Alexander Matovnikov (pictured) — Russia’s representative in the Caucasus, Lieutenant General and former deputy head of the GRU, once again made it clear how the Russian authorities and law enforcement agencies view the freedom of religion proclaimed in the Constitution as a whole and those who choose Islam in particular.
«We have several alarming factors, the first is that the number of neophytes is increasing,» Matovnikov said, addressing the Orthodox and Islamic «clergy. But, apparently to soften the bitter pill for the latter, he said: «It is good for people to embrace faith, but it is important for us why they did it, whether they have true feelings or not.»
To leave no doubt that he was referring specifically to new Muslims, the head of the Russian MVD in the North Caucasus Federal District, Sergei Bachurin, said that converts «become the most motivated and fanatically inclined supporters of extremist and terrorist ideologies. It is clear that he did not mean «ethnic Muslims» who convert to Orthodoxy and then go to fight for the «Russian world» in Donbass and Syria — such «newcomers» are only welcome in Russia.
Bachurin then promised that the MVD would check what local imams were preaching, especially those who had studied abroad. It is unclear who this was meant to scare, since the activities of Islamic imams and preachers are constantly monitored by law enforcement agencies, and it is well known how this is done.
In general, it is obvious that the authorities intend to address the problem of «radicalization of Russian Muslims» with methods that will only exacerbate it — constant control over those who embrace Islam, pressure on them, essentially pushing them away from society. By their own admission, however, all of this is having the opposite effect. For example, according to Bachurin, more than a thousand neophytes were registered in the first half of this year alone. And these figures are only for one region of Russia.
«They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths. But Allah will not allow this and will complete the spread of His Light, even if the unbelievers hate it» (Translation of the Meaning of the Quran, Surah «Repentance», verse 32).»