12.2014.25 Ibid.

14

Conflicts between religious tradition and innovation

supporters

Returning to Wahhabism in the North Caucasus, following

grievances coming from the great mass of the population, as

well as from religious extremists on Dagestan government

corruption, Dagestan wahhabists established a Muslim enclave

village in Kadar zone. In this area, Sharia has been introduced

and used to deter theft, alcohol consumption and other immoral

behaviors, it was also represented a form of protest against

corruption and all acts committed for degradation of secular

society. There were constant disputes between officials and

religious extremists authorities from time to time ending with

bloodshed26.

Traditionalist Muslim Brotherhoods have avoided confrontations

with Wahhabists, keeping Islamic law until August of 1999.

Wahhabists riots among the population by forcing women who did

not respect rules imposed by Islamic law to not use local26 Julie, WILHELMSEN; Erika, FATLAND (ed), Chechen Scholars on Chechnya, NorwegianInstitute of Foreign Affairs, Oslo, 2010, p. 77.25.

15

buses. Wahhabi representatives could be easily recognized

through physical aspect: long hair and long beards, trimmed

short mustaches and trousers. These things were not accepted by

followers of traditional Islam, who kept their normal

appeareance, both physically and morally. Wahhabi reforms were

perceived negatively by Islamic traditionalists, they become

sources of local jokes. E.F. Kisriyev said that "Wahhabism in

Dagestan was planned to be seen as a reformer and modernist

Islam."27

Local Wahhabists declared an endless jihad against all infidels

who proved to not respect traditional law imposed in the North

Caucasus. In that region, Islam took shape based on ethno-

cultural characteristics. Due to these differences, it turned

out that the war between Islamic traditionalists and Wahhabi

did not start only due to political and theological

confrontation, but this conflict was placed also on behalf of

differences between social and cultural attitudes28. However,

Wahhabists tried to convince Chechen women to wear headscarves

but without success, women refused to cover their faces,

keeping their traditional port.

Since 1997, murders of more than twenty religious teachers were

blamed on Chechen Wahhabi activities. Moreover, they were

killed in the most cruel way, everyone was tortured to death in

front of their families. Among the crimes committed by Wahhabi

27 Ibid., p. 81.28 Ibid., p. 83.

16

there were included: burned homes and executions of people

and innocent children. Kisriyev argues that Wahhabist believers

killed so many Muslim believers even if they shown their faith

by reciting verses from Qur’an29.

Here comes a contradiction between Islamic principles and what

Wahhabists advocated. Even if they consider themselves the most

strict Muslim believers, respecting everything written in the

Holy Book, they proved themselves to ignore Islamic Doctrine by

crimes committed. By killing innocent people, by destroying

their houses and other such actions, according to the Qur'an,

Wahhabists are considered to be out of Islam. In the same

category are also all members of Islamic State, particularly

because of their actions against Christians, but also against

Muslims, resulting in thousands of deaths. In these cases, the

true Muslim community do not consider them part of the same

religion because of logical reasons.

The Qur'an do not say anything about this subjugation of non-

Muslim peoples. Instead, the Holy Book presents Christians and

Jews as the closest and most accepted religions of the Islamic

religion. They believe in the existence of God, in comparison

with other religions characterized by the faith in animals or

other strange things. Also, the Qur'an reveales that Muslims

could live together in harmony with Jews and Christians, the

Ottoman Empire offering a good example of this.

29 Ibid., p. 84.17

Muslim nations wanted only to spread their religion, this thing

could be possible only by building mosques in the lands they

passed through, starting conflicts only if such of requests

for build mosques was forbidden after exhausting all peaceful

means of communication. International perception nowadays is

totally different, unfortunately, because of cultural reasons,

non-Muslim people misunderstand the underlying principles of

true religion of Islam. However, in present, Islam is used in a

negative way, unfortunately, because people who consider

themselves Muslim use this only to gain different political,

social or territorial objectives.

Actions for stopping religious extremism

Many terrorist acts in the North Caucasus have been blamed on

extremist activities belonging to the Wahhabi or Jamatist

groups for one reason. The authorities had to deal with the

need to develop ways to control the activities of neo-Wahhabi

ideology. Through various legislative measures, propaganda and

some technological arsenal for blocking actions Wahhabi, was

supported by officials traditionalist clergy.

Thus, Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia and the Republic of

Karachay-Cherkessia, executive and representative bodies have

passed laws banning extremist Wahhabi activities. They were

formed special police units prepared to defend these laws,

acting for rejecting radical and extremist activities,

preventing the terrorist threat. Currently, these units still

18

exist in Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan and other republics of

the North Caucasus30.

Deep revival of Islam in the North Caucasus was found not only

in building mosques or religious schools. Spiritual education

of adolescents and adults faced a reducing of criticism against

traditionalists accused by removal of the needs of believers in

youth issues and other such matter. Two conferences were

planned as part of the International Forum for Peace and

Reconciliation in 2007 in Gudermes and in 2008 in Grozny. The

subject discussed in these meetings was about "Islam, as

religion of peace and construction."31 This forum has

particular importance for Muslims and non-Muslims in Chechnya

in the North Caucasus, but also throughout Russia.

