Giulio Meotti : Putin’s Russia claims the role of defender of Christians under Islam

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Fears of Islamic terrorism permeate Russian history. In the nineteenth century, Russian novelists wrote books about Russian officers fighting Islamic warriors in the Caucasus (such as Hadji Murat by Lev Tolstoy). The Russian soldier fights the Islamic warrior, the one struggling to protect the Christian civilization, the other determined to eradicate it.

Now Russia has quickly replaced the United States as the number one enemy of Al Qaeda, the Islamic State and other Sunni jihadist groups motivated by the violent and puritan salafist ideology. Recent Middle Eastern Russian interventions, including those in Syria and Libya, have raised Russia to the status of the main target of the Jihadists. Everywhere it has intervened abroad, Russia seems to have been always moved by a deep fear of Islam. Putin said to CBS’ Charlie Rose that the “most important” reason why Russia came to war in Syria was the “threat of their return.” “They” are the 7,000 Russian Muslims who fought for the Caliphate.

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Some Russian experts, including Alexei Malashenko of the Moscow Carnegie Center and Roman Silantiev of the Ministry of Justice, estimate that there are thousands of Salafist prayer groups in Russia nowadays, with Islam spreading practically in all regions of Russia, including Siberia and even in the Far East. Russia has also an internal demographic fear. A recent report by the Jamestown Foundation entitled “How Islam Will Change Russia” explained this challenge very well: given the demographic changes, Muslims will represent from one-third to half of the Russian population by 2050.

In addition to adventurism in Muslim countries, Russian forces have embarked on a massive counter-insurgency campaign against Islamic militants in its own soil. The jihadists were responsible for major attacks on Russian soil, including the hostage crisis at Moscow’s theater in 2002, the siege in Beslan in 2004, the bombings in Moscow in 2010, and the suicide Attack at the Domodedovo Airport in 2011, to name just a few. And the Russian ambassador in Istanbul was murdered in an art gallery.

During the first Chechen war, from 1994 to 1996, Russia pursued a scorched-earth policy to destroy everything in sight. The blitz of the Red Army in Afghanistan was to prevent the contagion of Khomeini’s Islamic fundamentalism. When Communism collapsed, the leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, wrote a letter to Mikhail Gorbachev, the first message the Iranian leader sent to a foreign head of state. Khomeini invited the head of the most atheistic state of the world to convert to Islam. Khomeini also pulled out a new planisphere published in Tehran, which divided the world into three areas: black for the “great Satan”, the US, red for the “pagan Russia” and its domains, and green for the Islamic Republic that represents the will of Allah.

After the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, Russian President Boris Yeltsin asked Ukraine to remain in union with Russia. “We can not have a situation,” Yeltsin said, “where Russia and Belarus would have two votes as Slavic states against five for Islamic states.” Russia has always justified its interventions in foreign policy with Christian religious rhetoric. As in the war in Kosovo, when the Christian Orthodox imagery launched the myth of Kosovo Polje, where in 1329 Christian Serbs fought against the Turkish-Ottoman invaders, in which the Serb forces, three times less numerous, lost valiantly and marked the Serbian national collective memory. The tumultuous Caucasian scenario is dominated by the clash between Orthodox Christianity and Islam. In Yugoslavia, the Russians supported the Christian Serbs in the war against Bosnian Muslims. In Cyprus, the Russians have defended the Greek-Christian part. The same with Christian Armenia as a bulwark of Christianity against Islamic Turkey. The “third Rome” of the Tsars began proclaiming itself as the defender of Christians oppressed under Islam.

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A copy of Kazan’s Icon of the Mother of God was just sent by the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate to a Christian parish in Syria. The back of the icon carries the inscription: “Gift of the Orthodox Church in the Ekaterinburg diocese in memory of the Russian soldiers who gave their lives in the ancient Syrian land.” Theologians of the Russian Orthodox Church base this myth on the expression Antemurale Christianitatis, the bulwark of Christianity dating back to the era of Turkish expansion in Europe. This vision is also embraced by many of Putin’s allies, the Visegrad-4 led by Viktor Orbán of Hungary.

This Russian Christian propaganda has certainly been influenced by the Soviet past. After 1917, the Soviet Union witnessed the greatest persecution of Christians since the time of Roman emperor Diocletian: 200,000 priests were killed and 41,000 churches were destroyed. A few days ago, the first Easter Mass was celebrated in the great Syrian city of Aleppo after its liberation. The New York Times explained that in addition to strategic and economic interests, a major reason to explain Russian support for Assad’s regime in Syria is the uncompromising position of the Orthodox Church. The Russian Patriarch Kirill evoked, in fact, the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, with its endless “carcasses of defiled churches.”

