"Dagestan Riot Fueled By Mob's Entitled Violent Rage, Not Religion"

My opinion piece in today's Moscow Times

"Moscow’s decades-long silence in the face of this violence and systemic subversion of the rule of law is symptomatic of the bargain the Kremlin has made with the North Caucasus. In return for collaboration over national security and a fragile peace in a region that has seen horrific violence, Moscow has turned a blind eye to local men who throw women, children, minorities and other vulnerable groups to the wolves. The wolves in this metaphor can be old or young, proponents of either Salafist or traditional Islam, or perhaps neither. They include representatives of the authorities and their aggrieved opponents, or just random communities and families.  Whatever form they take, always think they are entitled to violence and must be indulged.”

To read the whole text on the Moscow Times Opinion page, click here.