Russia's Growing Conflict With Militant Islam

Russia And Islam: The End Of Peaceful Coexistence? -- Economist

Until recently traditional Muslims and Salafists lived harmoniously side-by-side in Tatarstan. No longer.

FOR years Tatarstan was held up as a model of stability and tranquillity as the Muslim-majority republics of the Russian north Caucasus became embroiled in a separatist conflict that spawned a still-continuing civil war along religious lines. More than half of Tatarstan’s 4m people are Sunni Muslims who have long enjoyed friendly relations with the rest of Russia. Kazan, the regional capital on the Volga river 450 miles (724km) east of Moscow, is a prosperous and attractive city.

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My Comment: Historically .... Russia has been in conflict with Islam for centuries. It reached it's peak when the Communists took over, sparking wars and conflicts that were only brutally ended by Stalin. The old conflicts are now coming back (see Chechnya and Dagestan), and for Russia this will probably be their primary national security focus for the rest of this century.