Putin is right, but it will be worse

Almost 20 million Muslims live in Russia, of which about 3 million in Moscow and the Moscow region. How they relate to bombing in Syria - found the New Times

The prayer at the Cathedral Mosque on the day of the Kurban-Bayram holiday, Moscow, September 24, 2015, see-there is a camera in the corner, and on the other side there is still-a man with Shkepper-Vakhhabitsky beard waves an indefinite hand towards the house opposite the historical mosque of Moscow on Bolshaya Tatarskaya. - The FSB will look at the record and calculate us. I can’t talk about anything. ” A tall man standing next to him in white Feske nods silently.

Pensioner Musa leaves the mosque after Zuhra (

Non -prayer. - NT ) The FSB, apparently, does not think completely calm. “As a Muslim, I am categorically against the war in Syria. And as a Russian and Patriot ... - He grins. - Well, my Ingushetia - is she in Russia? Here, as a patriot ... Russia, in short, does correctly: we must show your place in the world. And if Russia and America do not intervene, it will be very good - Muslims have imposed this conflict, it is not necessary. ”

“Thrown the Americans,” Nadirbek works at a construction site and believes that Russia should support “only civilians”. But most of all he blames the United States: “This is America against Muslims. Here is Syria, then there was another war, then another (

We are talking about operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. ). If rudely, I would have threw an atomic bomb on these Americans. ” “Such things cannot be said! Who do you say, why? " - Comrade Nadirbek pushes him into the shoulder. “I said about it, I don’t know anything for sure,” Nadirbek is afraid, and the conversation breaks off.

In the Dorogomilovsky market, the situation in Syria, Putin’s speech to the UN, the first flights of Russian aircraft are discussing warmly and in detail. Whoever you ask, even in meat rows, even in vegetables, all for the world by any means.

“If it can, let Putin help it be quiet.”

- I listened to him - he said well, said correctly at the UN: now they realized what you did, right?

- This conflict just needs to be taken and resolved. And the end. Besides Russia, no one can do anything. And then they are sitting aside, watching how people kill each other.

- How else to stop them? Fight, probably.

If not stop the IG

* , Dagestan merchants say, they will reach Russia, and everyone will be bad. If a Muslim does not support the struggle with the "Islamic state"

-This is not a Muslim, they say, this is some stupid. After all, Islam is not at all like that, but

- These are bandits, the Middle Ages and the Stone Age, and

It costs the United States. But they do not want to fight businessmen from the Caucasus and military intervention support carefully: “Contractors, if anyone wants, is normal, send it. But conscripts - no, cannot be. "

Azerbaijani Gurban, selling grenades (so far fruits, and not ammunition) in the Danilovsky market, is belligerent. Like many of his fellow countrymen, he believes that if there is a war in Syria, then with America, and not with IG

. Here in such a war it is necessary to participate: “I have two brothers here, one has two sons, the other has three. There are many more of our Azerbaijanis. If they call, everyone will go, of course. Fight Russia. This is our second homeland. ”

Among believers who left the Cathedral Mosque to Durov Street, there are also many those who approve of the war. "Islamic state"

- These are the Haridzhites (

From Arabic "left" (Muslims). ), - gloomily throws the hollow Saleh, who "is engaged in religious activities." “With them, you need to fight on the side of the state - as against the rebels.”

A student of the Moscow Islamic University (MIU) Abdula Kamaev studies in the 4th year, studies theology. It seems to him that Russia does everything right. “I watched the news how the president spoke at the UN. Russia is a world power that wants to prevent bloodshed. She can help people who suffer there is super cool, says Abdula. - Russia correctly did what I defended Islam. It will be like the liberation of Muslims from IG

".

In the Lefortovo market, the NT correspondent finally open their eyes to the life of two Dagestanian friends, Camille and Ali. They lie on a stack of carpets and thoughtfully sip electronic cigarettes.

- We believe that Putin is right, but America and England are not right. See how many people floating across the sea and how much is dying? And they would live calmly at home. At the very bottom, but at home. Thanks to whom do they run? Who bombed them? Here. 90% in Russia has such an opinion. Russia has always only saved people. But America ...

- This is not a war with Muslims, we ourselves Muslims. We have 20 million Muslims in Russia. This is a war with the bandits.

- We are for the president. Everything that the president says is very satisfied. Write down: I, Magomet Kamil Kurbanovich, the Republic of Dagestan, a true Muslim, Patriot of the Russian Federation. If necessary, I, as a former paratrooper, will fly even today. I participated twice at the Parade on Red Square.

Russia's actions are supported not only by Moscow Muslims. Chechen Mayrbek Abuezids from the Nizhny Novgorod Center "Renaissance" says that one thing is important: terrorists are evil. “There were two wars, we learned a lesson: the Ichkeri terrorists who seized power in Chechnya brought evil. My father was abducted by the militants, but returned. And my other relative could not pay off, he was shot. We must resist terrorists, support official power in Syria and protect the interests of our country. ”

The market is a suitable place not only for purchases, but also for discussing fresh news, the Domodedovsky agricultural market, July 17, 2015 all because of tyrants * Most Muslims praying in the Cathedral Mosque have already dispersed, but several dozen people gathered in small groups, they are in no hurry, they are talking, they are talking. "And what do you want to know about?" - asks the correspondent NT * a young man with a toothpick in his mouth. “Don't say anything - she is a journalist. Then your words will be printed, and they will find you, ”his companion pulls. But the young man with a toothpick does not scare, although she refuses to name the name: “I believe that if Bashara Assad is overthrown, it will be normal. This is all because of tyrants-they continue wars. Russia is climbing in vain. "

Venus is an economist, in a hurry to serve, but manages to explain that he is poorly treated in the Syrian conflict and is afraid that it will only be worse. “Putin said that under no circumstances would enter this war? He said. And after he flew to America, it turned out the opposite. Maybe the Americans put forward some conditions? " - She suggests and is frightenedly looking around: did anyone hear her bold assumption.

