Abstract
The article dwells on the growing Islamic factor in Eastern Siberia, namely in Krasnoyarsk Krai. Neither area has ever been a Muslim territory, and Muslims still make up a minority in these regions. Starting from the 1970’s–1980’s, the number of Muslims living in Eastern Siberia has been growing, and so has their influence on the processes occurring in the Eastern Siberian economy, politics, and culture. There isn’t a single Muslim ummah in Krasnoyarsk Krai. The Muslim groups living there differ by ethnic origin. The main reason behind the increase in the Muslim population in Krasnoyarsk Krai is active labor migration from ex-Soviet countries in Central Asia and the South Caucasus. As the number of labor migrants continues to grow, it may trigger Islamophobia and increase migrant-phobia and xenophobia in the area. On the other hand, as their population grows, Eastern Siberian Muslims are likely to develop their own set of political interests which they will want to see catered to. One way or another, unless there is special political management in place taking these issues into account, the chances of ethnic and religious tensions in society will only keep growing. Another worrying thing is that radical Islamists also infiltrate Eastern Siberia as part of labor migration. Modern-day Muslim communities are gradually changing the social, demographic, and cultural face of urban communities in Eastern Siberia. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s7p143
Highlights
The Islamic factor in the former Soviet Union is gaining momentum even in those areas that would never come across as traditionally Muslim some 30 or 50 years ago
Eastern Siberia whose native population comes from the Tungus-Manchu ethnic group and whose territory was previously explored and colonized mainly by Russian speakers, has turned into an area with continuously growing economic and political influence from Muslim communities
We considered Professor Yarkov’s expert opinion as we explored the current situation of Muslims in Eastern Siberia and in the Krasnoyarsk Territory
Summary
The Islamic factor in the former Soviet Union is gaining momentum even in those areas that would never come across as traditionally Muslim some 30 or 50 years ago. Eastern Siberia whose native population comes from the Tungus-Manchu ethnic group and whose territory was previously explored and colonized mainly by Russian speakers (both under the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union), has turned into an area with continuously growing economic and political influence from Muslim communities. Eastern Siberia is becoming the Northernmost Outpost of Islam in the modern world (Yarkov et al, 2007). This prompts a question about the reasons and factors behind this process and the prospects for the future. The growing presence of Islamic communities in Eastern Siberia comes with historical, cultural, economic, political, geopolitical, and social context. The purpose of this research is to analyze some of the factors behind the increasing Islamic presence in Northern Eurasia by looking at Islamic communities in Krasnoyarsk Krai (Eastern Siberia, Russia)
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