"Islamic factor" in the 2003 Elections

The independent Islamic information channel "Islam.Ru" has published a political study "Muslims in the Elections-2003".

The first part examines the experience of participation of Muslim organizations in elections during the 1990s. The authors of the study draw parallels with pre-revolutionary experience and note: "Just as in modern Russia, Muslim social and political forces sometimes tried to block with opposing currents."

In the section devoted to the situation in the current year, 2003, it is noted that "out of the 28 parties allowed to participate in the elections, only the party "True Patriots of Russia" headed by Magomed and Zaur Radjabov positions itself as an Islamic one. this party, according to the authors of the study, are doubtful: "...an attempt by the leaders of the IPR to chase two birds with one stone, Islamic and patriotic, may eventually lead to a well-known result. The likelihood of such a prospect increases in the light of the fact that the list of the party does not contain bright names known not only to the whole country, but even to all Russian Muslims, and the ideas of the party are still unfamiliar to the broad masses.

The authors also consider the attitude towards the "Islamic factor" on the part of a number of parties and associations preparing to participate in the elections: the Great Russia-Eurasian Union bloc, the Eurasia party, the Rodina Glazyev-Rogozin bloc, the Mironov-Seleznev bloc, " United Russia", "Yabloko". According to the authors of the study, "one can expect with a high degree of certainty closer to the elections, especially the presidential ones, visits of candidates for various posts in mosques, meetings with muftis, assurances and promises to solve the problems of Muslims, and so on."

In the final section of the study - "Prospects" - it is noted that "today the probability of creating a Muslim faction or even getting into the Duma at least a few deputies who are going to defend the interests of the followers of Islam in Russia is very illusory for many reasons, although the general situation, perhaps in the first once in recent years, it is quite favorable for Muslims (take, for example, the emerging turn of domestic foreign policy towards the Islamic world). However, one must still be able to use it. According to the authors of the study, the role of the "Islamic factor" in the political life of the country will increase. "Until now, there is no force in the political sky that would clearly express and be able to defend the interests of Russian Muslims," ​​but this situation must change.

Firstly, "their (Muslims - ed.) corporate interests will not be defended by anyone except themselves. The correctness of this conclusion was demonstrated by attempts to find an ally-benefactor in the person of the right, then the centrists, then the left, as a result of which Muslims invariably remained with a broken trough."

Secondly, “until now, Muslims, despite the fact that the vast majority of them are represented by indigenous peoples who have made a huge contribution to the development of the country, have no influence on the fate of the country, they are almost not represented in the elite of the state. Sooner or later this issue needs to be addressed."

Thirdly, "the success of the Islamic political organization in Russia will be facilitated by the fact that the modernization processes that destroy the traditional way of life in the Muslim environment, where collectivist values ​​have always been strong, sometimes have unexpected results. Under the pressure of globalization, collective farms are being replaced by a non-atomized society , but a network of Islamic communities, which in themselves can be a primary political organization".

There are also factors hindering development: "a negative image of Islam and Muslims", "poor awareness of Muslims themselves about their religion and disunity of leaders and communities", "little political experience of Muslim leaders and public figures, lack of a leader, coupled with a weak interest in this topic of Muslims - representatives of business structures. But despite this, "the process of the development of Islam, the political growth of Muslims in Russia, albeit with complications, but goes on. And so that in the end weeds stop growing in this field, like those who shy away from Wahhabism to Eurasianism, and edible fruits sprouted, it must be actively processed. Only then is there a prospect that Islam in Russia will acquire an adequate political dimension and sound," the authors of the study conclude.

Sources

• Political Science Study: Muslims in the 2003 Elections // Islam.Ru. 2003. October 2.