Shariat Jamaat
Encyclopedia
Jamaat Shariat, officially the Islamic Jamaat of Dagestan "Shariat" and also known as Shari’ah Jamaat, is the largest Islamist
militant organization in the Russia
n republic of Dagestan
, North Caucasus
. The Jamaat, created during the Second Chechen War
in favor of Dagestan's independence as an Islamic state
, is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Russian security and military personnel, officials, and civilians. The group is closely associated with the separatist conflicts in the nearby Russian republics of Chechnya
and Ingushetia
and is also known to have members and bases in Azerbaijan
.
The Jamaat Shariat claims to be "legitimate authority of Dagestan" with the aim of establishing a "fair society" based on sharia
law. To achieve this end, the Jamaat considers it legitimate to target police and security officials and some civilians such as the government-loyalist Muslim
clergy and clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church
. The Jamaat says that peace talks with Russia are hypothetically possible, but only when Russia withdraws its troops from the region and provides security guarantees. Otherwise, the group claims, it is prepared for a long-term guerrilla war of attrition
that may be broadened to encompass the whole of the Russian Federation, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. As of 2010, the ongoing violence has plunged the multiethnic and corruption- and poverty-plagued republic into near civil war.
) following the near-destruction of the much smaller Dagestani militant group called Jennet (Arabic: Paradise). In 1999, Makasharipov fought against the government during the abortive rebel invasion of Dagestan from Chechnya. After moving to fight in Chechnya, he went back to his homeland in 2002 and set up Jennet (Dzhennet), whose principal objective was to eliminate senior officers of the security forces in Dagestan.
The group was loyal to the Chechen commander Shamil Basayev
and its center of operations was the republic's capital of Makhachkala
along with the nearby Tarki
-Tau Mountain. The insurgents managed to assassinate several important figures such as Kamil Etinbekov, the Federal Security Service's territorial head of counterintelligence and counterterrorism; Akhberdilav Akilov, head of the police department for the struggle against extremism and criminal terrorism, and 28 officers of his department; and Magomed Gusayev, the minister of national policy, information, and external relations. The 2002 Kaspiysk bombing
, in which 43 soldiers and civilians were killed at a military parade, was also blamed on Makasharipov, although he rejected any responsibility and instead blamed the FSB director Nikolay Patrushev.
for "Islamic Law Community"). The new group, much larger and more decentralized (including the semi-autonomous local jamaats in Buinaksk, Gubden, Khasavyurt
and Kaspiysk
), is loosely organized mostly into many small clandestine urban cells, some with only three to five people, with a particularly strong presence in Makachkala. The Jamaat also maintains several larger guerrilla subunits of up to 15 fighters each, which are based in the forested and mountainous areas of Dagestan and occasionally engage in relatively large battles against Russian special forces backed by artillery and air support (such as a battle in March 2009 in which 16 rebels and at least five Russian troops were killed).
The new group gradually became less discriminating in their attacks, targeting even rank-and-file traffic police officers, and killing more than 40 policemen in the first half year of 2005. In May 2005 it became part of the umbrella organization Caucasian Front
established by the new president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Sheikh Abdul Halim
, following the death of his predecessor Aslan Maskhadov
. The group is believed to be responsible for many high-profile attacks such as the bombing
which killed more than 10 Russian special forces soldiers in Makhachkala and the assassination of the republic's deputy Interior Minister, General Magomed Omarov
in 2005.
Makasharipov was killed during a shootout with Russian troops on 6 July 2005, and his deputy Rabbani (Rappani Khalilov
) then took over command. Rabbani was said to be an extremely popular with the youth and was able to recruit hundreds of fighters into Jamaat's ranks. He was closely allied with the Chechen rebels and the commander of foreign fighters in the Caucasus, Abu Hafs al-Urduni
, and was killed in a house siege by the Russian special forces on 17 September 2007.
With the statements of the new Chechen separatist leader Dokka Umarov, published by Kavkaz Center
on 1 October 2007, Khalilov was replaced by his deputy, Abdul Majid (Ilgas Malachiyev). Majid had begun his career during the Second Chechen War, fighting under Mashkadov and Ibn al-Khattab
, before joining the Jamaat in 2005; this helped legitimize him as a rebel leader in Dagestan with the leaderships of both Chechen rebels and foreign fighters. Abdul Majid took the Jamaat oath to not attack civilians and was credited with bringing order to the group after the death of Khalilov. On 8 September 2008, he was killed in a battle in southern Dagestan on the border with Azerbaijan in a joint operation of Russian and Azeri special forces. Following the death of Abu Majid, Umarov (now as the leader of the self-styled Caucasus Emirate
) appointed Emir Muaz (Omar Sheikhulayev) to lead the Dagestani Jamaat. Emir Muaz was killed on 5 February 2009 in a gunfight with Russian special forces in a suburb of Makachkala. He was replaced two months later by Emir Bara (Umalat Magomedov), who was in turn killed in a shootout at a police checkpoint in Makachkala on 31 December 2009. His place was then taken by Magomed Vagabov, whose leadership has apparently resulted in the end to the ban on indiscrimante attacks against clearly civilian targets. Vagabov was killed in a firefight when the federal forces surrounded him a house in the village of Gunib
on 21 August 2010.
