The Moscow Mosque: A Shift in Tone in Russia

The Moscow Cathedral Mosque, located in Central Moscow.

This past Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a ceremony commemorating the opening of an extravagant mosque in central Moscow, RT reports. The Leader of Russia spoke at the event in attendance with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas, and Russian Grand Mufti Rawel Gaynetdin in attendance. The mosque is one of the largest on the European continent, and certainly the largest in Russia.

The Moscow Cathedral Mosque itself has been around since 1904. However, in 2011, the building was torn down and a new mosque has since been in construction in its place. This new mosque, though, is roughly twenty times larger than the old one, able to fit 10,000 worshipers inside of it.

The new and improved Moscow Cathedral Mosque, pictured above, is certainly a sight to behold, both on the outside and within. And with such a high profile given towards the event by both the Russian and the international media, with thousands of Russian Muslims in attendance at the opening ceremony, it certainly made them feel welcome in a country where, not too long ago, followers of their religion were stigmatized in Russian society.

There is certainly still quite a bit of Islamophobia in Russia, just as there is in many other predominantly-Christian countries around the world. Keeping Russians’ feelings toward Muslims within the context of recent history, the 1999 Apartment Bombings in many major cities around Russia, which killed over 200 people, have largely been blamed on Islamic terrorists. That same year, Russia launched two seperate campaigns to fight radical Islamist separatists in the Muslim-majority regions of Dagestan and Chechnya. In the case of Chechnya, Russian forces have had to fight a continuous Islamic insurgency in the region, although it has died down in recent years. And the September 11 attacks in 2001 certainly did not help to fuel good feelings towards followers of the religion.

Recently, however, the anti-Islamic rhetoric has been played down by the Russian government. Although ISIL-affiliated groups claim territory within the Northern Caucasus region of Russia, violence in the region has significantly died down in recent years. Vladimir Putin has also frequently praised the secularism of Muslim-majority nations such as Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Syria. And even still, he has increasingly cooperated with Iran, an Islamic republic, in the Syrian Civil War. He recently announced the establishment of an international anti-terrorist base in Baghdad, shared between Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Russia. The rhetoric from the Kremlin over the past few years has changed from a never-outright-stated anti-Muslim policy to simply an anti-terrorist and extremist policy.

The opening of this new, extravagant mosque only underlines this point. Abbas stated that he hoped the mosque would become “a center spreading the spirit of peaceful coexistence of religions and peoples”, while Erdogan said that the holy place proved that Russia was “gathering the variety of nations, uniting their common spiritual values, creating a single living space and setting a wonderful example for the future.” This is exactly the message Putin wants to get across: Russia is not an anti-Islam country; in fact, it is welcoming of peoples of all faith, including Muslims.

While the mosque is a good sign that Russia may be becoming a slightly more hospitable place for Muslims, the Kremlin certainly does not want all prejudice to be gone in the country. For the Apartment Bombings over 16 years ago this month, the Muslims, and in particular, the Chechens, were to blame; but today, while Russia is in the midst of an economic crisis and continues to be ostracized from the international community, there is a new enemy to point its finger at: America, the West, and Ukraine. Almost concurrently with the decline in anti-Islamist propaganda, there has been a surge in anti-Western propaganda coming in from Moscow. Putin now openly criticizes his “Western partners” more so than Islamism, a rhetoric which, by the way, propelled him into the presidency in the first place.

So while the mosque should rightfully be praised for what it says it represents on the surface, don’t forget the underlying reasons for the extravagant opening ceremony and the lavishness inside. It is easier to fuel mass propaganda and xenophobia against one group rather than multiple groups.

Plan for Russian Military Base in Belarus Goes Forward

Belorussian President Alexander Lukashenko

Recently in various news outlets, there has been recent talk about Russian military expansion in the Syrian Civil War. But very few have mentioned another point of Russian expansion: plans for a new Russian air base in its neighboring country Belarus. According to Radio Free Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin has voiced his approval of the government proposal for an air base in the country, and told members of his Foreign Ministry to start talks with Belarus to move the project forward.

As its closest ally, Russia has had a military presence in Belarus for some time now; there are two military facilities within the country where the Russian military has a radar station and a submarine communications center, as well as some fighter aircraft. However, this would be the first full-scale military base on Belorussian territory since the Soviet Era.

