The Islamization of the Russian Military

Based on this Interfax report, Russia’s ability to combat Islamist separatism within its borders — not to mention in the “Near Abroad” — may be hampered by demographic trends within its own military forces:

Volga-Urals Military District Has More Muslims Than Orthodox

Yekaterinburg/Moscow, February 9, Interfax — Most believers in the troops of the Volga-Urals Military District are Muslims, a source in the military district headquarters told Interfax on Tuesday, citing recent polls.

“A survey indicates that about 50% of those in the military district’s troops are Muslims, 40% Orthodox and 10% Protestants. The Muslims’ preeminence over the Orthodox in the military district troops has never been reported before,” the source said.

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No religious conflicts have been reported in the Volga-Urals Military District, or instances when servicemen would refuse to take the military oath or to dodge service on religious grounds.

Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Pankov earlier said that most believers in the armed force are Orthodox Christians, about 13% Muslims, some 3% Buddhists and 4% profess other religions, according to polls.

“The situation in the Volga-Urals Military District indicates that the exterritorial principle is being fully observed when troops are being formed, ex-head of the Defense Ministry’s Personnel Department Yevgeny Vysotsky told Interfax.



Hat tip: Fjordman.

9 thoughts on “The Islamization of the Russian Military

  1. Volga-Urals is where Tatarstan and Bashkiria are located. These always were Muslim majority (little over 50%) regions. But the local strand of Islam is nothing of the sort, the Russians are fighting in the Caucasus. In fact it is very relaxed.

    By the same logic we could argue that fighting Taliban using the Afghan national army is wrong.

  2. Leo —

    Actually, I object strongly to exactly that policy.

    And, after the Ft. Hood massacre, I think our policy of allowing Muslims into our own military is questionable. At least until the current war is definitively over and won. Which it won’t be for at least a generation — if ever.

  3. The Islamization of the World
    Who will/can fight the uterus-power?
    More shattering than V1 – V2 – or any nuke!

    Forecasts from the United States’ Population Reference Bureau show Israel’s population doubling in 45 years, that of the West Bank in 21 years and that of Gaza in 15 years. In other words, Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, and Israeli Arabs will outnumber the Jewish population by 2020.

    David Landau, editor of the English-language edition of the newspaper Ha’aretz, has warned of a “cataclysmic” demographic challenge if Jews lose their majority status in their own country. He told a symposium in San Francisco that he feared Palestinians would abandon calls for a two-state solution and insist on equal voting rights within a wider Israel – which would end the Zionist dream.

    The “decent old” Yasser Arafat – in the late 1980s declared that the “Palestinian womb” was his people’s greatest weapon.

  4. @ Baron

    The problem is that the Russian region in question has an endemic Muslim population, there was Islam even before Russian state expanded its borders to include these areas.

    I do not see a Fort Hood scenario or radicalism occurring in this region of Russia. First the majority of soldiers are Muslim, second the Muslim population is endemic and would most likely resist Saudi Arabian imports and third Russians are not Politically Correct.

    The insurrection in Chechnya was in fact fought using Chechens who were not happy with Salafi imports and was successfully neutralized. We might see an occasional last-ditcher blowing himself up but there is no longer a threat of a bunch of militants taking over whole towns or districts.

  5. second the Muslim population is endemic and would most likely resist Saudi Arabian imports

    Why? The Bosnians didn’t.

    I see an Islamic military coup in this region’s future.

  6. Randian, I don’t think you quite understand where Russia is right now. They are, like the China and India, gaining in power. Though they may never achieve superpower status, they are still very powerful, and are not afraid to smack some heads when they need to (remember Georgia 18 months ago?).

    Russia is gaining in confidence in itself and its strength. Though it may have a way to go, there isn’t the same hand-wringing we get here in the West. Thus, I don’t view this as a problem. If the Muslims attempted to mutiny, the rest of the Russian army would promptly blast them into submission (West-backed Georgia really didn’t fare too well now did it?).

    Even if your fears of Islam are true, Russia would not give up without a fight. They are a long way from being dhimmified.

  7. Ethnic Russians are losing 1/2 their population every generation. Should they wait until 75% of the army is Muslim? If they don’t smack heads now, dhimmification is practically a fait accompli in 20 years.

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