Importance of Putin’s visit to Chechnya

By Dr. Syed Mehboob

Economic and Political Analyst

http//: www.thenewslark.com

email: drmehboob.thenewslark.com

Russia is an important political, economic, and military power. It is also an important global player in the power game. Russia is balancing worldwide power and playing a role in changing the world from unipolar to multipolar. There are about 1.92 billion Muslims in the world. There are 57 countries with Muslim majority in the world. They are in the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, Central Asia, Africa. Islam is the second-largest religion in Russia.  It is in the larger interest of Russia and Muslims to have good relations for peace in the world. President Putin is a friend of Muslims and has developed close and friendly relations with many Muslim countries. Approximately 12% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the largest Muslim populous country in the world, 31% live in South Asia, 21% live in the Middle East- North Africa, and 15% live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sizeable Muslim communities are present in the Americas, China, Europe, and other parts of the world. Islam is the world’s fastest-growing major religious group and is projected to be the world’s largest religion by the end of the 21^st century.

There are significant numbers of Muslims in Russia. Islam is the second largest religion in Russia and accounts for about 10% of its total population. Russia has the largest Muslim population in Europe. According to the US Department of State in 2017, Muslims in Russia were about 14 million or roughly 10 % of its population. The Grand Mufti of Russia, Sheikh Rawil Gaynetdin, estimated the Muslim population in Russia was at 25 million in 2018. Recognized under the law and by Russian traditional religions, Islam is part of Russian historical heritage and is subsidized by the Russian government. President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin called Islam an, “Integral part of the Russian code”. An Islamic School in Moscow was opened in 1991.

Islam in Russia by Region

Chechen Republic, is a republic in Russia situated in the North Russia Caucasus of Eastern Russia, situated in North Europe, between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The Republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federal District, and shares land borders with Georgia to its south, with the Russian Republics of Dagestan, Inguaetia, and North Alania to its east, north, and west; and with Stavropol Krai to its northwest. The Republic covers an area of 17,300 square kilometers, with a population of 1.5 million. It is home to the indigenous Chechens having Muslim faith. Grozny is the capital and the largest city.

Sunni Islam is the predominant religion in Chechnya, practiced by 95% of people. There are about four hundred and sixty-five mosques, including the Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque in Gazny accompanied by 10,000 worshippers, as well as thirty-one madrasahs, including an Islamic University, named Kunta Haji, the Kurchaloy Islamic Institute named Akhmad Kadyrov.

Ramazan Akhmatovich Kadyrov is a Russian politician and current Head of the Chechen Republic. He is a colonel General in the Russian Military.  His father was an ally of Vladimir Putin and became Chechen President in 2003. In February 2007, Ramazan Kadyrov replaced Alu Alkhanov as president and since November 2015, he has been a member of the Advisory Commission the State Council of the Russian Federation.

On 28 March 2022, President Putin promoted Kadyrove to the rank of Lieutenant General. Kadyrov stated in May 2023 that Chechnya sent over 26,000 soldiers, including 12,000 volunteers to Ukraine, with 7,000 of them taking part in active battles.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov have inspected Chechen troops and volunteers preparing to fight in Ukraine in Putin’s first visit to the North Caucasus region since 2011.

The surprise trip comes as Moscow fights to push Ukrainian forces out of its Kursk region two weeks after they crossed the border in the Ukraine War.

“As long as we have men like you, we are invincible,” Putin told soldiers at the Russian Special Forces University, a training school in Chechnya’s Gudermes, according to a transcript on the Kremlin’s website. “It is one thing to shoot at a shooting range here and another thing to put your life and health at risk. But you have an inner need to defend the Fatherland and the courage to make such a decision.”. Kadyrov has often described himself as Putin’s “foot soldier”.

Analysts believe that this Russian president’s visit to Chechnya is very important and this will further strengthen the Muslim community’s trust in the Russian Federation they are now considering themselves as a very important and integral part of Russian society.  Russian President also visited the Grand mosque where he was given Holy Quran as a gift.