Putin Allies Feud Spills Out into Open after Islamist Terrorists Jibe

Afeud between allies of Russian Presidentspilled out into the open after the head of the Russian Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, called for officials to "urgently" impose a ban on wearing niqabs in the country.

Bastrykin, commenting on the June 23 attacks by Islamic militants in Russia's southern Republic of Dagestan, said on Saturday that the perpetrators were "Islamist terrorists" who were "able to carry their banner of Islamic terror" into the country.

The attack, which saw militants attack Christian and Jewish places of worship, left 21 people dead.

Bastrykin called for Russia to respond by adopting a ban on the wearing of the niqab, a long garment worn by some Muslim women that leaves only the area around the wearer's eyes exposed.
 said it is the duty of the State Duma to pass a law prohibiting the niqab.

[In Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan] it's banned, but here it's allowed. Why? I don't know, I'm not a legislator but…we urgently need to ban it," Bastrykin said, responding to a suggestion from an audience member at the International Youth Legal Forum in St. Petersburg.

"Bastrykin recalled the recent terrorist attacks in Rostov and Dagestan, and called their perpetrators 'Islamist terrorists,'" Kadyrov wrote on his Telegram channel, warning Bastrykin to be "extremely careful" with such statements.

"I have said many times and I emphasize once again that Muslims have not committed and do not commit terrorist acts," Kadyrov wrote. "At the same time, I very much hope that Bastrykin will not compare Islam with terrorism in the future."

The Institute for the Study of Wa U.S.-based think tank, said in its analysis of the conflict in Ukraine on June 29 that "two prominent Russian officials appear to be spearheading divergent paths for addressing religious extremism in Russia" as ethnic and religious tension in Russia continues to rise.

"Russian milbloggers and lower-level Russian officials have previously participated in similar debates, and it is significant that Kadyrov was willing to openly criticize another high-level Kremlin official on this issue," the ISW said.

The Institute for the Study of Wa U.S.-based think tank, said in its analysis of the conflict in Ukraine on June 29 that "two prominent Russian officials appear to be spearheading divergent paths for addressing religious extremism in Russia" as ethnic and religious tension in Russia continues to rise.

"Russian milbloggers and lower-level Russian officials have previously participated in similar debates, and it is significant that Kadyrov was willing to openly criticize another high-level Kremlin official on this issue," the ISW said.