published: Материалы Международной научно-практической
Конференции, «НАУКА И ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ В СОВРЕМЕННОМ
МИРЕ», ТОМ 7, Қарағанды, Болашақ-Баспа, 2012
Tengiz Simashvili
Corruption as a Reason to Radicalization of Islam in North Caucasus
Nowadays Radical Islamic Movement for Caucasus – Wahhabis, as acting under “Al-Qaida”, ideology of International Islamic Terrorist Organizations’ link is sufficiently problematic for the whole world.[1, 267-271] Islam Radicalization processes, taking place in North Caucasus are especially very dangerous for Caucasus region. Sunni Islam is mainly popular in North Caucasus Islamic Republics, belong to Russian state – Karachaevo-Cherkezia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Ingushetia, Chechnya, Dagestan, only in the south of Dagestan there are few Shiite communities. That’s why Wahhabis - the Sunni Islam fundamental direction was spread mainly in North Caucasus with the form of Radical Islam.[2]
At the beginning of 1990, Russian State structures considered, that Wahhabis in North Caucasus weren’t dangerous, as they revealed negative attitude towards the representatives of Traditional Islam. In their opinion, Traditional Islam was the ideology of newly appeared “People Front”, other parties which were appearing with national sovereignty getting slogans and were opposing to central Russian authorities. That’s why from one side, they thought that Wahhabis will make the local, Traditional Islam followers weak. From another side, they supposed that with the help of this policy they’ll be able to weaken the local population separatist attitude, as they’ll be included in religious opposition, began between Traditional and Fundamental Islamic directions. Various Muslims population of North Caucasus actively began mastering the Wahhabis ideas. Traditional Islam representatives opposed to Wahhabi followers. And then the result turned out to be deplorable for Russia. From the end of 1990, exactly Wahhabis turned into main motive power of Terroristic War against Russian State in North Caucasus.[11]
At present, Central authority of Russia changed its tactic and began to support the local, Traditional Islam representatives in North Caucasus. It tries to use them in the struggle against Radical Islamic movements. In this situation, Wahhabis adjusted to the North Caucasus specification from the other side. For example, in Dagestan twelve nations and more than thirty ethnic groups are inhabited. Other republics are of more or less variety too. Central Authority of Russia take orientation on the tradition, characteristic for the Soviet Period – on supporting separate nations, ethnic groups, on giving more political power to them in compare with others.[3]
For example, Russians chose Kabardians as the basis in the Republic of Kabardo-Balkaria. Generally, Balkarian regions of Kabardo-Balkarian republic are the poorest and socially badly organized. This and the above mentioned discrimination treatment – oppression of the population to take part in the social-political life of the republic, played the role of catalyst for consolidating in radical Islamic Organizations of the local youth. That’s why, in this republic, which was selected with its calmness in North Caucasus, Vahabits began to be active enough during the last years. Mainly the ethnical Balkarians are united in local Wahhabis “Jamaats”.
There exist also reasons, in spite of above mentioned measures of central government of Russia; followers of Tradition Islamic trends are extremely activated in North Caucasus.
Traditionally, since SSSR period, republics of North Caucasus are subsidy republics. Their budget was filling and even today fills from central budget of Russian Federation. According to the data of Ministry of Regional Development of Russian Federation 2006 percentage amount of subsidy in the republics of North Caucasus was as follows: Adige - 60,68%; Karachevo-Cherkasia – 67,16%; Kabardino-Balkaria – 67,38%; Dagestan – 78,82%; Chechnya – 84,21%; Ingushetia – 89,24%.[4]
It means that they have no their own income, and accordingly they can’t provide population with working places, that causes mass unemployment. It is added by the general problem of Russian Federation and generally Post-Soviet countries – heavy corruption. Just corruption plays one of the main roles in radicalization of believer Muslim youth in Caucasus.
