Nalchik/Agency Caucasus – There is a recent increase in the number of radical Islamists in Kabardino-Balkaria, which might go out of control if not properly fought against, said Arsen Tishkov, Head of the Department for Handling of Organized Crimes.
Security officials were worried about the increasing number of young people supporting actively radical Islamism, Tishkov told a press conference on Thursday.
Security forces can still manage to hold on to control, Tishkov said: "Despite considerable success on our part in battle against religious extremism over the last couple of years, the incidents that took place in both Elbruz and Chegem had negative effects on our performance." Both places saw a series of incidents in which some police officers came under attack and nine hunters were killed.
Tishkov expressed his hope to work in collaboration with the Secretariat of Religion as well as with the State Committee on Youth in the fight against religious extremism: "The currently dominant view is that only security officials can and have to tackle this problem; however, it might get out of our control if it is allowed to go on like that."
In denial of the view that the 13 October 2005 incidents when large groups of young people of Kabardino-Balkaria simultaneously raided 19 buildings of both police and intelligence service as well as government, Tishkov said that those incidents were only meant to be an excuse for destabilization across the country. RE/ÖZ/FT