The continued new upsurge of violence in Dagestan since 2008 included the killing of Gen. Valery Lipinsky, the first deputy head of the Internal Troops
in the North Caucasus; the sniper assassination of Dagestan's Interior Minister, Gen. Adilgerei Magomedtagirov
; and the massacre of four policemen and seven alleged prostitutes at a bathhouse in Makhachkala. In 2009, at least 58 police officers were killed in Dagestan. The Jamaat has since been responsible for a suicide attack on 6 January 2010 that killed six policemen; twin bombings
in which two female bombers killed more than 40 people in the Moscow Metro
in March 2010; and several suicide attacks against Russian security and military installations (such as the double bombing
which killed 12 in Kizlyar
). As of late 2010, the Jamaat's current spiritual leader is Emir Hassan (Israpil Velijanov). Israpil Velijanov was killed in the spring of 2011.
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
militant organization in the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n republic of Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
, North Caucasus
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus is the northern part of the Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and within European Russia. The term is also used as a synonym for the North Caucasus economic region of Russia....
. The Jamaat, created during the Second Chechen War
Second Chechen War
The Second Chechen War, in a later phase better known as the War in the North Caucasus, was launched by the Russian Federation starting 26 August 1999, in response to the Invasion of Dagestan by the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade ....
in favor of Dagestan's independence as an Islamic state
Islamic State
An Islamic state is a type of government, in which the primary basis for government is Islamic religious law...
, is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Russian security and military personnel, officials, and civilians. The group is closely associated with the separatist conflicts in the nearby Russian republics of Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
and Ingushetia
Ingushetia
The Republic of Ingushetia is a federal subject of Russia , located in the North Caucasus region with its capital at Magas. In terms of area, the republic is the smallest of Russia's federal subjects except for the two federal cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg...
and is also known to have members and bases in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
.
The Jamaat Shariat claims to be "legitimate authority of Dagestan" with the aim of establishing a "fair society" based on sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
law. To achieve this end, the Jamaat considers it legitimate to target police and security officials and some civilians such as the government-loyalist Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
clergy and clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
. The Jamaat says that peace talks with Russia are hypothetically possible, but only when Russia withdraws its troops from the region and provides security guarantees. Otherwise, the group claims, it is prepared for a long-term guerrilla war of attrition
War of Attrition
The international community and both countries attempted to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The Jarring Mission of the United Nations was supposed to ensure that the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 242 would be observed, but by late 1970 it was clear that this mission had been...
that may be broadened to encompass the whole of the Russian Federation, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. As of 2010, the ongoing violence has plunged the multiethnic and corruption- and poverty-plagued republic into near civil war.
Jennet
Shariat Jamaat was established by Emir Rasul (Rasul MakasharipovRasul Makasharipov
Rasul Makasharipov nicknamed Muslim and also known as Emir Rasul was a Dagestani Islamist leader in southern Russia...
) following the near-destruction of the much smaller Dagestani militant group called Jennet (Arabic: Paradise). In 1999, Makasharipov fought against the government during the abortive rebel invasion of Dagestan from Chechnya. After moving to fight in Chechnya, he went back to his homeland in 2002 and set up Jennet (Dzhennet), whose principal objective was to eliminate senior officers of the security forces in Dagestan.
The group was loyal to the Chechen commander Shamil Basayev
Shamil Basayev
Shamil Salmanovich Basayev was a Chechen militant Islamist and a leader of the Chechen rebel movement.Starting as a field commander in the Transcaucasus, Basayev led guerrilla campaigns against the Russian troops for years, as well as launching mass-hostage takings of civilians, with his goal...
and its center of operations was the republic's capital of Makhachkala
Makhachkala
-Twin towns/sister cities:Makhachkala is twinned with: Sfax, Tunisia Siping, China Spokane, United States Vladikavkaz, Russia Yalova, Turkey Ndola, Zambia-See also:*...
along with the nearby Tarki
Tarki
Tarki is an urban locality under the administrative jurisdiction of Sovetsky City District of the city of Makhachkala in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, situated on the Tarkitau Mountain. Population:...
