Publicist Nabiev asks President of Dagestan to lift the ban on Wahhabite activities

Isalmagomed Nabiev, a well-known publicist and chairman of the independent trade union of drivers and entrepreneurs of Dagestan, has written an open letter to President of Dagestan Magomedsalam Magomedov, in which he treats the adoption by former authorities in September 1999 of the Law "On Prohibition of Wahhabite and Other Extremist Activities" as a mistake.

"When I learnt that Magomedsalam Magomedov was appointed the republic's leader, I had to give a number of comments to journalists and expressed the idea that it was not the best choice. In my letter I want to explain the President why I said so," the publicist said.

He believes that one of the main problems of Dagestan is the intra-confessional conflict. "The situation was created through the efforts of the father of the present head of the republic - former Chairman of the State Council of Dagestan Magomedali Magomedov. Under his power, the Dagestan authorities began violently eradicating one of ideological directions in Islam. Not by opposing this ideology to its other versions, but physical liquidation of the adherents of this ideology," said Mr Nabiev. In his opinion, another mistake of the former leaders was adoption of the Law "On Prohibition of Wahhabite and Other Extremist Activities" in September 1999.

The publicist has noted that the law comprises aggressive and discriminatory provisions. "It should be noted that Makhachkala, by using its right of legislative initiative, tried a lot to lobby a similar law at the federal level. However, Moscow was more far-sighted," he said.

Isalmagomed Nabiev said that protests against this law had been repeatedly sent to Imam Yaraliev, former Public Prosecutor of Dagestan, but he was not bold enough to cancel the law. "By using this opportunity, I ask the present Public Prosecutor of Dagestan Andrei Nazarov to view my letter to the President of Dagestan as my official appeal to him on the contradiction of this legal act to federal legislation and consider it accordingly," he said.

Seifullah Isaev, chairman of the committee for legislation, legality and the state construction of the parliament of Dagestan, believes that the law should be cancelled.

His colleague Ahmed Azizov agrees with him: "Wahhabism is an ideology. There are no problems if some person follows it," he said. "If someone believes that this outlook by virtue of some reasons is not appropriate for Dagestan and Russia, he should find more convincing arguments than repressions; the whole history of mankind shows that ideology cannot be defeated by force; the war on Wahhabism in the republic is just another confirmation."

Khizri Shikhsaidov, Deputy of Russian State Duma from Dagestan, also believes that the law should be cancelled.

The Prosecutor's Office of Dagestan and the Spiritual Department of Moslems of Dagestan refused from any comments.