Snow-Women Versus Post-Secularism: Contemporary Discourse on Mosque Construction in Russia (A Case Study of the Perm Region)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2026.3.3228Keywords:
migrants, anti-migrant sentiment, anti-Islamic sentiment, online activism, Islam in public space, Islamophobia, civil protest, post-secularityAbstract
This article examines the repertoire of anti-migrant and anti-Muslim frames used by opponents of mosque construction in contemporary Russia. The study focuses on the mechanisms of formation and dissemination of these narratives in the media and offline spaces, using the conflict surrounding the construction of a mosque in the Verkhnyaya Kurya microdistrict of Perm as an example.The methodological basis of the study is the interactionist tradition of frame analysis, which is supplemented by the concepts of “domestication” and “securitization” of Islam as interpreted by T. Sunier and G. Cesari, which allows the authors to study how such activism influences the existence of “post-secular” Islam in modern Russian society. Using mediametric and content analysis methods, the authors examine materials from the Telegram channel “Verkhnyaya Kurya against the construction of a migrant mosque,” regional press, and visual sources (photo and video materials).The analysis revealed several key foundations for protest mobilization, namely: arguments against territorial development, anti-migrant assertions, and criticism of the established social order. Anti-mosque, anti-migrant, and anti-Muslim frames are closely intertwined and form a unified space for interpreting the conflict. Various strategies for distinguishing between "good" and "bad" Islam are identified, in which migrants and radicals are contrasted with "traditional" Islam. It is established that these narratives actively circulate between online and offline spaces and are converted into various forms of public activism. As the conflict develops, the initially anti-Muslim agenda expands beyond religious issues and touches on a broader set of social orders.The case of Verkhnyaya Kurya demonstrates the ambivalence of the post-secular transformation of the public sphere in contemporary Russia. On the one hand, Muslims are becoming visible participants in the public sphere; on the other, protest mobilization contributes to increased polarization, actualizing questions about the limits of inclusivity.
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