Kurman Ismailov: being twenty years in Islam, I know the origin of this pressure

Kurman Ismailov, Deputy Mufti of the Stavropol Territory, who was killed on February 13 in Pyatigorsk, in 2011, was detained by power agents on suspicion of possessing explosives. Kurman Ismailov was released without charges, he was supported by well-known human rights defenders and members of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation; however, after his detention and release, he stated that he did not feel safe and expected "the second act of that play, the final one."

At present, investigators consider different versions of the murder of the theologian, including those related to the activities carried out by Kurman Ismailov and the motives of personal animosity. In this regard, the investigators are to reveal his circle of contacts. This was reported by Vladimir Markin, Spokesman of the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).

"Substance looking like explosive was found"

In April 2011, the attention of the society was attracted by Sheikh Kurman Ismailov, the well-known Muslim leader, when he was detained in his apartment in Kislovodsk by law enforcement officers on suspicion of possessing explosives.

Explaining the reasons for the search, the law enforcement officers told the theologian that he was "a follower of the extremist trends in Islam" and that they had the court's order to conduct the search.

On April 28, 2011, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Kurman Ismailov that during the search, an FSB officer turned his attention to a bag of the theologian's wife.

"The FSB officer asked to take the bag and remove all things out of it. My wife began to remove one thing after another out of the bag and took out an object that resembled a potato. She stopped and understood that something was wrong. She asked: 'Why did you plant this?' and threw it on the floor," Kurman Ismailov said.

Then, according to him, he and his wife were brought to the police station, where the officers issued a report that, as a result of the search in accordance with the court's order, "a substance similar to explosives was found."

"My wife, of course, is under stress. I am engaged in Islam for twenty years and I fully understand the origin of all this pressure," Kurman Ismailov said at that time. He assured that he was trying to keep people away from extremism, since he was opposed to it.

"Arrest of preacher will cause huge resonance"

On April 29, 2011, Kurman Ismailov filed a complaint to the prosecutor's office about the actions of the power agents. On the other day, the working group on development of social dialogue and civil society institutions in the Caucasus of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation made a statement in connection with the search of the house of Kurman Ismailov.

Journalist Maksim Shevchenko, the then head of that group, expressed his concern about possible arrest of Kurman Ismailov and called on representatives of the authorities and the society to take all necessary measures for objective and legitimate consideration and investigation into the case.

"A possible arrest of Kurman Ismailov, the well-known preacher, will cause a huge public outcry in the media and among Muslim youth," Maxim Shevchenko said on April 30, 2011.

Richard Panteleichuk, the human rights defender, the expert of the Moscow Helsinki Group on freedom of conscience, the head of the independent human rights initiative "Project 'Ark', has noted that Kurman Ismailov had never been caught in any actions, which could be identified as illegal, and therefore "such an aggression in relation to him is puzzling."

This view is also supported by the leaders of the official centralized Muslim religious organizations, experts and workers of culture.

Finally, no charges were filed against Kurmanov Ismailov, and nothing was reported on the official reasons for his detention.

"Second final act of this play is possible"

After the incident with his detention in April 2011, Kurman Ismailov stated that he did not feel safe and did not exclude the attempts of planting explosives to him.

"At present, there is complete silence. However, at the worst possible circumstances, the second act of this play, the final one, is possible, when they will again plant some substance and issue such a report that there will be no possibility for doubts," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Kurman Ismailov in May 2011.

At that time, the theologian added that he did not live at home, but with his relatives.

"If the situation persists or deteriorates somehow, the leaders of the regional Muftiyats will begin to collect Muslim signatures and send the appeal to the Russian President to draw his attention to the situation, since the incident caused a great resonance. I hope for wisdom and objectivity of the leaders of the state and the law enforcement bodies. I believe that common sense will prevail," Kurman Ismailov stated in May 2011.

"His views differed from those of local spiritual leaders"

In 2003, Kurman Ismailov was mentioned by the media in connection with his religious activities in the Mineralnye Vody District of the Stavropol Territory.

"In the year before the last one, Ismailov is trying to form in the Mineralnye Vody District a religious group adhering to the ideas of Wahhabism. Despite the fact that the major part of the locals residents do not accept this doctrine, Ismailov still managed to gather a certain number of stern followers," wrote the newspaper "Stavropolskaya Pravda" on March 14, 2003, in the article "Wahhabism as manifestation of Islam?", prepared with the assistance of the press service of the Department of the Russian FSB in the Stavropol Territory.

"Most likely, he was the person, determined who of our countrymen would get the direction to study in the Buguruslan medrese," the newspaper supposed.

The article has noted that Kurman Ismailov was trained in Saudi Arabia and in the private medrese of the village of Kurchaloi of the Chechen Republic, and after graduation from the medrese he refused to become the imam of the mosque, since his views "did not correspond to the activities and beliefs of the local spiritual leaders."

"He always had negative attitude to extremism"

In May 2011, Mufti Mukhammad Rakhimov, Chairman of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the Stavropol Territory, the head of the Russian Association of Islamic Accord (RAIS), stated that Kurman Ismailov never encouraged extremism and religious hatred.

"I know Kurman Ismailov as a competent theologian, without any deviations. I can describe him only from the positive side," said Mukhammad Rakhimov on May 30, 2011, in his interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Mufti Mukaddas Bibarsov, Chairman of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the Volga region, co-Chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia, also claimed that the accusations of extremism cannot be related to Kurmanov Ismailov.

"He had great respect among Muslim community"

Murad Mamirgov, the representative of the TV and Video Company "Islamic world" emphasized that Kurman Ismailov brought the deep religious knowledge to the Muslims and thus gained great influence and respect among the Muslim community.

"I had been communicating with that person for a long time and I can state that he always had a negative attitude to extremism. When I spoke to him last time, he said that the official Muslim clergy needed support," Murad Mamirgov told in his interview to the "Caucasian Knot" in May 2011.

There is no much information about the activities of Kurman Ismailov after the incident with his detention by power agents in April 2011. He was appointed the Deputy for Education of Mukhammad Rakhimov, the Mufti of the Stavropol Territory, on June 3, 2011.

His first holiday Friday sermon at the Pyatigorsk cathedral mosque was dedicated to the theme of moral and ethic face of a Muslim and his behaviour in the society, the website "IslamNews" reported.

In July 2011, he took part in the opening of the camp of the Orthodox and Muslim Youth of Northern Caucasus "Caucasus is our common home", the newspaper "Vecherny Stavropol" reported.

After the murder of Kurman Ismailov, the All-Russia Muftiyat made a statement. According to the organization, Kurman Ismailov "said goodbye to his Wahhabi past about a year ago" and "joined the followers of the traditional Islam," the "RBC" reports.

In the Muftiyat of the Stavropol Territory, Kurman Ismailov was engaged in issues on religious education. "His colleagues knew him as a humble, pious and law-abiding person, who always shunned politics," the website of the "Russian Association of Islamic Accord" reports.

Funeral of Kurman Ismailov will be held today, on February 14, the RIA "Novosti" reports.