HOMO JIHADICUS

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The characteristics and complexity of Islam, as well as the multitude and ambiguity of the terms present in the academic publications regarding the modern currents of this religion, create the need to introduce stipulative definitions which will be used in this report to describe the various aspects of the situation of Islam. Amongst the most important ones are: Salafi Islam – a religious current in Sunni Islam inspired by the “pure” Islam, i.e. the one which was practiced in the first decades of its existence. Salafism calls for a return to the roots, it consists of far-reaching legalism and a rejection of those traditions which don’t have a basis in the Koran or the Hadith. Salafism as a current and phenomenon is very heterogeneous: it can have both an apolitical and peaceful character (Salafi communities concentrated on the religious life) as well as a political and militant one (the struggle, including by means of armed conflict, for the establishment of an Islamic state). Islamic fundamentalism – a political current in Islam which came to life after the Muslim world’s contacts with the West, it is Muslims’ reaction to modernisation and westernisation. It holds that religious factors have priority over secular ones and encompasses the notion of creating an Islamic state as well as basing the legal system on the Koran. Islamic fundamentalism is present both in Sunni and Shia Islam. In the case of Sunni fundamentalism, it is possible to track the roots of many fundamentalist movements to Salafi Islam, hence the two contemporary oftentimes overlap. Militant Islam/Islamic radicalism – pursuing an armed and/or terrorist struggle in the name of the professed faith, in order to achieve political goals (in most cases this equates to establishing an Islamic state). In this report the term “Wahhabism”, which has a highly negative connotation in the post-Soviet discourse on Islam, is not used. The term is utilised in propaganda to stigmatise any independent Islam (in practice this means any form of Islam not related to the official one), especially Salafism. It is often juxtaposed in opposition to the so-called “traditional Islam” (associated with the official and folk Islam, in some regions also with Sufism). In reality Wahhabism is a currently existing historic school of interpretation of the Islamic law and an 18 th century socio-religious movement which laid the foundations for Saudi Arabia. The names of groups and organisations appearing in the report will be transliterations from the original with included translation. In case of the militants PRACE OSW REPORT OSW 09/2012 09/2015 9
fighting in Syria and Iraq, as well as their leaders, their nom de guerre (Arabic: kunya) will be used and, if possible, their actual names will be provided. The report is based on a broad-spectrum of sources: from academic research and analytical reports, through press publications, materials from news agencies and field studies conducted by the authors, to materials produced by the post-Soviet militants themselves. The latter materials, due to their character, often change their Internet addresses, are being blocked or embedded on forums, some of which require prior registration – all of which often makes their subsequent verification difficult. PRACE OSW REPORT OSW 09/2012 09/2015 10
Page 1 and 2: HOMO JIHADICUS Islam in the former
Page 3 and 4: © Copyright by Ośrodek Studiów W
Page 5 and 6: 3. Georgia /82 4. Kazakhstan /86 5.
Page 7 and 8: eturn) is stabilising the countries
Page 9: Introduction The aim of this report
Page 13 and 14: a reduction of the former religious
Page 15 and 16: Renaissance Party (IRP) at the summ
Page 17 and 18: attractive Salafism (which is often
Page 19 and 20: Republic in 2009 26 or the appearan
Page 21 and 22: latter included both post-Soviet mi
Page 23 and 24: The existence of a miniature Islami
Page 25 and 26: Regardless of its goal of establish
Page 27 and 28: II. Origins of the influx of volunt
Page 29 and 30: with whom they still have a common
Page 31 and 32: were, paradoxically, the good Sovie
Page 33 and 34: especially the extremely radical on
Page 35 and 36: posts and participated in training
Page 37 and 38: of Syria and Iraq was not dictated
Page 39 and 40: • Kazakhstan - officially: over 3
Page 41 and 42: The situation is completely differe
Page 43 and 44: fully independent sovereign - they
Page 45 and 46: of JMA is Aleppo and its surroundin
Page 47 and 48: contacts with Omar Shishani and Abu
Page 49 and 50: −− −− −− Abdul Karim Kr
Page 51 and 52: Yarmuk). Despite Omar Shishani bein
Page 53 and 54: of direct negotiations, the need to
Page 55 and 56: Only at the turn of 2012 and 2013 d
Page 57 and 58: Abu Omar Sasitlinsky (real name Isr
Page 59 and 60: (especially against Islamic State).
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participated in IS mass executions
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characterising them is necessary to
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after participating in combat for a
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the countries of origin. The main s
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The most often stated main proof of
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The motive which militants most oft
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While the threats originating from
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of public life. Except for the cult
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have used for years of limited guer
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problems. This seems impossible, th
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of new mosques and religious school
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example in the energy sphere), and
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Adjarian Muslims (regardless of whe
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ut also a small number of Azeris) c
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Both the return of Kazakh militants
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tivities of the Kyrgyz security for
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Despite large scale persecution 262
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the fact that the central governmen
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9. Crimea The Islamic issue in Crim
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ut-Tahrir is also noteworthy. The o
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group’s symbols during mass Islam
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and the process of radicalisation t
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the rubble of the USSR are still un
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Map 3. Islam in the post-Soviet are
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HOMO JIHADICUS

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