“For a long time, we’ve been saying that Christians in the Middle East needed a protector,” the Canadian philosopher Mathieu Bock-Côté wrote in Le Figaro. “This has never been truer. But who is willing to play that role? France was, for many years. Over the past few years, Putin’s Russia has claimed that role, as if it was being called to take over as Europe renounces its Christian origins.”

This Russian campaign is aimed also at the West. “Many Euro-Atlantic countries have abandoned their roots, including Christian values,” said Putin. He closely followed the opposition to gay marriage in France and tensions over Muslim migrants in the European Union. Putin then launched a conservative offensive aimed at both Russians and the West. As the Wall Street Journal wrote, “Putin Depicts Russia as a Bulwark Against European Decadence.”

The burden is on the West to prove that it has a better way of life, that its society is not just a “decadent” stereotype, and it didn’t abandon the Eastern Christians under Islam. Otherwise, we cannot complain that Russian has filled that role.

Giulio Meotti, cultural editor for Il Foglio, is an Italian journalist and author. He is the author of three books: A New Shoah: The Untold Story of Israel’s Victims of Terrorism (Encounter Books); J’Accuse: the Vatican Against Israel (Mantua Books), and La fine dell’Europa, about the Christian and demographic decline in Europe. He is a columnist at Arutz Sheva and his writings have appeared in publications including the Wall Street Journal, FrontPage, Commentary, and The Geller Report.

 

 

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JacksonPearson
JacksonPearson
6 years ago

One just have to look at what Muslim killers did to young Christian children in Beslan to know how evil, and ugly Islam is….:
comment image
“ISLAMOPHOBIC,” YOU DAMN RIGHTS.

Jimmy was a Koranderthal
Jimmy was a Koranderthal
6 years ago
Reply to  JacksonPearson

Completely true. In humane cowards who targeted kids. Vile.

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Deborahjholliday
6 years ago

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Biff Henderson
Biff Henderson
6 years ago
Reply to  JacksonPearson

How can Russia be a defender pf Christianity and be in bed with Iran and Hezbolll’ah? Russia picked a side of the sectarian divide. When real politik dictates a temporary reprieve of a persecuted class, you can’t claim that as a victory for the People of the Book. When Russia’s war making capability and or arms are no longer useful they’ll get kicked to the curb like every infidel power that was duped into backing one faction of this murderous cult.

Dennis
Dennis
6 years ago

Articles like this bring home the message that so-called religion, in and of itself, has triggered more violence, followed by death and injury, than any other natural cause, and all at the hands of the human species. While today it appears that only one religion has as its under core the concept of dominance and subjugation with death and slavery resulting from a non-believers refusal to accept that so-called “religion” ( although I consider it to be a fascist type philosophy), that philosophy is Islam, especially the Salafist variety that is practiced by countries like Iran, and by those many groups supported by those believers that accept the false and manufactured justification for their heinous conduct from the interpretations given to its so-called original “prophet” Mohammed. Knowing all this should be a trigger for a world of cooperation by those who would be subject to the heinous conduct of these insane believers. Yet, there seems to me to be no attempt to activate within the world of those who reject the philosophy promoted by Islam any effort to jointly act in concert to eradicate this foul belief system. With the gathering storm that represents the acquisition of nuclear weapons by now North Korea, and soon Iran, do not we understand what tyranny we are facing from these crazies out there. It is time to act, before it becomes too late. When will we see that light clearly.

Jimmy was a Koranderthal
Jimmy was a Koranderthal
6 years ago
Reply to  Dennis

Excellent post. Very respectfully (genuinely) – just one point – Salafism is practiced and stems from Sunni Saudi. Though I totally agree Iran is very dangerous. All the best, Sir.

IzlamIsTyranny
IzlamIsTyranny
6 years ago

It could be a lying Sunni, trying to get the stupid kafir to think that it’s the Shiites that are the problem and not the Sunnis.

Jimmy was a Koranderthal
Jimmy was a Koranderthal
6 years ago
Reply to  IzlamIsTyranny

So much taqqiyah around it is hard to tell sometimes. Bloody Islam.

IzlamIsTyranny
IzlamIsTyranny
6 years ago
Reply to  Dennis

WRONG. “Salafist” islum isn’t practiced in Iran, it’s Shiite islum.

