‘Domestication’ or Representation? Russia and the Institutionalisation of Islam in Comparative Perspective

Muslim integration in Russia is traditionally treated as a distinct field of research due to the diverse nature of Muslim communities and particular state approaches to ethnic and religious tolerance. The essay discusses Russia's historic engagement with Islam and suggests that some of its contemporary developments should be examined through a comparison of similar and different attempts to institutionalise Islam in Britain and France. The value of such a comparison lies in better understanding similar challenges to promoting moderate forms of Islam and engaging with Muslim representative institutions within different national contexts. Although the three countries developed different policies for integrating Muslim citizens, there is a degree of convergence in state determination to impose tighter security measures while using more integrationist rhetoric. Russia's engagement with Muslim communities provides an interesting hybrid which is partly reminiscent of Britain's multicultural aspirations and partly of France's drive for regulatory efficiency.