-Tau Mountain. The insurgents managed to assassinate several important figures such as Kamil Etinbekov, the Federal Security Service's territorial head of counterintelligence and counterterrorism; Akhberdilav Akilov, head of the police department for the struggle against extremism and criminal terrorism, and 28 officers of his department; and Magomed Gusayev, the minister of national policy, information, and external relations. The 2002 Kaspiysk bombing
2002 Kaspiysk bombing
2002 Kaspiysk bombing was a May 9, 2002, attack which ripped through the military parade to commemorate the 57th anniversary of Soviet victory in the World War II on Lenin Street in the city of Kaspiysk, Dagestan...
, in which 43 soldiers and civilians were killed at a military parade, was also blamed on Makasharipov, although he rejected any responsibility and instead blamed the FSB director Nikolay Patrushev.
Shariat Jamaat
Following the loss of several of its key leaders in late 2004, remnants of Jennet were re-organized and transformed into Sharia Jamaat (ArabicArabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
for "Islamic Law Community"). The new group, much larger and more decentralized (including the semi-autonomous local jamaats in Buinaksk, Gubden, Khasavyurt
Khasavyurt
Khasavyurt is a city in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. Population: It was founded in 1846 and granted town status in 1931. The main local industries are food processing, brick making and garment making....
and Kaspiysk
Kaspiysk
Kaspiysk , until 1947 known as Dvigatelstroy , is a city in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, located on the Caspian Sea, southeast of Makhachkala. Population: 43,000 ....
), is loosely organized mostly into many small clandestine urban cells, some with only three to five people, with a particularly strong presence in Makachkala. The Jamaat also maintains several larger guerrilla subunits of up to 15 fighters each, which are based in the forested and mountainous areas of Dagestan and occasionally engage in relatively large battles against Russian special forces backed by artillery and air support (such as a battle in March 2009 in which 16 rebels and at least five Russian troops were killed).
The new group gradually became less discriminating in their attacks, targeting even rank-and-file traffic police officers, and killing more than 40 policemen in the first half year of 2005. In May 2005 it became part of the umbrella organization Caucasian Front
Caucasian Front (Chechen War)
The Caucasian Front also called Caucasus Front or the Caucasian Mujahadeen, was formally established in May 2005 as an Islamic structural unit of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria's armed forces by the decree of the separatist President of Chechnya Abdul-Halim Sadulayev during the Second Chechen...
established by the new president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Sheikh Abdul Halim
Sheikh Abdul Halim
Abdul-Halim Salamovich Sadulayev was the fourth President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria...
, following the death of his predecessor Aslan Maskhadov
Aslan Maskhadov
Aslan Aliyevich Maskhadov was a leader of the Chechen separatist movement and the third President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.He was credited by many with the Chechen victory in the First Chechen War, which allowed for the...
. The group is believed to be responsible for many high-profile attacks such as the bombing
Makhachkala Rus bombing
Makhachkala Rus bombing was a July 1, 2005 incident in which at least 11 members of the elite Rus unit of the Russian federal Internal Troops were killed and 25 people wounded in the bomb attack outside a public bath in Makhachkala, Dagestan....
which killed more than 10 Russian special forces soldiers in Makhachkala and the assassination of the republic's deputy Interior Minister, General Magomed Omarov
Magomed Omarov
Magomed Omarov was the deputy Interior Minister for the Russian republic of Dagestan. He was assassinated by gunmen a month after the government announced they prevented a "terrorist attack." Omarov had coordinated all major anti-insurgent operations in the republic and had narrowly escaped...
in 2005.
Makasharipov was killed during a shootout with Russian troops on 6 July 2005, and his deputy Rabbani (Rappani Khalilov
Rappani Khalilov
Rappani Khalilov , also known as Rabbani, was the militant leader of the Shariat Jamaat of the Caucasian Front during the Second Chechen War, in the volatile southern Russian republic of Dagestan...
) then took over command. Rabbani was said to be an extremely popular with the youth and was able to recruit hundreds of fighters into Jamaat's ranks. He was closely allied with the Chechen rebels and the commander of foreign fighters in the Caucasus, Abu Hafs al-Urduni
Abu Hafs al-Urduni
Abu Hafs al-Urduni , also transliterated as Abu Hafs al-Urdani was a Mujahid Emir fighting in Chechnya. After Abu al-Walid’s death in April 2004, he assumed command of the Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya...
