(Not-So-) Radicals: Debating Moderate Salafism in Russia

In the context of traditionalist tendencies in the Russian religious space in 2000–2010, Salafism became the object of intense discursive production. Interpretations range from explicit criticism to the identification of its modernizing potential. The article analyzes various approaches at both federal and local levels, using the regions of Dagestan and Tatarstan as examples. Despite the politically polarized character of the discussion, these actors share important fundamental assumptions. These trends are compared with the French debate by Olivier Roy and Gilles Kepel and are analyzed in relation to secularization theories.