Phil McDonald
Phil McDonald
6 years ago

Christians in Syria and Libya are thankful for Russian involvement.

knightsstrength
knightsstrength
6 years ago
Reply to  Phil McDonald

We forget these lands were basically Christian before Islam. There was no Islam before 610 AD

hmmmm
hmmmm
6 years ago

Putin – Islam should not to be mentioned alongside terrorism

Mahou Shoujo
Mahou Shoujo
6 years ago

rome is nothing, at best, the point source for crislam, leading to submission of Christianity to islam, lead by the very people that should be defending Christianity against the devil of islam. Russian and the Eastern Church are the true custodians of Christianity. It is now time for Christians to follow the lead of the Russian and other orthodox churches in first preserving Christianity as Christian, then, the total destruction of islam.

soundclick.com/Globalfirm
soundclick.com/Globalfirm
6 years ago

We need a coalition against Islam of all who are intellectually, morally capable of condemning Islam & enacting ethics: human rights & ecology: Israel, Poland, Russia, USA, Africa, China, Australia worldwide.
Russia failed to destroy U.S.-armed Islamistisis.
Only “God” can save us, but who believes in him is a fool, as God is just an action-figure in a fantasy-story of theism.
Meanwhile people quarrel about globalism & nationalism, left & right, while what really matters is the quality of the products we consume, ecological best quality basics cultivation, automization, human rights & ecology, English language.
Life is a product, too.
# Ban Islam save lives worldwide & free the Leavenworth 10, the Biafra-leader, the African slaves from Saudi Arabia to Mauritania, Israeli soldier Azaria & so on.

Robinske2
Robinske2
6 years ago

For at least the last 30 years, America’s ruling class have chosen to attempt to make the United States an ally of Islam. The results have been a disaster. In hindsight, the US would have been far better off not helping the Muslims against Russia in Afghanistan. Had Russia been in control- there would have been no 9/11.

gfmucci
gfmucci
6 years ago

The US is becoming increasingly un- and anti-Christian.
The US is becoming increasingly decadent.
The US is becoming increasingly a defender, if not a promoter, of Islam.
The direction of the US is causing Russia to appear more moderate, more Christian, more moral, and more anti-Islam than the US.

Mark Steiner
Mark Steiner
6 years ago
Reply to  gfmucci

It is judgment of a nation not only in decline, but one that went over the line for the last time June 26, 2015. There is no return, no remedy, It will continue. God will not be mocked.

katzkiner
katzkiner
6 years ago
Reply to  gfmucci

Speak for yourself buddy, Americans HATE islam.
We really screwed up when Barry was elected but I seriously doubt another muslim will ever darken the White House door.
In fact, muslims do not have to do much more jihad crap over here and they will get a magic carpet ride back to haji land.
They have seriously worn out any welcome they ever had in the USA.

iprazhm
iprazhm
6 years ago
Reply to  katzkiner

Yet the majority of Americans do very little, if anything to stop the rise of Islam and Sharia law in their country. Entire cities are now almost completely Islamic, majority muslim with loud speakers throughout that blast muslim prayers five times a day. Many U.S. taxpayer funded public schools require students to recite the shahada prayer of conversion to islam. How many mosques or islamic centers are in your town?

katzkiner
katzkiner
6 years ago
Reply to  iprazhm

To a degree you are correct.
But, that is being dismantled.
Americans went along with Barry’s love of islam not wanting to appear “intolerant”.
When Alluah’s boys are killing some innocent people daily even the most sponge headed American can see islam should not be tolerated for a minute.
It will be a cold day in hell before DHS gives ” active shooter” training to mosques again.
The USA is deporting 5000 Somoli’s at this moment.
We are just getting started.
In a country of 300 million loaded guns an Islamic takeover is far from a sure thing.
Armed Americans have staged protests at mosques they found offensive.
Ain’t gonna happen haji.comment image

iprazhm
iprazhm
6 years ago
Reply to  katzkiner

Do you really find the deportation of 5000 Somalis impressive? That’s like the federal government dropping a nickle into our over 20 trillion debt…it’s only a drop in the bucket. It would be nothing for the government to gather up 500,000 illegal refugees this week and deport them next week. We aren’t some third world nation with little to no resources. We have moved that many troops in a weekend.
Trump’s advisers and probably hundreds of his supporters who have access to him, let him know (as if he didn’t already) that the constitution already gives the federal government authority over immigration and all he need do is ignore the rogue courts. He chose to pretend he had to stop his promised muslim deportation and extreme vetting. Not one mosque, islamic center or muslim militant training ground has been searched and shut down. BUT in Worth County, GA JUST the sheriff and his deputies, on April 14, took over Worth County High School and illegally detained and searched every single child in the school, all 900 of them — with no probable cause —.
Those 300 million civilian guns haven’t saved a single life in any of the many group or individual islamic terrorist attacks on our soil, that I know of.
Take off your rose colored glasses friend and put down the koolaid.

