Window on Eurasia

Bombing of Mosque Near Moscow Denounced as ‘Provocation’

Paul Goble

July 5, 2006 – Less than a day after President Vladimir Putin told a Moscow meeting of international religious leaders that “tolerance” forms “the basis of civil peace in contemporary Russia,” a person or persons unknown attempted to blow up a Muslim prayer hall in a city near the Russian capital.

That action enraged Russia’s Muslim leaders, many of whom told Muslim
news outlets that it represented “a provocation” by forces in the
Russian Federation who want to undermine President Putin’s efforts to
build bridges to Muslims both at home and abroad
[http://www.islamnews.ru/index.php?name=Articles&file=article&sid=499].

Russian political and cultural figures also have described the bombing
as “provocation” against Putin, but what is striking is the efforts
by Russian media outlets such as Interfax to play down the story either
by providing late and fragmentary coverage of this outrage or by
devoting most of their stories to the denunciations of it.

Based on various reports, the facts of the case seem to be these.
Sometime around 2:30 am on July 4 Moscow time an explosion occurred at
or near the entrance of the mosque in Yakhroma, destroying some of its
facilities and knocking out not only its windows and doors but also
glass in neighboring buildings.

An employee of the mosque was called to the scene on his cellphone and
told IslamNews.ru that “judging by the destruction, the explosives
used were much more powerful than a grenade.” Shortly thereafter, he
said, representatives of Russian force structures surrounded the mosque
and began an investigation.

The simple mosque – that is why it has been described as both a
prayer hall and a mosque – was built five years ago, and since that time,
its parioshioners from time to time has had to deal with hostility from the
local Russian population as well as from local Russian police
officials.

At one time, the militia of the Dmitrov rayon of Moscow oblast guarded
the mosque and its parishioners during Muslim festivals apparently to
protect them from any attacks by local people. But on other occasions,
the militia harassed parishioners and visitors to the mosque.

In the summer of 2004, for example, the militia detained a group of
students from central Moscow who had come to the Yakhroma mosque to
take part in a ceremony there. After putting the students in militia cars
and taking them beyond the borders of Dmitrov rayon, the militiamen
reportedly “recommended” that the students not come again.

Given this history, the Yakhroma mosque near Moscow would appear to be
a perfect target for those interested in staging a provocation against
Putin on this occasion. But given the number of attacks on mosques
around the Russian Federation in recent months, it is also possible
that this attack was simply the latest in this string of outrages.