Russia
Russia, which extends into the Arctic Ocean between the North Pacific Ocean and Europe in the north of Asia, borders 14 countries. The area west of the Ural Mountains in the country is considered part of the European continent. The ethnic distribution of the population is 77.7% Russian, 3.7% Tatar, 1.4% Ukrainian, 1.1% Bashkir, 1% Chuvash, 1% Chechen, and 13% others.
From a historical and political standpoint, Russia is one of the states that have carried out the greatest atrocities against Islam and Muslims. Since the era of Tsarist Russia, Russia has practiced genocide, massacres, and enforced exile and assimilation policies against Muslims in a very wide area, from Crimea to the Caucasus, from the Maveraünnehir to the steppes of Central Asia. Millions of people living in this region have been subjected to Russian persecution for hundreds of years, lost their lives, had to leave their country, and were assimilated by alienating them from their religious and cultural values.
Today, Russia is one of the countries with the highest proportional and numerical number of Muslims among non-Muslim countries. In fact, the number of Muslims in the country is nearly 20 million and the ratio of Muslims to the country's population is around 15%. A significant portion of the Muslims in the country live in autonomous regions. It is estimated that there are about 2 million Muslims in the capital Moscow.
Islamophobic behavior in Russian society is at a very high level. The concept that associates Islam with terrorism and violence is quite common in Russia due to the influence of global manipulations. However, it is observed that the tendency towards Islam has been increasing in the country in recent years. Particularly the spiritual emptiness among the people due to the policies implemented during the Soviet Union period has a vital role in this.
On the other hand, Putin's administration has been following a moderate policy towards Islam at the political level in recent years, thus targeting to control the Muslim population in his country. In 2015, such developments as the opening of the Moscow Central Mosque, the largest mosque in Europe, with the presence of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the support for Islamic education in autonomous regions such as Tatarstan and Chechnya appear as a reflection of this approach.