In Karachai-Circassia, last rites paid to Mufti Bostanov, killed yesterday

The farewell ceremony to Ismail Bostanov, Deputy Head of the Spiritual Department of Moslems of Karachai-Circassia and Stavropol Territory, who perished in an attempt on him committed on September 20, was held in his native village of Znamenskoe. Bostanov's murder was committed on the final day of the sacred Moslem month of Ramadan. The culprits could not be found hot on the trail.

In the course of the attempt on Bostanov, his son Mohammed, 16, got a bullet in his jaw; he was hospitalized to the Karachai-Circassian Clinical Hospital, where he was operated on. According to doctors, although Mohammed is now in the resuscitation ward, his life is out of danger.

In the context of the Mufti's murder, Patriarch of Moscow and Whole Russia Cyril has expressed his condolences and support to spiritual leaders of traditional Islam, and confidence that their "will of Islam followers, aimed at peace and accord in the society, is getting only stronger before threats and crimes," as reported by the Russian News Service. The Supreme Rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar has also condoled with Bostanov's relatives and the whole Islamic community of the country, as reported by the "Interfax-Religion".

Earlier, Ismail Berdiev, Mufti of Karachai-Circassia and Stavropol Territory, said that the victim had nothing to do with whatever business projects; therefore, his murder is, most probably, a vengeance of extremists, with whom he had actively fought at the level of ideas.

Spokesman of the ICPO Vladimir Markin said that the militants who shot dead Deputy Public Prosecutor of Dagestan Maksud Maksudov have been established: they were the rebels liquidated on September 12 in a special operation in Vatan settlement of Makhachkala, namely: brothers Abdullah and Omar Kurbanov, Hadjimurad Magomedov and Zainab Gasanov.