Yesterday’s statement by the head of the Council of Ulema of the Russian DUM, Shamil Alyautdinov, in connection with the latest repressions against Muslims had a significant resonance among our readers, but today it is time to ask: what was it? Is it yet another «random» repression against an individual, albeit a high-ranking Muslim, or are there systemic processes that are forcing the Russian DUM to react? Perhaps it is worth considering this event along with a number of other «coincidences».
For example, with the fact that the leaders of the Russian DUM were mistakenly included in the list of victims of Stalinist repressions in the credits of the anti-Tatar and anti-Muslim series «Zuleikha», which is currently being premiered. Or with the new interview with the main ideologist of state Islamophobia in Russia, Roman Silantyev, which he gave the day before. In it he talks about prominent representatives of the Russian Muslim community on the basis of their loyalty or disloyalty to the Russian authorities.
He says: «There is another moment: if Tadjuddin, Krganov and Berdiev consistently stand for traditional Islam and good relations with the authorities and the Orthodox, while Ashirov, former muftis Muhammad Karachay and Ali Evteev, followers of the sect of ‘crooked Satanists’ Gaidar and Orkhan Dzhemal consistently oppose it, then Mukhetdinov adheres to the policy of ‘ours and yours’. It is not surprising that this twisted, fat, devilish creature calls the deceased, but still bothering him Gaidar and Orkhan Dzhemal «crooked Satanists» — the «Islamic scholar» once again demonstrates his level of culture and debate, about which no one had any doubt. Equally significant is the fact that, unlike Damir Mukhetdinov, to whom we will return later, whom he portrays as balancing between the authorities and the opposition, he portrays Sheikh Muhammad Karachay and Ali Evteev as unequivocal enemies of the authorities (and the Orthodox as well). However, as far as we know, both of them try to distance themselves from overt oppositional rhetoric and activities and maintain neutrality. But apparently the fact that they do not speak in favor of the authorities, according to Silantyev, is enough to classify them as enemies.
The passage in which the fake doctor Silantyev talks about plagiarism in the dissertation of the aforementioned Mukhetdinov is frankly amusing — and this after he was caught plagiarizing 97% of his own dissertation (https://golosislama.com/news.php?id=29871).
The fake professor brags about his knowledge of quotes from Guy Ritchie’s movies, but reading his words, you can’t help but remember a much less sophisticated movie — «Dumb and Dumber». Anyway, let’s get back to the main topic.
It is clear from Silantyev’s argumentation that his main target has always been his «old love» — the Council of Muftis of Russia (SMR) or, as it is increasingly called, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia. At the same time, he does not hide the fact that he no longer takes its outgoing leader, Ravil Gainutdin, seriously and is clearly focusing his efforts on his potential young successors. The most attention is paid to Damir Mukhetdinov, for whom a number of objectively weak points are exploited, which in fact make it impossible for him to receive support from broad sections of the Muslim community and thus diminish his chances of becoming a new «pan-Russian Muslim leader,» even nominally like his current superior.
It is interesting, however, what Silantyev alludes to and what he does not openly discuss. It is clear that by lobbying for his creatures like Tadjuddin, Krganov, and others, he is concerned about how to neutralize the young potential successors of Ravil Gainutdin in SMR-DUM Russia. Publicly, the emphasis is on Damir Mukhetdinov, but for some reason more promising young potential successors remain in the background. And these are, of course, the Alyautdinov brothers — Ildar and Shamil, who have also risen to prominent positions in the SMR in recent years, one as the head of its Moscow branch (DUM of Moscow) and the other as the head of the Union of Ulema of the DUM of Russia. Just like the problems that began last year for Ildar Alyautdinov and his DUMM, about which we wrote (https://golosislama.com/news.php?id=37088). Gabdrahaman Naumov, who was recently arrested, was a classmate of Shamil Alyautdinov and a member of the Council of Ulema of the Russian DUM led by him, essentially his team.
In other words, we can see that while the Islamophobic group, with Silantyev as its mouthpiece, is mainly dealing informational and bureaucratic blows to Damir Mukhetdinov, it is increasingly targeting Gainutdin’s more promising and thus undesirable successors — the Alyautdinov brothers — and here it is appropriate to agree with the disrespected Roman Silantyev that the era of «ours and yours» politics is over and to ask his victims in the SMR-DUM Russia if they understand this? Russian Muslim oppositionists warned as early as 2012, after Vladimir Putin’s return for a third term, supported by the leadership of the SMR, that this support would not help them and that the issue with the SMR, which is a thorn in the side of the ideologues of state Islamophobia, would still be resolved. (http://www.portal-credo.ru/site/?act=fresh&id=1396)
Yesterday’s emotional speech by Shamil Alyautdinov gives cautious hope that they are beginning to understand this, but it takes more than recognition — it’s time to draw the right conclusions. No matter how hard you try to fit into this regime on the rights of «the light of Tatar theology,» you will not be allowed to do so — the places are occupied by proven personnel and ideological Black Hundreds like Krganov, Tadjuddin, and others. And what’s the point of striving for it when the regime has already begun to collapse along with oil prices? Their only chance is to turn to the millions of Muslims in the country who are waiting for those who will not serve the authorities but demand their rights from them, as more and more Russians are beginning to do, and who are rapidly becoming disillusioned with this government.
The pro-regime ideologues continue to take revenge after many years on the SMR for daring to be what it had long ceased to be — the center of attraction for such bright imams and preachers who were a thorn in the side of the authorities and the ROC. Then they rushed to get rid of them — including the «young successors» who imagined themselves to be the «light of Tatar theology», probably thinking that without this «ballast» it would be easier for them to succeed. But it is already clear that these hopes were in vain. Under this regime, there are no prospects for any of the minimally intelligent and independent Muslim figures. In the future, such prospects can only be found in the Muslim opposition — those who do not serve any power, but represent and defend the interests of their believers, even if it means conflict with that power.
Once upon a time, the SMR could have been the center of such opposition. Now, if you do not want to remain on the overturned page of history, but want to enter its new chapter, you must try hard to correct your mistakes and earn this right.