Patriotic loyalty and interest representation among the Russian Islamic elite

Two trends increasingly guiding the governance of Islam in Russia are political authoritarianisation and the global securitisation of Islam. Given that suspicions of loyalty so often configure in public discussions about Islam, Muslim leaders are compelled to continuously emphasise their patriotism. This article analyses recent mediated debates about Islam, in which the discursive boundary between ‘radical, non-traditional’ and ‘moderate, traditional’ Islam are being negotiated. The author argues that in the 2000s, the pressure to display loyalty has narrowed the scope of what is considered acceptable behaviour for Muslim leaders. Yet at the same time, these Muslim leaders cleverly adopt arguments and popular catchwords from the rhetoric of the political elite in order to emphasise the role of Islam in Russian society and tradition. In doing so, they seek to influence public discourse about Russian identity and defend the position of Muslims in the country.