Ever since Crimea and the start of the ongoing Ukraine conflict, Russia has tried to reassert itself, and more importantly, its military, as a dominating force around the world. So a key reason for this proposed base would obviously be to expand its military capabilities and to keep Russia’s NATO neighbors, particularly Poland and the Baltic states, on edge. But another reason for the base could be to send a message to Belorussian President Alexander Lukashenko: don’t stray too far from the motherland.

The Eastern European country of Belarus depends on Russia for practically everything. Belarus’s economy depends almost entirely on Russia, and Belarus gets nearly all of its energy from Russia as well. The country also enjoys Russian protection in response to criticisms from the West for its dictatorship-style government. As a result, on foreign policy and other matters, Belarus has often obediently followed Russia’s lead. The country has very few other close allies, so Russia seemed like its only option.

However, this policy changed somewhat last year in light of the Ukrainian conflict. Instead of simply backing up Russia, President Lukashenko took a more mediated approach: it was in the capital of Minsk where the first and second rounds of peace talks were held between Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany. In fact, due to the gradual deterioration of the Minsk II agreement, there have now been talks of a third meeting between the parties, once again to be held in Belarus.

As well, Lukashenko has yet to announce a clear show of support for either side of the conflict. On the Crimean Peninsula, he stated that the land was under de facto Russian rule, but that he supported the territorial integrity of Ukraine and that “Ukraine should remain an integral, indivisible, and non-aligned state.” He has been even vaguer on the Ukrainian Crisis as a whole, only calling for peace talks and hailing any progress towards a deescalation of the conflict, no matter how small it may be.

In the meantime, the Belorussian Leader has tried to warm up relations with the West. He has attempted to expand ties with the European Union and cool down the country’s tense relationship with the United States over its human rights abuses. Just recently, he has released many prominent political opposition figures from prison and allowed another opposition activist to return to the country after having lived in exile for five years in Ukraine. Both decisions were hailed by Western governments.

Lukashenko has also tried to paint himself as the lesser of two evils when it comes to Putin. “I’m not Europe’s last dictator anymore,” he joked in a statement to the Washington Post back in May. “There are dictators a bit worse than me, no? I’m the lesser evil already.” By comparison to Putin and his expansionist, militaristic policies, Lukashenko seems like the leader of a small, quiet, and isolated country. Not only has his recent pro-Western policies done well to improve his image among European countries, but it has also helped to reignite a hope for a democratic Belarus. There has only been one election in Belarus deemed to be democratic since its independence: the one that got Lukashenko into power.

However, no major obstacles are reported to be expected in the completion of this Russian Military Base, and although Lukashenko has so far released no comment on the project, he is likely against it. At the same time, he doesn’t really have a choice. Despite improvements in Western ties, Belarus is still tied to the hip with Russia. The talks of this air base only seem to be a grim reminder to Belarus that Russian dominance in the country will likely not go away any time soon.

How Estonia’s Cyber Defense is Propelling the Country Forward

A look inside the Estonian NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence

Increasingly more countries are taking notice of the small Baltic country of Estonia, mainly due to its increased efforts in fighting cyber hackers, Voice of America reports. Its capital of Tallinn hosts an impressive center to combat hackers against its country and its allies: the NATO-accredited Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence.

The Center was first proposed back in 2003, before Estonia was even admitted into NATO. But after crippling cyber attacks on the country and Estonian organizations in 2007 due to the relocation of a controversial Soviet-era War Memorial statue, cyber defense soon became a top priority for Estonia, and for the rest of NATO. One year later, the center was built in Tallinn in order to protect the defenses of all countries within the organization.

Although the Cyber Defense Center is not officially funded by NATO, it is funded by volunteer nations from the organization. Aside from Estonia, the Center’s other founding members were Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Spain. The United States, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Poland joined later on, and as threats of cyber attacks increased, in 2014 the UK and the Czech Republic joined in the same year along with Austria, a non-NATO country. As time has gone on, NATO countries have said that the Center has played an increasing role in protecting the organization’s countries from attack, giving helpful advice to these countries on cyber security and cyber policy.

“When it comes to the NATO networks and how we fight together, there are 28 doors to this alliance,” said Commander of the US European Command General Phil Breedlove in a statement in Istanbul. “If one of those doors is wide open, the alliance is wide open.”

As the smallest former state of the Soviet Union by population, Estonia has undergone an enormous transformation in just a very short time; although, to be fair, it is a long time coming. Throughout the history of the Soviet Union, Estonia was by far the most liberal of the former Soviet republics. After the death of Stalin in 1953, Estonians in Tallinn were permitted to visit Finland by ferry for a short amount of time. As well, Estonians had access to some Finnish radio and television programs, giving this small group of people an important glimpse into the Western World: a privilege that no other Soviet peoples were able to boast about. When Gorbachev introduced the policy of perestroika in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, Estonia played a sort of vanguard role in helping extend it.