According to a Russian journalist working on Caucasus themes, U. Snegiriov main core of local Wahhabis warriors in modern Dagestan is young, 17-25 years old representatives of less provided families, which were keeping themselves with accidental jobs or they were generally unemployed until entering Islamic Terrorist organizations. He thinks, that except of hard social conditions, injustice and very heavy corruption revealed from local government plays a great role as well.[5]
His consideration is confirmed by the words of R. Gereev, head of “Youth Monitoring” group of the Republic of Dagestan of Russian Federation and Islamic Research Center of North Caucasus – it is the fault of the heaviest corruption existed in modern Dagestan, that believer Muslim young people become members of Terrorist Organizations created on “Wahhabis” ideological base.[6]
According him, corruption reached its maximum limit in the republics of North Caucasus; it penetrate into absolutely all local legislative executive bodies; posts moves hereditary; there exists clan-based governance; business is produced only by persons with close relations with low and upper units of the government and other.
According to local population, middle and high units of not only government structures, but also educational system, mass media and non-governmental structures are wholly recruited with people having close relations with government. Appointment on posts happens through bribe, acquaintances or relatives. Accordingly, because of these factors, Radical Islam in North Caucasus appears as “Wahhabis” as just one of the kinds of social protest.
As I’ve mentioned above, in 1990-ies central government of Russia couldn’t realize what danger “Wahhabis” doctrine had. And at present time it is already powerless to take any effective measures. The point is that central government of Russia is based on the highest representatives of the governments of the republics of North Caucasus, officials and politicians, who were and are even today deeply indebted in corruption.
Although leadership of Russian Federation declares aloud starting so called anti-corruption campaigns, but battle with corruption has no result at all. According to above mentioned R. Gereev – persons, who battle with corruption, are corrupt themselves in real.[6]
It is necessary to mention here the circumstance, that paradoxical situation is created in the republics of North Caucasus today – local Wahhabis mainly are armed, buy food and other necessary things by the money, which is “paid” by local businessmen and officials for personal safety. The main source of their financing is taxed so called “black” business. More specifically, they extort money mainly people who earn money with illegal industrial activity, hiding taxes from the state, who abuse their posts and are indebted into corruption and other.
According to the information of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan, at the beginning of 2011 year they revealed the scheme of money paying to Wahhabis terrorists as it follows: officially registered firm in in Dagestan, which had no industrial activity, formed contracts with different enterprises and money transfers realized from their account to its account. Or by this way they extort money from owners of different enterprises and these sums were used by the owner of the above mentioned firm for buying warriors’ gun, clothes, product and others. From 2006 to 2011 about 167 million(!) Russian rubles were on the account of the firm.[7]
Such kind of situation is not only in Dagestan. According to the President of Ingushetia, I. Evkurov, during last six years Ingushetia state officials and businessmen have been paying tribute to terrorists for their own safety.[8]
Financing of North Caucasus Wahhabis terrorists by local businessmen is confirmed also by representative of the President of Russia in North Caucasus Federal Region, A. Khloponin.[12]
It is obvious that financing terrorists acting under radical Islamic ideology is well known for force structures of local government. Even more, reviewer of “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” M. Famullaev in his article “Money for Terror and from Terror” directly indicates that every second citizen of North Caucasus republic can entirely or partly name who and how much pays to terrorists.[12]
To his opinion, it is already several years that Wahhabis warriors (Mujahidin) methodologically treated extorting money from businessmen. Business of North Caucasus republics is completely or at least partially taxed from them. Not only businessmen, but very often even state officials have to transfer them from their incomes, 20 percent of the total sum for producing “Jihad”. From the sums extorted under death threat half of the money is divided by Wahhabis warriors, 20% of rest of the sum is delivered to “Amir” or head of the Jamaat and 30% for producing “Jihad” or buying weapons, equipments, product and other necessary things for Wahhabis warriors.
In that way, with different kinds of reasons participation in “Jihad” for young people is attracting because they get careless monthly income from the sums extorted in such way.
Thus, heavy corruption existed in North Caucasus, which on the one hand supports young’s radicalization, on the other hand is transformed by them as supportive factor for continuing terrorist activity.
