Like reading a page out of West’s Last Chance, Paul Goble, a leading specialist on ethnic minorities in the Russian Federation (and employed by the US government for 25 years as an expert on minorities in the former Soviet Union) claims that within 30 years, Russia will have a Muslim majority:
He has been closely tracking what he describes as a huge demographic shift in Russia, a shift he says will have a major impact on the nation’s relations with western countries.
“Within most of our lifetimes the Russian Federation, assuming it stays within current borders, will be a Muslim country,” he said. “That is it will have a Muslim majority and even before that the growing number of people of Muslim background in Russia will have a profound impact on Russian foreign policy. The assumption in Western Europe or the United States that Moscow is part of the European concert of powers is no longer valid.” [Source]
More after the jump…
The bad news:
Goble says if the Russian government supports a hostile policy toward Islam and the continued suppression of Islamic militants in the troubled republic of Chechnya, the Muslims he predicts could come to power in Moscow will be, as he puts it, “anti-western, radical and dangerous.”
The good news:
Goble says, however, if there is an open dialog with moderate Muslims and an isolation of the small percentage of Islamic radicals, a non-threatening government could emerge.
But Goble cites a “Russian commentator in Moscow” who has predicted that “within the next several decades there will be a mosque on Red Square.”
You can also listen to his report at VOA.
Loading ...
Lars - 
Chad - 
Harry F. Langhorne - 
Kenneth Dean ex 1 BFTS - 
Muslim -
The world is not so slowly being taken over by Islam… I’m an old guy and I won’t be around for the conclusion but it’s coming, because non Muslims don’t have the *wherefore* to fight it and most would rather appease than fight…
Comment by TexasFred — Tuesday, February 28, 2006 @ 10:51 pm CST
Sadly, TexasFred seems to be on the money. It is cultural suicide for both the West and Russia to not find common ground in their efforts against expansionist Islamists.
Too many still sleep while the threat grows. And, apparently, it ain’t considered polite to wake them.
Comment by Gunner — Tuesday, February 28, 2006 @ 11:30 pm CST
Gunner, you know just as well as I do that ‘us Texas folks’ know better than most.
On the issue of Russia, it has baffled me for a great time, and still does, why Russia is fighting radical Islam in Chechnya though is supporting both Syria and Iran. The only conclusion I can come to is that Russia seeks to become a polar force than what is commonly called ‘the West.’ By doing this though they are promoting themselves but at the same time aiding those holding theater goers and students hostage.
Comment by Chad Evans — Wednesday, March 1, 2006 @ 12:01 am CST
Chad, I think the term you’re looking for to describe the actions of Russia is this: Playing both ends against the middle…
Russia is hedging their bets, that’s all… They had their economy flattened by the *Cold War* and then that little *dust-up* in Afghanistan… Putin doesn’t strike me as a leader that’s going to be caught with his britches down..
Comment by TexasFred — Wednesday, March 1, 2006 @ 8:26 am CST
Eastern europe will be majority muslim in 30 years, while the Africa will be majority Christian. It’s like the 1400’s all over again: Spain was re-Christianized about the same time that Constantinople was conquered by the Turks.
I agree with TexasFred in that the West seems to be asleep at the wheel with regards to Islamist expansion. Politcal correctness has stiffled any intelligent discussions about the threat because, God forbid, it may actually offend someone.
Most of the money that is going into Western nations comes form oil rich countries such as Iran and Saudia Arabia. A simple solution to balance the scales is that for every mosque that is funded from abroad, there must be a church erected in that country. For example, if Saudi Arabia finances a mosque (or “Islamic Center”) anywhere in the West, a Church must be built in Saudia Arabia. If that church is destroyed - the mosque comes down.
Comment by florida_hog — Tuesday, April 18, 2006 @ 10:13 am CDT