The vote for another UN General Assembly resolution on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has once again become a cause for speculation among politically polarized post-Soviet Muslims about the support of the Ummah or the Islamic world in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Some pointed out that key countries of the Islamic world such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, UAE, Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Jordan and Brunei voted in favor of the resolution demanding that Russia stop its aggression against Ukraine and withdraw its troops.
Others pointed out that «some countries in the Islamic world» either voted against (such as pro-Assad Syria or pro-Wagner Russian mercenaries in Mali) or abstained (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Algeria). A special category of Russian apologists can be considered those who try to «put on a brave face» by claiming that countries voting for «anti-Russian resolutions» are forced to do so in order to avoid joining «anti-Russian sanctions» (what?).
But let us try to look at things objectively and call a spade a spade. First of all, for the Islamic world as a whole, whether we like it or not, the Russian-Ukrainian war is not such a central event through which they view the events. It is perceived as a war between two non-Muslim countries, and the maximum that is usually discussed is sympathy for Muslims or those who position themselves as Muslims in this war, such as the Chechens and Crimean Tatars in one case or the Kadyrovites in another. Conversely, antipathy may be based on perceived hostility toward Muslims, such as the oppression of Muslims in one country or the proximity of Zionists and the presence of «Nazis» in another. All of this is usually not based on accurate information or serious analysis, but rather on rumor, emotion, and, to a large extent, the level of sports fans who cheer for certain teams rather than on conscious political choices.
Second, let us repeat what many do not like to hear, but it does not cease to be true. The Ummah, or the Islamic world, is not currently a unified and self-sufficient geopolitical entity, or a major player in world politics like the United States and China. It is a conglomerate of nation-states and regional powers that are caught up in the orbit of world powers and blocs and determine their positions on such issues under their influence. And it is mainly from this perspective that the voting of various Muslim countries on similar issues should be evaluated — it shows where they stand in the world clubs.
Thirdly, how to solve this problem is a separate, challenging question. But before considering it, it is necessary to understand that it is within the capabilities of political entities, first of all, and secondly, concrete rather than abstract political entities to solve it. And if we are talking about those who are currently reading this in Russian, they are most likely representatives of those Muslim peoples who are enslaved by Moscow, and without liberation from it they simply will not have any subjectivity. Or those who are still under military pressure from her side, like the post-Soviet Muslim countries, which determines their «restraint» in voting.
Therefore, our specific interest is not only that Russia loses to Ukraine in this war, especially by leaving Crimea, where our Crimean Tatar brothers and sisters are groaning under its oppression, but also that it stops being an empire that controls Muslim territories and peoples, which will allow them to gain their states and a voice in international politics.
After that, we can discuss how the Ummah and its components should conduct such a policy.