Related with this, consideration of simple population is interesting, that local regional force structures, from its side, are interested in preserving hard criminal situation. For them it is a mean demanding sums central budget of Russian Federation and then spending it uncontrollably. That’s why they are not battle effectively consciously as with terrorism revealing, as solving different social problems and including corruption.[9]
This opinion is shared by representatives of force structures of Russia. According to Russian military expert colonel V. Popov, although Russian special services gained successes with battle of warriors in North Caucasus, positive changes in social and economic spheres are not realizing, and in result of it rows of “Wahhabis” warriors are filling with young.[10]
According to the opinion of the President of Kabardino-Balkaria, A. Kanakov – without right state policy in Caucasus it is impossible to destroy young people’s wish joining in radical Islamic organizations, as Wahhabis terrorists give them money on the one hand and belief on the other hand, and we do not give them neither money nor belief.[13]
Accordingly, in future in the republics of North Caucasus of Russian Federation what more abysses between rich and poor becomes deeper, unemployment and corruption level will increase and Islamic Terror will get danger scales. It is possible to strengthen and turn into a guerrilla war, which will create a danger not for only Russia’s stability, but safety of the whole region.
In the republics of South Caucasus, where Muslims live with a great amount, I imply Georgia and Azerbaijan, prevention measures should be taken against Islam Radicalization.
Nowadays, analysis of above mentioned current processes in North Caucasus directly indicates that one of the inevitable measures should be eradication of aggravating circumstances for corruption, nepotism and other social background; Muslim youth’s mass enrolment in different kinds of educational projects; creating profitable conditions for entering state universities, getting high education and other.
References:
1. T. Simasvili, ,”Terrorist Wars and Wahhabis”; Collection of works of political science Institute, “Tselitsdeuli”, Tbilisi, 2005, pg.: 267-271(on Georgian)
2. Caucasian Regional Studies (1999), “ Islamic fundamentalism on northern Caucasus: to problem statement"; http://www.izvestia.ru/articles/article828314/
3. M. Shevchenko, (17.05.1997), “Wahhabites are ready to fight" (Opposition in mountain Dagestan threatens to pass in a stage of religious war): ”Novaia Gazeta", http://www.uni-potsdam.de/u/slavistik/zarchiv/0597m/k089-11.htm (Is searched 07.III.1999)
4. http://newsland.ru/News/Detail/id/381333/5. J. Snegiryov, “Dagestan: militiamen to destroy, not to touch simple people who tries to blow up republic from within”; http://www.izvestia.ru/special/article3132817/
6. “The expert: Without cardinal measures in the religious policy Russia the sad future waits”;
http://muslem.ru/?p=3657
7. The Dagestan businessman has financed insurgents; http://newsland.ru/news/detail/id/667841/cat/48/
8. “Ali Taziev on a nickname of Magas can’t live to court”;
9. I. Suhov, “Struggle against terrorism: the North Caucasian federal district”; http://www.agentura.ru/dossier/russia/people/sukhov/counterterrorism/
10. Vl. Mukhin ,”New intensity focuses on Caucasus Goes not declared guerrilla war, and its scales expand more and more”; http://www.ng.ru/regions/2011-03-30/1_kavkaz.html
11. J. Rybina,”To Kill incorrect _ it how to make a Mohammedan prayer”, “Kommersant”; http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=353925
12. M.A. Famullaev, “Many for Terror and from Terror”; http://www.ng.ru/politics/2011-04-06/3_kartblansh.html
13. “Results of 2010: statistics of losses of agents of national security in the North Caucasus”; http://www.memo.ru/hr/hotpoints/caucas1/index.htm
Tengiz
Simashvili
Modern Form of Warfare
published in
I. Gogebashvili Telavi State University ''Transactions'' #1(19) 2006
The
end of II world war and the beginning of “Nuclear Era” put under doubt the
expediency of both nationwide and local warfare. Creation of the weapons of
mass destruction, made some kind of parity among the upper-states, what made
these states to find more flexible and productive forms of warfare. Therefore,
the secret warfare, using the forms and methods of terroristic wars became the
part of their military-political strategy.
According
to Fuller, an English military historian, nowadays the diplomatic warfare
between the states does not need the support of military force. Usual war, as
the political instrument, is mutually useless. The newest means of combat arms,
the huge devastation force, became an obstacle for usual warfare.[1] According
to the conception of modern American and Russian analysts “Conceptual”, “Low
Intensive” and “Non-regular” war forms took the place of ordinary wars.
