Political Practices of Ukrainian Muslims: Between the Apolitical and the Radical

Abstract

The article examines the political practices of Ukrainian Muslims. It covers three main streams of political behavior: a) predominantly apolitical Islam of Muslim organizations connected with the transnational Sufi movement Al-Ahbash, b) political activism of Muslim organizations connected with the global Muslim Brotherhood network, c) radical (jihadist) practices of a small part of Muslims represented by immigrants from the North Caucasus and Crimea. The article employs Kasper Mathiesen's concept of "traditional Islam" which is based on Talal Asad's anthropological approach to Islam as a discursive tradition. This paper also uses the approach of Barbara Rieffer who explores the relationship between national and religious aspects through the following categories: secular or antireligious nationalism (with no influence of religion), instrumental pious nationalism (which uses religion as an amplification source), and religious nationalism (primarily based on religious identity and rhetoric). In this paper, I conclude that the apolitical Islam of most Ukrainian Muslims can be described through the concept of "traditional Islam," characterized by political conformism and the recognition of Sufism as an integral part of Islamic orthodoxy. The political activism of those Ukrainian Muslims who gravitate towards the Muslim Brotherhood can be described within the framework of B. Rieffer's concept as "instrumental pious nationalism." The militarization of society stemming from the long-term military conflict in eastern Ukraine has led to two main development directions of Islamic political activism in Ukraine: the strengthening of nationalist political discourse and radical political practices.