Islam, nationalism and vendetta: The North Caucasian insurgency

Abstract

During the last decade, the insurgency raging in Chechnya has spread to other regions of the Caucasus, Dagestan and Ingushetia in particular. Secular nationalism, a potential trigger of ethnic clashes, has given way to jihad as a unifying principle of the struggle against Russia.

Other factors have also fueled the insurgency, including the culture of the vendetta.

Keywords

• insurgency
• nationalism
• Chechnya
• Caucasus
• Russia