The
essence of such wars during peace is a permanent fighting against the enemy
country. In early times by using the ordinary wars, the moral-psychological
exhaustion, demoralization and defeat of the enemy was reached by physical
destruction of life forces and extermination of the infrastructure. Now the
enemies attack each other, but are not visible. Attacks are performed by the
unification of the traits of the local, partisan wars’ ideological,
psychological, informative attacks with the methods and ways are characteristic
to the terrorism. Famous German general Fon Kheidte in his work “Small Modern
War”, called such type of modern war – a terroristic war. Terroristic warfare
together with the scientific progress development acquires, newer, more improved
and dangerous forms for human existence.
Using
the terrorism as a strategic weapon in the political and secret combat among
the sates is not new. England Russia
to concentrate the whole attention on internal problems and not to prevent the
increase of England ’s
influence in the middle regions of Asia, as well as in the territories of Tibet , Afghanistan
Other
countries also used the practice of financing and equipping revolutionary
organization, with the aims of destabilization of enemy countries and receiving
the compromises in foreign policy. On the one hand, Soviet Union, its satellite
countries and on the other hand, the United States of America
In 1950-1980 years behind the left-wing, separatists
or Islamic terroristic organizations operating in Latin America, the west
Europe and the near East countries, stood exactly “KGB” emissaries, who
directed their activities. They were “brought up” on the examples of
terroristic past of “Tseka’s” first workers, Bolsheviks and the left-wing
“SR-s”. Correspondingly, during the period of the Cold War different countries
of the world quite successfully established and used early Russian experience
of “Revolutionary-Terrorists” operating in the practice of terroristic
organizations. According to the confession of the ex-workers of Soviet special
services, many Palestine , Kurds and Latin
American terrorists represented by “Carlos” (I. Sanchez) and others, along with
the education in Marxism-Leninism Scientific courses in Soviet
Union , or in “Patris Lolumba” People Friendship University of
Moscow, accomplished their skills and raised the qualification in terror
production affair.[4]
From the analysis of the existing political
situation in the world, the conflicts among the states in the last years, it is
clear that, the strategy of performing terroristic wars look like the action of
virus illness.
As it is known that virus illness goes through three
main stages of development:
1. On the first stage, the virus is instilled in the
cell.
2. On the second stage, the virus influences the DNA.
Leads in the toxins and starts to participate in the control process of the
cell. Outwardly, the cell is the same in this stage as it was before. From the
first sight, a natural biological process goes on. The changes are not
noticeable for an outer glance.
3. On the third stage, the virus starts to control the
cell. At certain stage of development, it degrades or destroys the cell.
While using terroristic combats in the modern world
the same type processes takes place. On the first stage, the aggressor state
like the virus starts to involve in the process of natural regular social
development of the enemy country. It should be mentioned that necessary
conditions for intervention is mainly made artificially.
On the first stage, different means, such as,
economical and ideological diversions, informative-psychological war components
are used to make the aimed country weaker. Then on the grounds of the
economical aids for local population, non-governmental organizations, funds,
various directional religious and humanitarian masses (on the jargons of
special services “Asteroids”) financed by special services or other interested
forces, establish their branches in those countries.
On the second stage, the common face of natural
process of social development in these countries is maintained. From the
objective analysis of history, it is known that revolutionary collapse of
certain socio-political relations inside the state and socio-economical crisis
is followed by the spiritual degradation of people. The desire to satisfy this
spiritual hunger appears. Exactly, the interested side fills such emptiness
artificially, with numerous literatures having the religious and other
ideological weight. The main aim of the religious or non-governmental
organization under its influence was not to help, but to change purposely the
natural process of social development in the given country.
Well-processed political government technologies are
used, in order to destroy the old stereotypes in the population, to settle the
new ones, and to hasten artificially the process of changing the values.[5]
They realize revolutionary changes with the help of terroristic act series and
the meetings resulting in terroristic acts, which have the huge influence on
human consciousness. For example, meetings, demonstrations go on permanently,
artificially exalted population is provoked to confront with the force
structures of the government and so on.
On the third stage, the consciousness of the major
part of the country’s population is already changed. The old traditional values
and mentality has already collapsed. There is an ideological unity between
different classes, generally with the help of religious attitudes. The
governing body is demoralized and completely obeys the dictations from the
outside.
Such form of the war is used against the states
existing in the Post-Soviet space, including the countries of South Caucasus – Georgia and Azerbaijan