, and was killed in a house siege by the Russian special forces on 17 September 2007.
With the statements of the new Chechen separatist leader Dokka Umarov, published by Kavkaz Center
Kavkaz Center
The Kavkaz Center is a privately run website by pro-Chechen which aims to be "a Chechen internet agency which is independent, international and Islamic" that "does not represent the viewpoint of any state structures"...
on 1 October 2007, Khalilov was replaced by his deputy, Abdul Majid (Ilgas Malachiyev). Majid had begun his career during the Second Chechen War, fighting under Mashkadov and Ibn al-Khattab
Ibn al-Khattab
Samir Saleh Abdullah Al-Suwailem , more commonly known as Emir Khattab meaning Commander Khattab, or Leader Khattab, and also known as Habib Abdul Rahman, was a Muslim guerilla fighter and financier working with Chechen Mujahideen in the First Chechen War...
, before joining the Jamaat in 2005; this helped legitimize him as a rebel leader in Dagestan with the leaderships of both Chechen rebels and foreign fighters. Abdul Majid took the Jamaat oath to not attack civilians and was credited with bringing order to the group after the death of Khalilov. On 8 September 2008, he was killed in a battle in southern Dagestan on the border with Azerbaijan in a joint operation of Russian and Azeri special forces. Following the death of Abu Majid, Umarov (now as the leader of the self-styled Caucasus Emirate
Caucasus Emirate
The Caucasus Emirate also known as the Caucasian Emirate is a self-proclaimed virtual state entity, partially successor to the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and was officially announced on October 31, 2007 by former President of Ichkeria Dokka Umarov, who became the first Emir...
) appointed Emir Muaz (Omar Sheikhulayev) to lead the Dagestani Jamaat. Emir Muaz was killed on 5 February 2009 in a gunfight with Russian special forces in a suburb of Makachkala. He was replaced two months later by Emir Bara (Umalat Magomedov), who was in turn killed in a shootout at a police checkpoint in Makachkala on 31 December 2009. His place was then taken by Magomed Vagabov, whose leadership has apparently resulted in the end to the ban on indiscrimante attacks against clearly civilian targets. Vagabov was killed in a firefight when the federal forces surrounded him a house in the village of Gunib
Gunib
Gunib , also spelled Ghunib, is an aul in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. It is the administrative center of Gunibsky District. Population: 2,406 ; 2,405 ....
on 21 August 2010.
The continued new upsurge of violence in Dagestan since 2008 included the killing of Gen. Valery Lipinsky, the first deputy head of the Internal Troops
Internal Troops
The Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs ; alternatively translated as "Interior " is a paramilitary gendarmerie-like force in the now-defunct Soviet Union and its successor countries, particularly, in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan...
in the North Caucasus; the sniper assassination of Dagestan's Interior Minister, Gen. Adilgerei Magomedtagirov
Adilgerei Magomedtagirov
Adilgerei Magomedtagirov was a Russian politician and general, who served as the Interior Minister of Dagestan, a Russian Republic....
; and the massacre of four policemen and seven alleged prostitutes at a bathhouse in Makhachkala. In 2009, at least 58 police officers were killed in Dagestan. The Jamaat has since been responsible for a suicide attack on 6 January 2010 that killed six policemen; twin bombings
2010 Moscow Metro bombings
The 2010 Moscow Metro bombings were suicide bombings carried out by two womenduring the morning rush hour of March 29, 2010, at two stations of the Moscow Metro , with roughly 40 minutes interval between...
in which two female bombers killed more than 40 people in the Moscow Metro
Moscow Metro
The Moscow Metro is a rapid transit system serving Moscow and the neighbouring town of Krasnogorsk. Opened in 1935 with one line and 13 stations, it was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union. As of 2011, the Moscow Metro has 182 stations and its route length is . The system is...
in March 2010; and several suicide attacks against Russian security and military installations (such as the double bombing
2010 Kizlyar bombings
The 2010 Kizlyar bombings were double suicide attacks that occurred on March 31, 2010 in Kizlyar, in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan. 12 people were killed and another 18 injured.-Background:...
which killed 12 in Kizlyar
Kizlyar
Kizlyar is a town in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, located in the delta of the Terek River northwest of Makhachkala. Population: 30,000 ....
). As of late 2010, the Jamaat's current spiritual leader is Emir Hassan (Israpil Velijanov). Israpil Velijanov was killed in the spring of 2011.
External links
Official website- The Roots and Transformation of the Dagestan Insurgency, Jamestown Foundation, 29 September 2010 (UNHCR)