When Russia invaded Ukraine in February of last year, the president appointed Vladimir Putin as a “special operation” of his war. Now the tone of voice is far from a beautifying circular expression.
In October, Putin declared a “jihad” against the West. Jihad means a holy war in which Muslims are obliged to join. Political and religious extremist groups use the expression to justify their actions and violence.
Putin accused the West of playing a “dangerous, bloody and dirty game” as he spoke of the Russian think tank Valdai Discussion Club (you will switch to another service) at the event.
The National Defense University’s research group has noticed that this style of communication has increased and is spreading especially on social media.
– Russia invites Islamists across religious borders to join the “holy war” against the West, military professor Aki-Mauri Huhtinen Summing up the National Defense University.
The message has resonance. According to Huhtinen, it is not about religion, but about the violence carried out under its cover.
– Of course, such a message also attracts extremist organizations, Huhtinen states.
Former US military intelligence officer Jonathan Sweet believes that Putin is trying to get the Islamist extremists of Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq to join the war with his speeches.
Putin’s speeches about the fight against Satanism may also appeal to Iran’s conservative religious regime, Sweet writes In The Hill magazine (you will switch to another service).
Religiosity in relation to the war in Ukraine is not in itself a new thing in the speeches of Russia and Putin.
In the very first days of the attack, propaganda material that praised the patriotic unity between Orthodox Christians and Muslims began to spread, according to an Italian think tank of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (you will switch to another service) from the research. A message was circulated on social media calling for standing together “with Ramzan Allah and Ivan Christ” against the West.
Russia has also maintained relations with the Islamic world during the war, and the countries have not openly condemned the attack on Ukraine. Iran has supplied weapons to Russia and Syria has resisted condemning Russia’s attack. NATO country Turkey is not involved in the sanctions imposed on Russia either.
Putin suddenly became a “supporter” of Islam
Putin started appealing to Muslims even before last February’s attack on Ukraine.
He declared in his speech in 2018 that Russian Muslims have every right to feel part of the global Islamic nation and that Moscow has been and is a geopolitical ally of Islam, says The Moscow Times (you are switching to another service).
Afterwards, Putin visited the conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and made statements about rapprochement with the Islamic world and respect for Muslims within Russia. The case attracted attention In Turkish media (you switch to another service).
In Syria, too, Putin has cultivated hatred towards the West and supported the country’s dictator Bashar al-Assad administration consistently. According to Putin, the war in Syria and the refugee chaos are the fault of the Western countries.
Assad declared in 2015 a French newspaper Valeurs Actuelles (you switch to another service) in an interview that Putin was “the only defender of Christian civilization who can be trusted”.
Putin’s rhetoric has completely changed compared to the early days of his reign. Russia waged a long war against the independent Muslim republic of Chechnya 10-20 years ago, and Putin declared the Chechens terrorists at the time.
– There is a huge contradiction in that. At that time, Muslims were seen as a threat and an enemy. Now we offer a hand and alliance, says Huhtinen.
Many take the outstretched hand. In social media (you switch to another service) a Chechen theologian Magomed Hitanaev He calls on Russian troops for a holy war in Ukraine, and he urges Christians and Muslims to fight together “against Satan without fear”.
The Chechen leader sends the same message Ramzan Kadyrov. Kadyrov is the hardline leader of the Chechen Republic and one of Putin’s most loyal supporters. He has been accused of numerous human rights violations.
Kadyrov appealed to religion and holy war when recruiting soldiers from Russia’s Muslim-dominated regions in the North Caucasus. In the video, Kadyrov calls on Muslims to start a war against the West and “satanic democracy”.
“This is a great jihad in which everyone should participate,” says Kadyrov.
Putin aims his message at Asia and Africa as well
Huhtinen of the National Defense University reminds that more than 70 percent of the world’s population lives somewhere other than a Western democracy.
The Third World, authoritarian states and terrorist networks can join the front called by Putin against the West and the liberal way of life.
“Unfortunately, there is definitely an echo base,” says Huhtinen.
The fact that the EU has declared Russia a state that supports terrorism can also act as a bridge. Russia can invite other people labeled as terrorists “into the same boat”, Huhtinen estimates.
– There is also a lot of very radical anti-Westernism. In this case, the message can sink in surprisingly easily, says Huhtinen.
The connection of the Spanish letter bombs to Russia is being investigated
It has not been possible to connect individual acts of terrorism to Putin, but for example, the connection between Spain’s letter bombs and Russia is being investigated. According to The New York Times, the suspects behind the bombs were (you go to another service)Russian intelligence service.
Six letter bombs were found in Spain between November and December, which were sent to the country’s prime minister, defense minister, and the embassies of Ukraine and the United States, among others. An employee of the Ukrainian embassy was injured in the attacks.
The New York Times (you’re moving to another service) according to the police are also investigating the far-right group Russian Imperial Movement. It has military training centers in St. Petersburg and members all over Europe.
The group is believed to have connections with the Russian intelligence service. The United States has classified the group as a terrorist organization.
The New York Times (you’re moving to another service) according to Russia may also be planning sabotage to those European countries that support Ukraine. The magazine bases its information on anonymous official sources in the United States.
According to Huhtinen, Russia’s openings must be followed closely.
– Now we are monitoring how Putin’s invitation is answered. It is still not possible to connect the terrorist acts of extremists to Russia, says Huhtinen.