KavkazCenter - How is the new Chechen President going to act?

How is the new Chechen President going to act?

Almost all commentators, some with alarm, others with regret, agree in opinion that after the death of Aslan Maskhadov those who are called “Islamic radicals”, “Islamists”, “Wahhabits”, etc. will have the indivisible influence in the Chechen Resistance. After Sheikh Abdul-Halim, the head of Shariah Court , came to power, this prognosis has become an accomplished fact.

The commentators (among them are people who feel empathy with our struggle) should remember some simple facts not to torment themselves with the needless alarm about “final islamization” of the Chechen Resistance.

Islam is not a “secret sect”, but one of the greatest world religions, which is confessed by more than one milliard people on all continents of the earth. Today one can hardly find a country where there are not followers of Islam. The Chechens have been confessing Islam for many centuries, therefore, the Chechen resistance, naturally, is formed of Muslims.

As it is known, in the Western and Russian propagandist literature, as well as in the articles and books written by the modern Muslim analysts confusing charisma with omelet, it is habitual to divide Islam into two trends, such as the so-called “traditional Islam” and “radical Islam”. Besides that the adherents of such division consider “traditional Islam” to be something more or less “tolerable”, while “radical Islam” is unambiguously treated as a synonym of “terrorism”, “obscurantism”, “fanaticism”, etc. However, it is not difficult to explain the difference between “traditional Islam” and “radical Islam”.

“Traditional Islam”, as a rule, adapts to such a political ideology, which dominates in the given State and which, - using the religious terminology, - is preached by the official clergy. These “traditionalist” clergymen call on the faithful “to be the slaves obedient to ant earthly power, including that which from the point of view of Islam is unambiguously treated as the satanic power, - for example, the power of idolaters, faithless communists, etc. Of course, “traditional Islam” in this “omnivorous” form is convenient for any state power, aiming to have uncomplaining and obedient nationals. Can it be wondered then the clergy having monopolized the so-called “traditional Islam” peacefully coexist with any regime, even with the one, which openly exterminates the Muslims, as it was in the USSR or in Putin's Russia .

“Radical Islam”, in its turn, preaches that Muslims should not be uncomplaining and obedient nationals of the power, which does not follow the precepts of the Almighty Creator. The faithful obedient to the laws contradicting Shariah will inevitably have to infringe the laws of the Creator. For this, he takes the risk of getting to hell that is an absolute and terrible reality for him in contrast to the atheists. Torment in hell is more distressing and painful perspective for any Muslim than all impendent hardships threatening him during his short earthly life. At the same time, “radical Islam” does not pretend to re-from the laws of Christian or secular countries, but it aims to bring the laws of Allah to conformity with the laws of those countries populated with Muslims. For example, the laws of Chechnya .

But what shall we do if Russia claims that Muslim Chechnya “is an integral part” of Russia , and the Russian laws, having little in common with the Islamic ones, must dominate in the territory of Chechnya ? There is nothing tragic in it for the clergy of “traditional Islam”. As to the latter, there is nothing tragic, unjust and inadmissible in the world: they “faithfully” served even the demonstratively and openly godless communist authorities striving for extirpation of religion as “opium for people”. Earlier, in the epoch of Stalinism, the Chechen “traditional” clergy assisted the chastisers from NKVD to exile the Chechen people from their native land. There also were such “Muslim authorities”, whom the chekists specially brought from Kazakhstan back to Chechnya to hand over the abreks (Chechen rebels fighting in their native country) to the “punitive bodies”.

Can it be wondered then that some “radicals” consider these “Muslims” more dangerous adherents of Satan than Stalin was with all his followers, including the present Kremlin's reptile? And if you are an honest person, can you condemn such “radicals”?

War is going on in Chechnya . It is known worldwide that this is a very fierce and very bloody war. And it is also known that everywhere and at all times those who put up resistance with arms are not considered to be the most dangerous enemies. Any army carrying out military actions without ceremonies shoots and hangs the enemy's spies, and no international conventions define such actions as “war crimes”.

Now place yourself in the position of a Chechen young man, who decided to fight against the enemy, whose forces have occupied his native country and is exterminating his native people. He is far from various theological niceties distinguishing “traditional Islam” from “radical Islam”. But it is evident to him that his village mullah, who is paid his salary at the official muftiate functioning under the control of invaders, calls on him to be obedient to Putin. But he does not want to be obedient to Putin. Quite on the contrary, he wants to liberate his native land from the invasion of Putin's thugs and murderers. Can he, having such desire, stay in the bosom of “traditional Islam”, where the preachers call upon him to resign himself to Russia ? No, he cannot.

Can it be wondered then that any Chechen, who is against the Russian invaders, automatically finds himself in the camp of the followers of “radical Islam”?

In “traditional Islam” matters took such a turn that in Chechnya , unfortunately, it has become a banner of those people who betrayed his Fatherland, and is serving the aggressors to crush the Chechen independence. And those, who are fighting with the occupants, whether they like it or not, will be called “Wahhabits”, “radical Islamists”, “international terrorists”(or simply “terrorists”) and their “accomplices”.

But all these are mere words, only words and propagandistic tricks. The Chechen Resistance is not formed of the “radical Islamists”; it is formed of normal, ordinary Muslims, like Aslan Maskhadov and before him, other leaders of Ichkeria, like all patriots of Chechnya . And it is not the point that “good” Maskhadov wanted peace, and “bad” Basayev wants war only. Islam gives clear directions when Muslims must fight and when they can conclude and maintain peace. And no “political expediency”, no “pragmatism” can influence these Islamic principles regulating the matters of war and peace.

That's why the Chairman of Supreme Shariah Court of the Chechen Republic Ichkeria Sheikh Abdul-Halim should not frighten anyone as an “extremist” and “Wahhabit, etc., but on the contrary, being an expert of Shariah (Islamic) Law, he will be politically “transparent” to all analysts.

The analysts do not need to conjecture complicated intellectual structures to predict some decision of the new Chechen leader concerning this or that issue of peace or war. They simply have to look into the Koran. And I would like to draw attention of those who are not well-informed about the Holy Script of Islamic religion to the following: Koran is absolutely devoid of severities, and recognizes only the right of adequate retribution for the crimes committed against Muslims.

Therefore, it is not difficult to know how the new Chechen President will act against Russia : he will act as Russia acts against the Chechens.

Salamu Talkhigov,

Kavkaz-Center