Will Englund of the Washington Post writes that young Russians are turning to Islam in search of faith. What is attracting them is simple: they are in search of a way out of the pointlessness of their cataclysmic lives, old identities, old certainties that have proved empty and want to join a global community of believers - "a very pleasant atmosphere and pleasant people" -
which is full of meaning, order and purity and gives them a sense of direction and where they are welcomed like never before. Part of Islam's appeal for them is its promise of simple domestic happiness, a good, respectable life.
Their new faith makes it easier for them to give up drinking, the hanging out on street corners, the sneaking off to a village where they could party all night. They eventually come to understand that the world is full of devils, and that the duty of a good Muslim is to overcome those devils. It is not material poverty that drives young Russians to Islam but a spiritual poverty in a country where every institution, from schools to hospitals to the police, is riddled with cynicism and corruption.
They understand when they embrace Islam that everyone is born a Muslim and it is the parents who turn a person away from religion. Not necessarily one's literal parents, it could be a metaphor for society.
Even thsoe who don't have that troubled background draw deep satisfaction from the rules Islam imposes. That frees up so much and they start paying attention to their souls. They treasure the way Islam allows them to discard life's vanities and spend time on only necessary things in life. Now they know that being Muslim is more important than being a Tatar or a Russian.
They are happy that Islam is helping them find the answers to questions like 'Why am I here? Why will I die? What will happen after I die?' You gradually start to understand who you are and why you were created." Through Islam, all is spelled out. "The prophet showed people everything - from how to go to the toilet to how to run a state."
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