A hideous crime was committed in Russia's Tatarstan Republic. Two women were killed, their bodies were mutilated. The unknown perpetrator used their blood to write "Free Pussy Riot" near the bodies.
Memorial crosses were cut down in several regions of the country. A group called "People's Will" claimed that it was an act of revenge for the verdict against Pussy Riot and for the statements, which the Russian Orthodox Church released regarding Lenin. The Lenin monument in the city of Lipetsk was painted in the colors of Pussy Riot; a balaclava was put on its head. Earlier, a similar act was committed to the monument to Peter I, but the public reaction was weak. Finally, the hallows of Alexander Nevsky, Peter and Fevronia and other 13 Orthodox saints were stolen in St. Petersburg. Those were only pieces of hallows but it seems that the perpetrators deliberately targeted the most famous, influential and widely-known saints.
What does it look like? It looks like as if someone opened fire at a crowd of people. The people who shared communist views were humiliated too, but it seemed to be an act under the banner of revolution and on the wave of anti-clericalism.
It is clear that the prime target of the campaign is the Orthodox believers. As it was expected, the believers organized special teams to protect their temples. As you know, the state has the exclusive right to commit legitimate violence. If this right is eroded, the state can be eroded too.
Now let's look at the Islamic world. It is harder to give this world a shake because of a number of factors. The acts that would have to be conducted for that world would need to be much rougher and larger. Like a string of assassinations of Islamic leaders on the territory from Tatarstan to Dagestan. Do you notice the geography? This is not the Northern Caucasus - this is the entire Muslim part of Russia.
There is only one outcome - radicalization. Two main religions of the country are being pushed hard towards radicalism, targeting the main political forces and social groups as well. The protests against the Pussy Riot verdict take the form of abusive acts committed against important public symbols.
One may say that it is youngsters who commit the acts of vandalism. If so, does it change anything? If we put all the blocks together, the picture is bleak.
One of the problems that Russia has is connected with the fact that a huge number of crimes are investigated effectively only under pressure. If there is adequate pressure shown, even most complicated cases become simple and obvious.
Dmitry Lyskov
Pravda.Ru