XXX Международный конгресс ИИСАА. 19–21 июня 2019 г. Т. 1

к 150-летию академика В. В. Бартольда (1869–1930). Ч. 1 483 Секция XII. Круглый стол: «Ближний восток — важнейший узел «Евразийской дуги нестабильности» Round table discussion: “Middle East as a Major Centre of “The Arch of Instability on the Rim of Eurasia and North Africa” Andrey Chuprygin (HSE, Moscow) Revisiting Libyan Salafism Lately discussions on Libyan Salafis have started in earnest. The gist of debates revolves around the nature of Salafi movements in Libya and their impact on the prospects of national accord and political compromise. The commonality of positions of key participants lies in the fact that arguments in use are starkly similar to those of ongoing debates in the political chambers of UN, Paris and Rome, thus stripping the academic garments off the body of discussion, making it purely political. The result is “muddy waters” surrounding the main issue of concern, which is what exactly is the Salafi movement(s) in Libya, where it is coming from and the real or imagined potential of this phenomenon. The latest discussion is being steered towards the so called Madkhali Salafis and their exclusively important role in Libya 1 . We argue that the role of Salafi movements in general and Madkhali Salafis in particular is being exaggerated. We also stress out that this narrative is a result of erroneous understanding of the Salafi Phenomena throughout the Middle East, that leads to all kinds of faulty assumptions and biased statements. 1 See, for example: Fitzgerald M. What Happened to Political Islam in Libya. https:// www.ispionline.it/it/pubblicazione/arc-crisis-mena-region-21387.