Upon regaining its independence, Estonia has significantly modernized its technology industry, particularly its internet. Wi-Fi access in the country is virtually everywhere; even on buses. And not only is internet access incredibly easy, but it is nearly unrestricted. In a recent Freedom House Report on Internet Freedoms, Estonia ranked number 2 globally. That is before the United States on that list. People vote, complete banking transactions, pay taxes, and complete many other activities online. Through new innovations in the country such as E-Residency, foreigners can even start up their own businesses in the country almost entirely electronically. Estonia is often described as Europe’s most wired country, and for good reason: the internet has become practically hardwired into Estonian lifestyle.

Which makes cyber security such a priority for the small country. As NATO countries struggle to keep up with the right methods to try to combat hackers, many of them are now turning to Estonia and its Cyber Defense Center of Excellence. And with Russian hackers remaining one of the bloc’s number one fears when it comes to these hackers, it would seem that Estonia, whose population is not even one million and a half, has never felt more relevant.

NATO Joint Training Base in Georgia is a Good Step, but Not Enough

The NATO flag alongside the Georgian flag.

Late last month, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited the Southern Caucasus nation of Georgia in order to inaugurate a new joint training base in the country, according to the NATO press report from that time. The training center is part of a package that is meant to deepen both security in Georgia and cooperation between the ex-Soviet republic and NATO.

At the event, Stoltenberg took the opportunity to praise Georgia for its constant support and commitment to NATO. He noted that Georgia was the second largest contributor to NATO’s Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, Georgia was the highest troop contributor per-capita out of the ISAF. Georgia was also the first country to accept an Individual Partnership Action Plan, or IPAP, with NATO, which basically paved the way to enhanced communications and cooperation with the military alliance.

After the 2003 Rose Revolution in Georgia, part of the many Color Revolutions in post-Soviet countries which overthrew corrupt governments, the government has increasingly stepped up cooperation with NATO. Their goal: full integration into the organization. This process gained even more of an urgent tone in Georgia after the Russo-Georgian War of 2008, when Russia launched a four day war on Georgia under the cloak of “peace enforcement” due to apparent Georgian aggression against the self-proclaimed de facto republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which exist within Georgia’s borders. Since this brief war, often labeled as the first European War of the 21st Century, Russia has extended recognition to these Pro-Russian breakaway republics, and Georgia has suspended all diplomatic relations with Russia.

Although Western Countries came with strong statements denouncing the Russian military action, if Georgia had been a member of NATO, their result likely would have been much different. Under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, an armed attack against one member state of NATO is considered an attack an all members. Article 5 has only been invoked once: after the 9/11 attacks on the United States. But if Georgia had been in NATO as its people had desired, and continue to desire, then Article 5 would likely have been invoked again in 2008. And although Russia was bold in its actions during that short war, they likely would not have been as bold as to challenge a NATO member state.

Which is why Georgians so desperately want to be a part of NATO. In a nonbinding referendum in 2008, eight months before the war with Russia, when asked if they wanted Georgia to join the alliance, 77% of the population said yes. After the invasion, the numbers likely rose. In 2011 at the North Atlantic Council meeting, NATO named Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia as “aspirant countries.”

However, out of all of the aspirant countries, Georgia is the only one currently without a Membership Action Plan, which makes countries more within reach of NATO. Even though Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili stated in 2013 that he wanted his country to get this Action Plan by 2014, this did not happen. Instead, to Georgians it appears that their country is simply stuck in the “Intensified Dialogue” stage, which it has been in since 2006. As one of the largest non-NATO contributors to the organization, and with pro-Western sentiment among the highest in the post-Soviet sphere, the lack of progress towards NATO is viewed as disheartening, to say the least.

As a sort of compromise to tide Georgians over, NATO has built this training center in the country, which will likely expand even more the cooperation between NATO and Georgia. And Secretary General Stoltenberg has stressed that this step in Georgian-NATO relations is only intended to strengthen their relationship and eventually pave the path for Georgia to realize its NATO aspirations and join the military alliance.

But the Georgian people are getting restless, and rightfully so. Progress is slow, and if NATO countries want to keep its good relationship with the post-Soviet country, then it must ramp up its efforts to bring Georgia up to its standards and let it join the organization.

