Terrorism - there is a conversation about him - taboo

In March 2017, NT published an interview with independent journalist Pavel Nikulin with a man who introduced himself as his Islamic name - Isa. He was Russian by birth, from the Kaluga region, he was a left -wing activist, a fan of the famous Russian anarchist Peter Kropotkin, was engaged in labor movement and independent trade unions - for the sake of this he went to work in Kaluga, was disappointed in the left movement, and in anarchism, and in Russian politics, he accepted Islam in the Kaluga region, and then left Fight in the ranks of one of the terrorist organizations in Syria. The interview was published in number 8 under the heading "from Kaluga - with jihad." And in early May, both The New Times and the Nwtimees.ru network edition were received by warning from the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technologies and Mass Communications (Roskomnadzor). Reasons? The material contains "signs of justification of terrorism." NT will dispute both this qualifications and warnings in the courts. Today we offer readers two points of view on this material: retired Major General Alexei Kondaurov, a former employee of the department for the fight against the fifth department of the KGB of the USSR, and the editor of the NT magazine, Ivan Davydov

Alexey Kondaurov: " He went to Syria because he was disappointed in Russian reality ." Former employee of the KGB terrorism department - NT accusation of "signs of excuses for terrorism"

I read this material with great interest and I did not find any calls for terrorist activity or the justification of terrorism in it. Moreover, Isa, a person whose journalist takes interviews in every possible way condemns ISIS terrorist activity*. As for the “Jebhat al-Nusra”*prohibited by us, this is a terrorist organization that consists of Syrians. Interest, as he says, is five percent in this organization - the Syrians are fighting and fighting, as he says, is not for the approval of Islam, but against the war, which is conducted by Syrian President Bashar al -Assad. Rather, we must say that the interviewee advocates Islamic socialism - this is so, but it has nothing to do with terrorism or its justification.

Do I need to publish such materials? I believe that it is necessary: ​​such texts work in social benefits. It is important for society and state institutions to understand the motives of people who go to Syria. Of course, different people go there for various reasons. The hero of the NT material went to fight in Syria because he was disappointed in Russian political reality. Why is it disappointed? Therefore, why many other young people: due to the lack of social elevators in Russia. He does not see in the country the opportunity for himself to engage in normal political activity, he does not see social justice, does not see how he can fight for this social justice in Russia, because all the political glade is cleaned. That's exactly why he finds an attractive idea of ​​Islamic socialism for himself. And he goes to fight in Syria against the one and those who, as he believes, does not allow this Islamic socialism to take place there.

The hero of the NT material went to fight in Syria, because he does not see the opportunity for himself to engage in normal political activity in Russia, he does not see social justice and the opportunity to fight for it. That's why he finds the idea of ​​Islamic socialism for himself an attractive

It seems to me that NT rendered a service for both society and the authorities that not only showed that people with similar sentiments live among us, but also reminded him of what the back of the political space leads to. If the country, if there are serious shocks in the country, will be provoked by youth, who does not see a life perspective - this should be understood. I repeat: the lack of social elevators plus the inability to realize their political preferences, shifted to an acute sense of social injustice - exactly this gives rise to such young guys as this Russian Isa from Kaluga. This is a phenomenon from the same series as the “Primorsky partisans” **. They showed themselves in one way, these are the other, but the nature of the phenomenon is the same. I do not exclude at all that other Russian young guys can start looking for a way out, including in the transition to Islam and in the struggle for the values ​​of Islamic socialism. By the way, the hero of the interview in NT is by no means a representative of radical Islam. He does not call for violence, he says that the struggle that his organization wages is forced: it is no coincidence that there are fifteen -year -old boys in Syria, who do not see any life prospect for themselves, they are not afraid to die. Because either they win and win, or they will die. I am afraid that a similar dilemma can face our young people - if the authorities do not change its attitude to society, to youth, in particular. And this can be changed only with the help of strengthening and developing democratic institutions. Twisting of the nuts will only lead to one - to the fact that sooner or later the thread will tear. The obstacle to the publication of materials such as “from Kaluga with jihad” - from a series of twisting of nuts.

Ivan Davydov: "Is it not interesting to deal with who is going to kill you and for what?"

