Fatal Explosion Rocks Moscow Market
August 21, 2006 -- An explosion at a Moscow market killed at least seven people today and injured several others.
A spokesperson for the Emergency Situations Ministry says the blast hit the Cherkizovsky market in the northeastern part of the Russian capital at about 10:30 local time.
The ITAR-TASS news agency, citing unnamed police officials, said a gas-cylinder malfunction may have caused the blast. The Interfax news agency quoted an Interior Ministry official as saying terrorism is not suspected in the explosion.
(compiled from agency reports)
A mosque in Baksan, in the Russian Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria (RFE/RL)
THE COMING MUSLIM MAJORITY: On February 28, Russia expert PAUL GOBLE, vice dean of social sciences and humanities at Concordia-Audentes University in Tallinn, Estonia, gave a briefing at RFE/RL's Washington office. Goble said ethographers predict Russia will have a Muslim majority "within our lifetime." Since 1989, Russia's Muslim population has increased by 40 percent, Goble said, rising to some 25 million self-declared Muslims. He said 2.5 million to 3.5 million Muslims now live in Moscow, gving Moscow the largest Muslim population of any city in Europe. Russia today has more than 8,000 mosques, up from just 300 in 1991. By 2010, experts predict, some 40 percent of Russian military conscripts will be Muslims.
Goble noted that these changes have been accompanied by a "rising tide" of anti-Muslim prejudice. Public-opinion surveys reveal that up to "70 percent of ethnic Russians" express sympathy with xenophobic slogans. Goble warned that heavy-handed state efforts to "contain Islam" could backfire and cause groups to move underground, "radicalizing people who are not yet radicalized."
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Listen to the entire briefing (about 85 minutes):
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See also:
Muslims Oppose Bill To Add Chaplains To Army
Russia: Muslims Upset By State Symbols
Russia's Muslims Move Toward Greater Unity
Rights Groups Say Muslims Are Unfairly Targeted In Fight Against Terrorism
Fact Box: Muslims In Russia
THE COMPLETE PICTURE: To view an archive of all of RFE/RL's coverage of Russia's North Caucasus, click here.
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