Chechens Living in Georgia Fearful Greater Russian Role There Turning to More Radical Versions of Islam

Paul Goble
    Staunton, Feb. 7 – The Chechens living in the Republic of Georgia and especially those in the Pankisi Gorge are divided about the protests against the ruling party in that country, but many of them are fearful that Russian influence in Georgia will increase and bring with it an influx of Kadyrov supporters and are turning to more radical versions of Islam.
    That is perhaps the most important message of a survey of the attitudes of Georgia’s Chechens to ongoing protests against the ruling party offered by Mairbek Vachagayev who writes for Radio Liberty’s North Caucasian service (kavkazr.com/a/gruzinskie-chechentsy-i-protesty-v-tbilisi/33303222.html).
    How far this radicalization of opinion has gone is uncertain, but it does mean that the Chechens of Georgia are going to be increasingly at odds with the Chechen diaspora in Europe (windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2025/01/secularist-and-democratic-ichkerian.html) and may ultimately be influenced by the increasingly Islamic message emanating from Ramzan Kadyrov (windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2025/02/kadyrov-working-to-create-chechnya.html).