katzkiner
katzkiner
6 years ago
Reply to  iprazhm

Oh, I see your point.
You are right, it is inevitable, you should go commit suicide.comment image

iprazhm
iprazhm
6 years ago
Reply to  katzkiner

People like you can’t be reasoned with. You want everyone to pretend there isn’t a problem, because you don’t want to deal with it. Then when the problem reaches critical mass and implodes, you blame everyone else. That attitude of ignoring the problem, has caused the deaths of every American who has died in terrorist attacks in America to date.

@MadJewessWoman
@MadJewessWoman
6 years ago
Reply to  gfmucci

All true and very sick and sad.

IzlamIsTyranny
IzlamIsTyranny
6 years ago

No one defended Cyprus when the f’ing Turkish muslums invaded 40% of it, annexed it and ethnically cleansed it of non-muslims.

knightsstrength
knightsstrength
6 years ago

I find this video a very important in understanding the divisions in the Eastern, Oriental and other Churches. The Roman Catholic Church not memtioned but was there, and Conatantine the Great supporting the Roman Catholics. Just like the many who were Traditors, Constantine became one betraying Christ in his baptism to Roman Catholic

Note the word Catholic is used, it does not refer to the Roman Catholic. In the way it is used here as Catholic, it means universal

Q&A: What is the difference between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Church?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=485xaSJ4NyA

The Donatist Controversy: The Most Important Heresy… You’ve Never Heard Of
http://gregsvoboda.com/2013/01/the-donatist-controversy-the-most-important-heresy-youve-never-heard-of/

Traditores
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditors

Miaphysitism
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miaphysitism

To me the Donatist becsme the Eastern, Greek, Oriental and Baptist

knightsstrength
knightsstrength
6 years ago

What I hate about many people today they keep their views to themselves, than listen to the truth from us, but keep on hearing what Islam promotes.

I had to tell one person today about woman’s worth and lies of Islam. If I lose them at least I tried to save them.

A friend always warns of dangers

IzlamIsTyranny
IzlamIsTyranny
6 years ago

Putin, defender of Christians? LOL. Is Russia taking in Christian refugees from Africa and the Mid-East?

@MadJewessWoman
@MadJewessWoman
6 years ago
Reply to  IzlamIsTyranny

Russia takes in Christians from Syria.

IzlamIsTyranny
IzlamIsTyranny
6 years ago

I’m surprised, maybe Putin isn’t as bad as I thought. I’d even trust him, if he wasn’t in bed w/the Iranian mullahcracy, Erodgan and Abbas (the paleswine piglet).

@MadJewessWoman
@MadJewessWoman
6 years ago
Reply to  IzlamIsTyranny

Its not that he is ‘good or bad’ because we dont know that.
Its the fact that this post is true.

IzlamIsTyranny
IzlamIsTyranny
6 years ago

What is true, is that scumbag Putin invited the muslum pig and piglet Erdogan and Abbas to consecrate a mosquestrosity in Moscow. What is true is that Putin (spit) brokered a deal to sell advanced AA missile batteries to Iran (spit again).

@MadJewessWoman
@MadJewessWoman
6 years ago
Reply to  IzlamIsTyranny

He also helped build any # of synagogues in Russia as well as told Jews all over the world that they will always have a home in Russia as long as he is alive.
So, the evil Putin is half good half bad.

Drew the Infidel
Drew the Infidel
6 years ago

Ever the committed dreamer for the return of the Soviet Union, Putin conveniently omits mentioning the fact that after eight years of Obhammud’s insipid “leading from behind” policy, the Russians enjoy a presence and place of prominence in the Middle East they haven’t had in over forty years. This was due to the efforts of President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

iprazhm
iprazhm
6 years ago

U.S. leaders are ignorant of history and do NOTHING to safeguard their country or people from the absolute evil of Islam, but disastrously invite it inside their borders, illegally placing the immigrant/refugee above the citizen. Until these miscreants in government are replaced and their seditious practices reversed, America’s days are numbered.

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