National Organization of Russian Muslims
[2] Leaders of NORM sought to provide an alternative to various spiritual administrations, tarīqas, and jamāʿats, facilitating coordination among ethnic Russian Muslims to promote their rights and interests.
1977), influenced by his teacher, philosopher, and political activist of Russian-Azerbaijani origin Geydar Dzhemal, embraced Islam and founded the Jamaat of Russian Muslims "Banu Zulkarnayn," initially comprising about ten individuals.
[2] There was a shift from acute controversy to cooperation with the former priest of Russian Orthodox Church, now well-known Islamic scholar Vyacheslav Polosin, who joined the organization in 2006.
However, a split occurred later, resulting in Shiis gradually leaving the organization and its core turning to Sunni Islam, adopting its at that time popular Salafi interpretation.
[15] This period is characterized by NORM activists leaving Russia, initiating resistance against the country's political direction, and aligning with the Murabitun World Movement.
At the same time, critics within the movement claimed that NORM and Murabitun were not classic representatives of the Maliki school but attempted to create a fifth "Medinan" madhhab based on it.
[15][11] On December 27, 2011, at the initiative of NORM, independent Muslim leaders signed the Islamic Civil Charter, including philosopher Geidar Dzhemal, activist Abdulla Rinat Mukhametov, writer and human rights defender Fauzia Bayramova, publisher Aslambek Ezhaev, and others.
"[23] From the outset of the Maidan events in Ukraine, culminating in the 2014 Revolution of Dignity, NORM supported Ukrainian Muslims actively resisting the Kremlin's dictatorship.
To promote the concept of Slavic-Muslims and the idea of a Slavic-Islamic union, the medieval Arabic term "Saqaliba," referring to people from Central and Eastern Europe, was utilized.
[23] Its core ideas largely mirrored those of NORM but on a pan-Western scale, aiming to establish new frameworks for bringing together European converts to Islam.
[27] They claim the organization's core beliefs lean towards right-wing ideology,[28] with some even accusing it of promoting fascist ideas, using the fascination with the relevant aesthetics and terminology of some of the leaders of the movement in the early days of their activities.
"In the eyes of Dar ul-Fikr, the image of an 'alim who wears an expensive suit and a Swiss watch, and who smokes cigars while listening to Wagner, is not compatible with the behaviour of a decent Muslim.
[33] Its leaders sought to position themselves as the 'vanguard of the Russian Ummah,' and some converts claimed to have embraced Islam under the influence of intellectuals like Harun Sidorov or Salman Sever.
[41] The same year saw the establishment of The Islamic Breakthrough literary award, named after Akhtiamov's novel and founded by the renowned poet, translator, and publisher Ilya Kormiltsev.
[42] In 2012, NORM activists compiled the anthology "The Saber of Islam" (Sablya islama), which featured poetic works and the organization's ideological stance at the time.
