...Not by H.T.

Quote:

[size=18]The battle for the soul of Chechnya[/size]

High on a hillside in eastern Chechnya, a new mosque rises serenely in a grove of pear trees, its freshly painted walls dappled with sunlight. In a cemetery nearby, workmen have just finished repairing the white cupola that stands over a simple tomb draped in green cloth. "With Allah's help and the support of our president, we are putting this sacred place in order," said Magomed Daskayev, a stout man in a green tunic who is imam of the local village, Khadzhi Aul. This ziyarat on the Ertan ridge, an hour's drive from Grozny, is one of the most hallowed spots of traditional Chechen Islam: the final resting place of the mother of Kunta Khadzhi Kishiev, a shepherd who became a Sufi sheikh.

The new mosque will provide accommodation for a stream of visiting pilgrims. And its construction is a potent symbol of the Sufi revival that is sweeping Chechnya under its impulsive, 31-year-old president, Ramzan Kadyrov. The renaissance comes as the last 700-odd rebels fighting Mr Kadyrov's pro-Moscow administration have lurched toward radical Islam.

...

When finished, it will accommodate 10,000 worshippers; an Islamic school and a new residence for the mufti are being constructed next door. It is hoped the mosque will encourage a new generation of believers to rediscover their traditional faith. But the battle for the soul of Chechnya is still far from over. The militants remain a dangerous force, and have vowed to kill "the puppet Kadyrov".

One government official admits they are skilled at luring recruits into the hills. "Their promises of a glorious death and passage to paradise can be very attractive to disillusioned young people," he said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/chechnya/Story/0,,2214769,00.html