1. Caucasus Emirate: Basic analysis of islamic insurgent structure in Northern Caucasus
- Author:
- Tomáš Šmíd
- Publication Date:
- 12-2013
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Obrana a strategie (Defence & Strategy)
- Institution:
- University of Defence
- Abstract:
- The submitted paper discusses the organization Caucasus Emirate, which is currently the most distinctive non-state armed actor in the North Caucasus region. The organization considers itself to form a state structure, however, this article treats it as a rebel Islamist structure that has aspirations to separate the North Caucasus from Russian Federation and consequently create an independent multi-ethnic state unified under the idea of Sunni fundamentalism - Salafism. The text provides an insight into the genesis of the Caucasus Emirate, its ideological background and its organizational structure. From the genesis of Caucasus Emirate it is evident that the two ideological tendencies in the anti-Russian resistance were evident in the region since the early 90s, when the anti-Russian resistance limited itself to the area of Chechnya. Over time, the Chechen ethnonationalism got exhausted through history while Islamic radicalism showed greater potential to unite the malcontents in the anti-Russian resistance across the peoples of North Caucasus. Moreover, the text also shows that implicit ethnonationalism has not faded away totally and it still affects the appearance and character of Salafism in the region so that we can talk about some kind of a sect within the Salafi movement.
- Topic:
- Islam
- Political Geography:
- North Caucasus