The Development of Muslim Community (Ummah) of Republic of Tatarstan in Late 2018–2019

Abstract

The article is devoted to the development of the Muslim community of the Republic of Tatarstan (RT) at the end of 2018 and 2019. Here the author continues a series of publications exploring the Muslim community of Tatarstan in 2000s and 2010s. The leadership of the Muslim Spiritual Administration of the Republic of Tatarstan (DUM RT) is based on its own version of “traditional Islam”, where Sufism and the Maturidite ‘aqidah of the Hanafi madhhab occupy the principal place. In the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as all in other republics within the Russian Federation, the role of Islam in spiritual, educational and cultural spheres is growing due to the abolition of compulsory studying of titular languages in secondary schools. The spiritual administration of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan (DUM RT) continues to maintain a monopoly among Muslim organizations in the Republic of Tatarstan. Nevertheless, the activity of representatives of radical organizations banned in the Russian Federation is still to observe in the Republic. Law enforcement agencies are actively fi ghting with them; it leads to the elimination of their cells in the Republic of Tatarstan, arrests and sentencing with real terms.