The New Muslims in Russia

Abstract

The article tackles the issue of conversion of Slavic Russians to Islam. The phenomenon is not new; it dates back to the 19th century and was connected with the Caucasian war. Nowadays, converts to Islam are usually young people, mainly students. The reasons for their conversion are diverse; thus, this is not a monolithic group. It consists of certain specific types that can be distinguished on the basis of the reasons for their conversion to Islam. This article categorises the new Russian Muslims under study, which are believed to be composed of four separate groups: people who married a Muslim, those attracted by the mysticism of religion (looking for God), people who consciously accept Islam as a religion with a tangible historical, ethnographic and cultural heritage, and finally those who are attracted by radical Islamic movements