Growing unease in Russia over Muslims praying in the streets
Videos on social media are fueling a growing debate about coexistence, identity and public space. Visible Islam in Russian urban areas is generating tension between local populations, authorities and immigrant communities.
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In recent months, several videos have circulated on Russian social media showing Muslim men praying in public spaces such as bus stops, pavements or car parks. These images have generated widespread unease among the Russian population, who are not accustomed to religious rituals in public spaces. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), One of the most talked-about videos showed a bus driver in Khabarovsk kneeling on a prayer mat on the platform. Although the man was on his break and was not penalised, The video triggered a wave of criticism expressing «strangeness» and «discomfort».».
The unease is explained because In Russia, religion is mostly practised indoors.. For this reason, seeing religious rituals in the middle of the street is perceived as out of place. Valeriy Fadeev, president of the Russian Human Rights Council, openly expressed this in statements to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: «I have nothing against Islamic prayers, but it's odd to see someone unrolling a prayer mat on the Tube or while at work.. All this seems rather uncivilised..The view is shared by both conservative quarters and by citizens who live alongside migrants on a daily basis and who simply do not understand the need to turn ordinary streets into makeshift places of worship.
«I step out of the house and find three men kneeling behind the bin.»
In Moscow and other cities with Central Asian migrants, AsiaNews and Vijesti have documented very specific situations: men praying behind rubbish bins, against walls, in corners of squares or even in front of shops, making use of any space that is minimally clean and oriented towards Mecca. These scenes, often filmed by neighbours, They have fuelled the sense that prayer is practised “wherever it falls”, without regard for its surroundings.. A resident cited by Asia News he complained: «I step out of my house and find three men kneeling behind the bin. I don't understand what's happening with my street.»Another added: «This isn't hatred or xenophobia: it's just that it's not normal. No one here prays in the middle of the street..»
The malaise, according to these sources, is not only ideological: it is visceral and everyday. Neighbours encounter unexpected rituals in their streets., and this is experienced as a rupture of urban normality. For this reason, many complaints do not come from extremists or anti-immigration groups, but from ordinary citizens who express perplexity: «»Why don't they do it at the mosque?« or "Why do we have to live with this on the street every day?"»
Internal criticisms of the Muslim community
Curiously, It is not only non-Muslim Russians who criticise these practices.. A Tajik Islamic scholar quoted by RFE/RL explained that, although Islam allows prayer in any clean place,Tradition recommends avoiding thoroughfares, streets and places where prayer might disturb others.. According to him, prayer is an act that requires inwardness, and performing it on the pavement or in front of a rubbish bin can detract from it. These statements coincide with andLocal mothers who point out that praying in the street is not an ideal practice..
AsiaNews also reports Testimonies from Muslims who consider that some young migrants use public prayer as a way of showing identity rather than as a strict necessity.. This aligns with the perception of some neighbours who interpreted these rituals as space-marking, a visible assertion of a particular group within the communal space. Even within the Islamic community, the opinion is clear: Prayer in the street should not become the norm, nor an exposed identity marker.
Religious authorities say that praying in the street is irritating and ostentatious.
The statements to RIA Novosti collected by Islamic news, the president of the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims (CSAM) declared that Praying in public spaces is irritating and ostentatious. He insisted that there are specific areas designated for prayer and that it should be carried out in a mosque, an oratory or at home.. He recalled that the whole Earth is a temple of God, except for public toilets and cemeteries, but he emphasised that one must pray without ostentation and with consideration for those around us.
According to the mufti, inThose who pray in public places do so for show, and this prayer is not accepted. This practice raises awkward questions and irritation both among people of other faiths and among followers of the same faith.
Russia is experiencing a tense moment with the massive immigration from Central Asia. When these migrants use public space for rituals, Many Russians interpret it as a sign of non-integration.. According to Vijesti, the question on the minds of the neighbours is: «Why do they have to do it here?» or «If they live in Russia, why don't they follow our rules?»These concerns are not always hostile in tone: they often express a sense of bewilderment at a practice that does not fit with urban life as they have always known it.
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