Authors

Mira Ruokolainen¹;  ¹ University of Helsinki, Finland

Discussion

The presentation explores ways in which threats regarding Islam and Muslim communities are strategically narrated and used during Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Highlighting in particular Russia’s persuasive and manipulative use of strategic narratives, the paper is set to examine how Russia projects its narratives of threats and Islam in its information-psychological warfare, and to reflect the connection of Russia’s strategic aims and its discourse on Islam.
In addition to Russia’s domestic war efforts and mobilization among ethnic minorities, Russia’s full-scale attack in Ukraine in 2022 has had implications to its state driven narratives in international arenas, where Russia has shown motivation to infuse its narratives of the perceived Western enemy with other anti-West narratives. While weakened international stance might not always attract state actors for cooperation, Russia is using its information-psychological tactics to influence audiences and political discourses among both domestic and foreign populations.
Drawing from scholarly sources on military campaigns in especially Syria, Chechnya and Afghanistan, the paper inquires underlying logic and purposes of narrative projections including Islam amidst Russia’s current war. Russia’s narratives of threats are addressed by analyzing and comparing their current projections in strategically important events and topics, such as mobilization and Quran burning, which attract both domestic and foreign audiences. Doing so, consideration is given to the interplay of means of governing and influencing.