Moscow (AsiaNews) - The alarm continues over xenophobic and anti-Islamic actions in Moscow after the riots of December 11 and 15 which saw Nationalist hooligans clash with immigrant groups from the Caucasus.
Rumors circulating on websites and Russian media speak of the idea of some radical groups to burn the Koran in Red Square New Year's Eve. Already in mid-December a nationalist leader Alexander Belov, had warned that the sacred book of Muslims would be torched on New Year's Eve in the immense square beneath the walls of the Kremlin, the traditional gathering place to usher in the New Year. Political and religious authorities are on high alert, while the same organizations that fight against illegal immigration have called on rioters to desist. The “Movement against illegal immigration” intervened on the issue Dec. 29 in a statement warning that any public burning of the Koran could risk causing "untold suffering to innocent people".
At the same time, many are convinced that the xenophobic threats for the New Year will keep immigrant communities especially those from the North Caucasus, the real target of the neo-Nazi organizations and radical groups, away from Red Square.