The warning of Roskomnadzor is an occasion to talk about the problems and methods of combating terrorism, as well as the opportunity to once again understand whom the Russian government sees in its own citizens

The editors did not immediately make a decision on the publication of this interview - disputes and consultations with lawyers lasted several weeks: the risks were clear. In addition, even before the warning from Roskomnadzor, a letter came from the Kaluga UFSB ( see P. 13 ) with a request, among other things, “send information about the material ... indicating the author of the article,” although the text is non -anonymous, and the author’s name, of course, is printed in large letters under the heading. But in general, to be honest, the stories of journalists about the hard journalistic work and their own boundless courage are the genre, albeit fashionable in Russia, but boring and flat, and it was not worth starting a conversation about the history of one of the publications of the magazine if the topic did not hide more serious and wider.

The fight against world terrorism, our leaders assure us - the priority of Russian foreign policy. Therefore, we are fighting in Syria, for the sake of this our people die there. And our people, our fellow citizens - and several thousand of them - replenish the ranks of militants of terrorist groups. Both the president and the heads of law enforcement agencies directly and repeatedly spoke about this.

The fight against terrorism has been underway for decades, and not only by Russia. The total result is common to everyone - that the problem is clearly not solved by bombardments alone. And it is not possible to be distracted, to forget how real this problem is: the suicide bomber in the St. Petersburg metro, the killer driving a truck in Nice, Parisian arrows - they all do not give forgotten. There is no moment and there is no place in which any literally person could not turn from just a person into a sacrifice of the attack.

Many volumes have been written about social, economic, political, religious causes of terror. But our knowledge about the subject is clearly not enough, since the problem has not been solved. In this situation, any expansion of knowledge about the possible motives of terrorists is the issue of self -preservation. Not to mention the fact that we are people, curiosity - our natural passion, and is it not interesting to deal with who is going to kill you and for what?

The easiest way to see in terrorists of strangers, plunge into the atavistic world of ancient fears and not try to look for intelligible explanations for their actions. But this guy is from Kaluga, the hero of the interview of Pavel Nikulin - how side is he to us a stranger? The typical representative of the majority, an ordinary resident of the Middle Age Russia, who, by the way, as he himself says, was not prompted by publications in the opposition media, but endless stories of federal channels about the strength and power of terrorist groups prohibited in Russia. He is not a stranger, he is the same. Understanding why he found himself where he ended up is the task, gently, important.

But it is in Russia, where anti -terrorist rhetoric is the main state fashion, where foreign policy adventures and internal attacks on the rights and freedoms of citizens, in Russia, where (this is perhaps more and more important than some, is known about the terrorist attacks, an honest conversation about the causes of terrorism - under the ban - are justified by the struggle with terrorism. The nature of the ban is the same as many other prohibitions of recent times: the insulting and ridiculous distrust of the authorities to their own people. The authorities, it seems, is sincerely sure that by definition, a resident of Russia is not able to think independently and lends itself to any suggestion. Show him gay - so he will become gay, even if earlier he was interested exclusively by special sexes. And show him a terrorist-so he will certainly be attached to the militants of some organization prohibited in the territory of the Russian Federation.

Society is invited to believe that only mysterious professionals are able to protect him, but citizens are supposed to sit silently and wait for all the problems will be resolved at all, and not try to understand at least something in what is happening around. The mysterious professionals at the same time are not capable of even the name of the author of the text gained in large font in the journal on their own. Which, of course, does not add optimism to an ordinary citizen reflecting on his own security.

The nature of the ban is the same as many other prohibitions of recent times: the insulting and ridiculous distrust of the authorities to their own people. The authorities seem to be sincerely sure that by definition, a resident of Russia is not able to think independently and lends itself to any suggestions

The problem with this absurd prohibition is more important and wider than numerous problems with freedom of speech in Russia. When you are not allowed to share your thoughts - this, of course, is insulting and outrageous. But how to endure a situation in which you can be killed without metaphors, but you are even forbidden to understand? Why? To put such questions - and there is our work. Sorry, we will continue.

* “Islamic state” (IG, ISIS, Daish), “Jebhat al-Nusra”-organizations prohibited in Russia as terrorist.

** “Primorsky partisans” are called a group of young people aged 18–23, who from February to June 2010 attacked police and residents who allegedly raised hemp in Primorye. They were found guilty by the jury guilty of banditry, illegal storage of weapons, theft and robberies. In April 2014, members of the group were sentenced to different terms - from eight years to life, two years later two were released in the courtroom.

Photo: Pavel Nikulin