As soon as Vladimir Putin's power in the Russian Federation was "miraculously saved" during Prigozhin's "mutiny" and that through the mediation of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a dramatic change in the Russian leader's "preferences" took shape. Namely, he markedly "went towards Muslims". In the literal and figurative sense.

Russian President Vladimir Putin not only congratulated Muslims on Eid al-Fitr. It was during this holiday that he visited the ancient Muslim (historically Azerbaijani) city of Derbent in Dagestan. This was the first time since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic that he had symbolically "merged with the people" by going out to meet the people of the city.

In stark contrast, Vladimir Putin had gone into hiding and did not show his face in public just four days before, during Prigozhin's "mutiny". And, apparently, he was most afraid of his own people, the Russians, suspecting that they might defect to the rebels at any moment. And here, in relation to the Muslims, he demonstrates a marked "unparalleled trust".

During his visit to Dagestan, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Juma mosque in Derbent, considered one of the oldest in the world, where he was presented with a Koran. Zapir Salimov, assistant Mufti of the Republic of Dagestan, presented the Koran to the Russian leader on behalf of all the congregation of the mosque.

"Thank you very much for this gift. It will certainly find its rightful place in the Kremlin," Putin thanked, accepting the Koran with stressed care and reverence. Vladimir Putin stressed that disrespect to the Quran is a crime in Russia.

It is strange and contrived to see how demonstratively Vladimir Putin's "attitude" towards Muslims and the Koran is being shown against the background of blatantly provocative Islamophobic tricks of extremists in Sweden. The Swedish authorities play along and not only encourage aggressive Islamophobia in their own country, but in fact organise blasphemous acts that hurt the feelings of all Muslims in the world. The Swedish police have officially authorised a Quran-burning action with the excuse of "freedom of speech". In other words, this is nothing short of "sanction for sacrilege" by the Swedish authorities. Of the NATO countries, only Turkey strongly condemned the Swedish demarche.

However, one has to realise that the Putin oligarchy has invested enough money in creating various extremist groups in both Europe and North America, which at the right moment make a bid for "freedom of speech" and carry out their next provocative action. These are mostly anti-Islamic actions. Once again they play along with Putin, who has become exactly the "last hope" and he shows emphasized "respect" against the background of hostility towards the Russian leader by both the West and "their" Russian rebels. It is only unclear why the Swedish authorities had to play along with Putin. Why did the Swedish authorities get into "co-operation" with extremists? Just for the principle of freedom of speech? There are a lot of questions.

And Muslims (in Russia for sure) face a very difficult dilemma.  The fact is that Vladimir Putin is in the status of an international pariah by his aggression against Ukraine. In principle, Muslims cannot, by definition, support Putin's unjust and invasive war in Ukraine. It is unacceptable for Muslims to act as suppliers of "cannon fodder" for this war. On the other hand, Putin is showing "respect" for Islam (of course, let's not forget the destroyed cities and villages in Chechnya and Syria and the hundreds of thousands of Muslims killed in Chechnya and Syria by Putin's regime).

A paradox arises, and Muslims are forced to forgive the evil that the same Putin did, including in relation to Muslims? On the other hand, Vladimir Putin has, by and large, no one in his country to rely on but Muslims. Prigozhin's "mutiny" showed that most "Russian" governors and functionaries took an openly wait-and-see attitude and were ready to go over to the side of the rebels.

Varden Tsulukidze