Those who gave speeches focused on peace-loving people and the

creative role of Islam, condemning the activities of radical

extremists found under the cloak of religious slogans and

talking about the need for dialogue between believers of

different faiths.32 Also speeches highlighted the role played

by traditionalists in establishing peace and creating harmony

in society. On the other hand, lectures severely criticized

violence and terror caused by extremists and radicals in the

North Caucasus.33

30 Ibid., p. 84.31 Ibid., p. 85.32 Ibid., p. 85.33 Ibid., p. 85.

19

At the end of meetings, a resolution was adopted and adressed

to President Putin, leaders of the international community, and

religious representatives, calling for help to strengthen peace

in the world, to eliminate conflicts and poverty and to solve

problems related to human survival. The resolution emphasized

the consideration of Islam as an ally of the entire global

community, helping to solve these problems. Following this

conference, the Muslims of the Chechen Republic, together with

representatives of political representatives of the clergy

helped to restore the country's economy and social

infrastructure and revitalize the spiritual foundations of the

Chechen nation.

Sultan Mirzayev wanted to thank President Kadyrov for the

support offered for the revival of traditional Islam and the

construction of three hundred mosques in a very short period of

time, also so many important buildings for the Islamic

Institute and over twenty medrese. At the same time, the

cemeteries and ziarets were rebuilt, as well as major roads. In

Grozny, the largest mosque in Europe is under construction at

the moment and Spiritual Directorate of Muslims Chechen

Republic and the Islamic Library were almost finished. 34

The meeting between President Kadyrov and the King of Saudi

Arabia which was held in late October of 2007, in Mecca, ended

with the monarch approvement for the measures taken by the

President against religious radicals, saying that it was his

responsibility to combat extremism and terrorism and to34 Ibid., p. 85-86.

20

restore security in the Chechen Republic. In 2009 he opened an

Islamic complex in downtown Grozny, which included the Central

Mosque and Russian Islamic University, in the opening ceremony

also taking part representatives of Jordan, Syria, Turkey,

Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries.35

In his speech, the prime minister at that time, Vladimir Putin,

would like to stress the importance of that event for social

and spiritual life of Russia and the need for education and

training Muslim clergy according to traditional values, which

can cope with extremists manifests. Currently, the Islamic

University has a number of not less than two hundred students,

who are trained in the basics of Islamic traditionalism values

of the whole North Caucasus.

Conclusions

The emergence of Islamic radicalism and extremism in the North

Caucasus is linked to the political development of Wahhabism,

which is clearly determined by the transition from a socio-

political party to another, within the same region. This

transition was marked by the disappearance of the communist

ideology, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the start of

democratic change, political-administrative system in Russia is

one newly formed weak36.

35 Ibid., p. 86.36 Ibid., p. 86.

21

Another defining element for Islam in the North Caucasus,

including Chechnya, is the symbol of the two traditions, one

Muslim and one based on ethnic criteria. General

characterization of local Islamic faith must take into account

and linked it with popular cultural values and traditions that

are part of Sufism, functioning of brothers and custom

compliance. These are the main pillars of the spiritual culture

of each nation and determines the political and religious

situation of each society.

During political instability in the North Caucasus, Wahhabi

have tried to establish a Caucasian caliphate through terrorism

and armed resistance. Representatives have shown that

traditional Islam are defending the territorial integrity of

Russia and took measures to stop the threat coming from the

camp of political and religious opponents. Religious extremists

did not accept pro-Russian policies that prevented them to take

their grand plans to the end, which included the imposition of

Islamic law and the establishment of an Islamic Caliphate in

the whole region. They had established close links with Osama

bin Laden, which finance each project to make their

strategically located point from Chechnya in the heart of

Russia. Chechnya became a center of international terrorism37.

Revival of Islam still underway in the North Caucasus,

particularly in contemporary Chechnya, it is a complex process

that includes several aspects. It combines a clear tendency for

peace, harmony and constructive work within society along with37 Ibid., p. 87.

22

opposition forces that tend towards a different direction38.

These forces lead to a sure conflict, violence and political

and social destabilization in the region, as it can be observed

from the activities of so-called Wahhabi. Thanks to measures

implemented by federal authorities of the North Caucasus and to

the contempt shown by the region's population to terrorist acts

of extremists, this trend is declining.39

Wahhabism directly criticized human degradation, social

irresponsibility and corruption and religious political

parties, finding an audience eager to be part of this group in

the unlucky population from mountain villages. Expanding that

Wahhabism can be seen as a product of Western influences,

wanting to avoid the excess of modernization found in the West.

However, Wahhabism offered answers for the critical social

situations resulted from the transition problems they faced.40

Firstly, what will help in the future to destroy this danger

will be religious culture development, followed by freedom of

belief, the need for aid against forms of society participation

radicalism and extremism. Also it will be used to create the

rule of law and civil rights to help democratic change.

Finally, after the threat will disappear in Chechnya, economic

issues related to the high unemployment rate will disappear,

improving the quality of life.41

38 Ibid., p. 87.39 Ibid., p. 88.40 Robert Bruce, WARE, „Why Wahhabism Went Wrong in Dagestan”, Central Asia –Caucasus Institute. Analyst, http://old.cacianalyst.org/?q=node/269, access on22.12.2014.41 Ibid., p. 88.

23

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24

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