In the popular Moscow halal teahouse "Aiva" visitors are in no hurry and can afford to speculate.

“Russia has made the right decision, it has the right to intervene, because Muslims also live on its territory,” says entrepreneur Ruslan with conviction.

- What are you carrying! - indignantly interrupts his neighbor. - Bashar Assad - tyrant! Putin supports him, Shiita, against the "Islamic state"

!

- Is it a shis? - Ruslan pulls thoughtfully. - I heard him Alavit. They are almost like Shiites and not Muslims at all.

- Shiites are also the wrong Muslims.

“Well,” Ruslan agrees.

“Here,” his neighbor nods. “So this is the wrong decision.”

And they are together for shurpa.

Sergey is a Muslim, but Russian. Therefore, she does not want to talk about religion, only about geopolitics. He believes that in Syria there is a competition of Russia and America. “I am against the entry of troops, because the blood of Russian soldiers will spill. It is better to support with weapons or money, ”he convinces. - And if you bomb, more civilians will die, because it is unclear where ISIS

, and where is not ISIS

. This is not a war for Russia. ”

Telman Rajabov from Derbent admits that in Dagestan the majority are patriotic and supports the president’s course: what Putin wants, that Russia wants. But he believes that the country can again get into the “Afghan” story: “We get involved in the adventure. This is not quite our war. Then we also thought that we were going for a just cause.

When we now remember the dead in that war, we ask - why did they die? "

Azerbaijani Yasha from the Danilovsky market, unlike many of its fellow land, is sure that Russia should not interfere in the Syrian conflict: “It doesn’t matter, the tyrant there is not a tyrant, Shiites, Sunnis-I don’t even consider them Muslims, because they kill, that’s not the point. If Russia goes there, it will spill even more blood, believe me. Innocent people will die. ”

“We are not for anyone, we are for peace” Vice -rector for educational work of Moscow Islamic University Rais Izmailov explains that people of Islam are used to living on the principle: it is better to live a thousand years under a tyrant than one day under the troubles. And this must be understood.

“Believe me, Russian Muslims will perceive this as a fight against terrorism. Now, if a full -scale war begins, as in Afghanistan, then everything will change, he sighs. - Russia in the Islamic world is already losing the information war. When this mess began in Syria, my colleagues and I went on business trips to the Middle East. And Muslims have already been perceived as aggressors. Because Russia supported the regime of Bashar al -Assad. Because weapons come from Russia to kill Muslims. ”

Rais combines work at the university with the post of Imam: “We have 10-15 Syrian refugees from Aleppo in the mosque. They say that at first the revolution was perceived with enthusiasm. But now their hometown has turned into Stalingrad - there is nothing there. They say: “We are now neither for Bashar al -Assad, nor for IG

not for Nusru, but for the world. If only the war ends. ”

Diana al-Ahmar studies at the MIU in the second year. She is half Russian: her family lived in an Etele, a suburbs of Damascus, 13 years. They left Syria in 2012, when rallies began and “people with weapons” began to come to them. On September 30, when the Russian army inflicted the first air strikes in Syria, Diana began to pray in the family.

“We, as righteous Muslims in such cases, ask for everything to be fine, because there are our people - co -religionists, acquaintances, neighbors. When I heard about this (about air strikes. - NT ), I felt bad. I corresponded with friends. They say: “This is your position, because you live in Russia. How could this happen? " I did not know what to say. "

On Diana, a Muslim black dress, a gray scarf stabbed with needles. Tears leave black carcasses on the face.

“No one knows what will happen next. Syrians - the majority died, the rest are leaving. Friends say life continues. I can’t even imagine how, ”she sobs. “But every day they live with anxiety.”

What is the help of Russia, she does not understand. He says that most of Assad did not like-due to the corruption of the regime. Most of all she wants the war to stop. “Yes, you need to deal with these groups,” she says. - I would not want people to be killed there, because it was not in Islam. It is better that there is a government and everything is organized. What do the inhabitants of Syria think? They would like to figure it out themselves. The Syrian people will be worse relate to Russia after that. We do not need supporters from outside. ”

** ---

Reference
According to the September survey, Levada Center (conducted on September 18–21), Russian policy in Syria approves 39% of citizens, 33% is not interesting. 69% of Russians opposed the introduction of Russian troops into the country. 30% of respondents are sure that Russia, supporting Assad, protects its interests in the Middle East, 28% - which shows its independence from the West. Only 14%believe that Russia protects the population of Syria from extremists. The sympathies of Russians over the past 2 years have not changed much: if in 2013 the Bashar Assad regime was supported by 34%, then in 2015 - 36%. At the same time, 58 % of respondents believe that the Islamic State *** poses a threat to world security.

* ISIS, or IG ("Islamic State"), is prohibited in the Russian Federation as a terrorist group.

Photo: Sergey Savostyanov/TASS, Alexander Shcherbak/TASS