Moscow mosque scandal gives Kadyrov reason to demonstrate his influence

Ramzan Kadyrov got involved in the construction of a mosque in Moscow in order to highlight himself as the main defender of Russia’s Muslims and demonstrate his increased influence, although formally he has no right to interfere in any events in another region. This was stated by human rights defenders and a Caucasian expert.

On April 3, when commenting on the protests against the proposed construction of a mosque in Moscow, Ramzan Kadyrov stated that opponents of the construction of the mosque should be mobilized or face trial. Amid a scandal over the construction of a mosque, MMA fighter Mukhammad Mokaev, a native of Dagestan, who lives in the UK, asked to remove the caption “Russia”, indicating his origin, from the broadcasts of his fights. On April 5, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin promised that no mosque would arise near the Holy Lake. According to the Mayor of Moscow, the mosque will be built in another place and its size would be “modest.”

The protest actions took place in Moscow amid the reports about the authorities’ intention to build a mosque near the Holy Lake, where an Orthodox church is located. A video was posted on the Internet in which people in military uniform, who called themselves participants of the special military operation in Ukraine, promised to fight against the participants in the construction of the mosque. The “February Morning” YouTube channel claims that the above statement was made on behalf of the Chechen law enforcement bodies.

The fact that Sergey Sobyanin announced the decision on the mosque after his conversation with Ramzan Kadyrov indicates that the leader of Chechnya began to influence events outside Northern Caucasus, using his role in the special military operation in Ukraine, suggests Svetlana Gannushkina*, the chair of the “Civic Assistance Committee”*.

The human rights defender believes the fact that Sergey Sobyanin had formally made the decision after his conversation with Ramzan Kadyrov raises the Ramzan Kadyrov’s status relative to the heads of other regions.

Human rights defender Oyub Titiev associates the expansion of the Ramzan Kadyrov’s role in the whole Russia with his active participation in the events in Ukraine.

The conversation between Ramzan Kadyrov and Sergey Sobyanin about the mosque construction speaks of the spread of the Chechen leader’s influence throughout Russia, believes Akhmet Yarlykapov, Senior Researcher at the Centre for the Caucasus Studies.

“Here we see the image of Ramzan Kadyrov as the main defender of all Muslims in Russia and the informal leader of all Muslims,” Akhmet Yarlykapov said.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.