KRASNOOKTYABRSK, Russia — A year ago, a family living in this village in the middle of a marsh in the south of Russia revealed what they called a miracle: On the skin of their newborn boy, entire verses from the Koran were appearing, lingering for a few days, and then vanishing.

One day, the looping swirl of letters ran down a chubby leg.

Another, the name of God shone behind an ear.

Quickly, images of Ali, now 2 years old, spread through the North Caucasus. To many, he became a symbol of hope for peace in a mostly Muslim region that has been at war, on and off, for two decades. Ali showed up on cellphone screens and Internet sites, and pilgrims flocked to this place, whose name in Russian means Red October Village.

And then, seemingly as quickly as it had started, Ali was hidden from the world. For a few weeks now, the boy’s parents and grandparents have refused to allow outsiders to see him.