FOREIGN ISLAMIC EDUCATION AS A FACTOR OF RADICALIZATION OF RUSSIAN MUSLIMS (ON THE CASE OF THE REPUBLIC OF DAGESTAN)

Abstract

Issues of religious extremism and terrorism in regions of Russia cany both internal and external factors. A number of Russian politics, secular scholars, Islamic religious leaders consider foreign Islamic education as one of the significant external factors of radicalization of the Muslims of Russia. There also exists a contrary view. The article aims to reveal positive and negative impacts of the foreign Islamic education on the minds of the Russian Muslims in the context of Islamic confessional traditions of Dagestan; in particular, to identify whether the conclusion about such an impact is justified. Our research methods are mainly based on sociological survey among Dagestan Muslims, who took courses in foreign Islamic institutions, or privately. In addition to that, historical data on the impact of the foreign Islamic education on religious conduct in the Russian pre-soviet period has been used. The author proves that foreign education was a problematic issue for the Russian government in the pre-soviet period: the North-Caucasian Muslims would allegedly return from abroad with "potentially dangerous to the Russian sovereignty" ideas. Basing on the sociological survey of the Dagestan Muslims, who had taken courses abroad, it was revealed that almost a third of them returned home with Salafist ideas. Such extremity of ideas contradicts the dominant Sufi religious tradition of Dagestan, and is likely to create a radical Salafist activity in the region. In conclusion, the author advices to promote "trustworthy" foreign institutions, to cany out extensive work on turning Russian Muslims towards said institutions, to monitor, within the law and democratic principles, those, who depart the country on their own.