Celebration of the Kazakh History and Culture: A Rebuke to Putin?

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev (L) with Russian President Vladimir Putin (R)

President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev kicked off celebrations yesterday to commemorate the 550th anniversary of the founding of the Kazakh Khanate. These plans have been in place since 2014, but on September 11th he finally delivered to the Kazakh people, Radio Free Europe reports.

Many see this celebration of Kazakhstan’s culture and history as a rebuke to Russia, and in particular to Vladimir Putin. Last year, Putin, after having annexed Crimea, stated that before independence form the Soviet Union in 1991, “Kazakhs had never had any statehood.” This drew the ire of many Kazakhs, who fear that their country may be falling into, or is already well within, Russia’s sphere of influence. Even worse, some worried that Russia may decide to invade parts of Kazakhstan as well, with multiple parts of the country having a large ethnic Russian population. Russian is also an official language of the country.

In response to this comment, as well as Russia’s actions in Crimea and Ukraine over the past year, Nazarbayev has noticeably, if only in a subtle way, changed his tune. Kazakhstan still joined the Eurasian Economic Union, which it helped create with Russia as well as Belarus. And Kazakhstan is still probably Russia’s closest ally in Central Asia; compared to the neutrality of Turkmenistan, the distant position of Uzbekistan, the instability in Tajikistan, and the weariness of Kyrgyzstan (despite recently joining the EEC), the largest and northernmost country in the region is still closely-aligned with Russia.

But Kazakhstan, for a few years now, has been trying to expand its options. Unlike the Russian-friendly sycophantic foreign policy of Lukashenko’s Belarus, which has alienated its country as “the last dictatorship left in Europe”, Kazakhstan has consistently maintained friendly relations with a wide range of countries: from the Islamic World to China to even the United States. President Obama often cites Nazarbayev as a reliable ally in the fight for nuclear non-proliferation. Russia is an important part of its foreign policy, but it is by far not the country’s only ally. Not only that, but on the Ukrainian conflict, Nazarbayev has not come out in defense of Russia; in fact, he called indirectly for Ukraine’s territorial integrity to be respected.

Another outlet Kazakhstan has in international relations is the Turkic Council, which includes Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan, with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan being potential future members. All of these countries speak Turkic languages and have Turkic origins. The Council was founded in 2009, with Kazakhstan playing a large role in its creation; the idea for the Council was first put forward by Nazarbayev himself in 2006.

The Turkic Council’s purpose is to help in the development of the Turkic World, and during this festival, Nazarbayev took it as an opportunity to push the group and its expansion. The Kazakh leader wants to increase “cultural, educational, and economic cooperation” between the Turkic-speaking countries. In fact, the entire celebration was meant to emphasize the Turkic roots and history of the country. The Azerbaijani and Kyrgyz presidents were present to help underline this message. A Russian delegation, however, was notably absent.

In fact, if an outsider were to look at the recent festival of the Kazakh Khanate, he would likely forget that Kazakhstan was not too long ago under the firm grip of Russia under the Soviet Union. Since the Ukraine conflict, Nazarbayev has been putting less emphasis on the Eurasian Economic Union, which he helped create, and more so on his country’s relations with others outside of the Russian sphere: in this case, Kazakhstan’s fellow Turkic countries. Although it is likely that Kazakhstan won’t drift too far away from Russia in the near future, this recent festival would appear to be a clear message to Putin: respect Kazakhstan’s independence, for the Kazakh people shall not be your puppets.

Russia’s Role in the Syrian Civil War…and in Ending It

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin

Recently, Russia has made headlines once again, this time for alleged increased military support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Civil War. In response to these reports, US Secretary of State John Kerry reached out to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, expressing his concerns. Moscow’s reaction was something comparable to “why are you so surprised?”

The New York Times reports that in an official response to the American allegations, the Foreign Ministry stated that “we have always supplied equipment to [the Assad regime] for their struggle against terrorists. We are supporting them, we were supporting them, and we will be supporting them.” The “terrorists” Assad is fighting include, of course, the moderate rebels that the United States is supporting, the Syrian National Council.

Russia is currently arguing that their country has always been supporting the Assad regime militarily. This support has been through weapons deals between Syria and Russia both before and after the start of the conflict (Moscow would claim that it was all deals before the Civil War started. Assad, however, would claim otherwise). So it is easy for Putin to brush off such claims of military help, as he has consistently supported Assad.

