In a growing wave of controversy and tension, a number of influential pro-Kremlin Telegram channels have ignited a fervent call for a ban on the niqab veil in Russia. This fervor follows a recent incident in the Moscow subway, where a man confronted a Muslim woman for wearing a niqab. The woman, it is reported, filmed the altercation herself, and this video swiftly made its way across Telegram, sparking fervent discussions. It has become evident that this incident has ignited a wave of backlash within Muslim and North Caucasus communities, as well as among conservative segments of society.

Russia’s demographic landscape is shifting, with a noticeable increase in the Muslim population. As this shift unfolds, the issue of Islam has grown increasingly sensitive within the Russian context.
This incident is not isolated, as another unsettling video emerged prior, depicting members of OMON, a specialized police force within the Russian National Guard, interrupting Friday prayers at an Islamic center in Kotelniki. In these disturbing videos, the police can be seen demanding identification papers from worshippers, and in a separate footage, troops forcefully enter a room, ordering individuals to lie on the ground.

Prominent figures closely aligned with the Kremlin, including Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya, and Sergei Melikov, the head of Daghestan, have raised their voices in criticism of the Russian National Guard’s actions during the raid on the Islamic center in Moscow Oblast on July 14th.