However, what Kerry was concerned about, and what reports appear to suggest, was an increased military buildup to support the Assad regime. Such allegations claim that Russia is bolstering Syria’s air defenses and is potentially trying to set up a military base for military personnel. And to this, Moscow denies, saying that Russia has no military ambitions in Syria. While these reports cannot at this time be confirmed or denied, if they happened to be true, then it would not be very surprising. Russia certainly has an interest in keeping Assad in power, who happens to be one of their few consistent partners left.

This incident will likely lead to even more heightened suspicions between Russia and the US. It gives the Russian press another chance to lambaste US foreign policy decisions in Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan, painting American solutions to the Civil War less legitimately. And it will also give the American press a chance to criticize the Russians as only providing more fire to a conflict that needs to instead be doused with water. Neither of these viewpoints, however potentially accurate, are helpful.

Out of all of the countries that have emerged from the Arab Spring into the Arab Winter, probably none have had it as bad as Syria. The Syrian Civil War is dragging on, and with IS still controlling a large chunk of the country, it does not look like it will end on its own anytime soon. Other countries need to get involved and, as both Russia and the US have said (albeit in different ways), create a united coalition in Syria to fight against violent terrorism.

But more importantly, a diplomatic end to the War must be brokered, with all powers involved. This includes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and it includes the Syrian National Council. It includes the United States and the West as well as the regional powers, like Saudi Arabia. And if a peaceful solution in Syria is to ever come to fruition diplomatically, it must include Russia. With their partnership with Assad, Russia could potentially be a very influential player in negotiations.

In early August, Russia, the United States, and Saudi Arabia agreed to renew and strengthen efforts to reach a political solution in Syria. These renewed suspicions between the two powers threaten to shake the foundations of this agreement. If both the US and the Russian Federation want peace in Syria, which could potentially be in both of their best interests, then they need to put these suspicions aside for the time being and work together to find a workable solution.

Uzbekistan Asked to Join Anti-ISIS Coalition

The Uzbekistan Military.

The United States has recently asked the Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan to join its coalition against the Islamic State, Radio Free Europe reports. This could mean that the West could be working alongside the totalitarian regime very soon in order to combat the terrorist group.

The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central Asia, Daniel Rosenblum, visited the capital of Tashkent in late August, and told reporters that he had invited the nation to join the coalition in “any way it sees fit.” This does not necessarily mean military action, however. Uzbekistan’s involvement could include intelligence gathering, or just helping to stop the flow of terrorists joining the group from this region. Uzbek President Islam Karimov has already ruled out the presence of any foreign military bases in his country.

With 31 million people, the majority of whom are Muslim, Uzbekistan is by far the most populated country in Central Asia. During the first few years of the US War in Afghanistan, they were a key NATO ally in fighting the Taliban. Islamic extremism remains a constant threat in the country: going as far back to 1999, where car bombings ended up killing 16 people and injuring over a hundred, to today, when a bomb was set off in Tashkent outside of a Mosque. Like many of the other countries in the region, Uzbekistan is very vulnerable to terrorism.

However, the threat of terrorism does not exempt the Uzbek government from its actions. In 1999, when the car bombs went off, Karimov used the recent violence as an excuse to crack down on religious dissent, or any dissent for that matter. Although the country has a Muslim majority, the government has persecuted Muslims particularly harshly. Obidkhon Qori Nazarov, an Uzbek imam who fled the country and sought asylum in Sweden, was even killed three years ago, and recent reports by Sweden suggest that it was Uzbekistan behind the assassination.

The persecution of Muslims did not stop the United States from seeking cooperation with Uzbekistan. The country was still considered a regional ally for quite some time. However, this cooperation slowed significantly after the Andijan Massacre of 2005, when Uzbek policemen fired on protesters, with estimates of those dead ranging from 187 (government estimates) to 1500 (according to an Uzbek defector). The West heavily criticized the Uzbek government, and Uzbekistan pivoted closer towards Russia and China.

But this separation may be coming quickly to an end. ISIS is a problem for both Uzbekistan and the United States. In his visit to Tashkent, Daniel Rosenblum hailed the Uzbek government for ending child labor in its cotton fields. His only complaint was the little fact that Uzbekistan still has forced labor for adults in picking cotton. But sadly, this was glossed over for the sake of the renewed cooperation between the two countries. No mention seemed to be made of the persecution of Muslims in the country.

While fighting against the Islamic State is not necessarily a bad thing, when dealing with one of the most repressive countries in the entire world, it is probably best to try to at least address some of the major issues still in the country.