In Dagestan, Islamic University student spreads leaflets calling not to celebrate New Year

On December 28, law enforcers of the city of Khasavyurt, Dagestan, detained Ahmednabi Ahmednabiev, a student of the Islamic University, who spread leaflets with a call not to celebrate the New Year. This was reported by the student himself. At the background of preparation for the holiday, the churchmen in Dagestan also note that Muslims should not celebrate the start of the new year, as it is a secular holiday.

"I was standing at the entrance to the city marketplace and spreading leaflets. At that moment, armed militiamen came up to me. Learning the content of the brochures, they took them away from me; then, they took me to the GOVD (City Interior Division) and photographed me there. One of the militiamen told me with a threat that if I do not like state holidays, then, I'd better go to the 'forest' and join the rebels," Ahmednabi Ahmednabiev himself told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The on duty unit of the Khasavyurt GOVD said that they knew nothing about the incident.

According to Umar Magomedov, Imam of the village of Khebda, Shamil District of Dagestan, Muslims should not celebrate the beginning of the year. "This issue was recently raised in the central mosque of Buinaksk, where many prominent Islamic scholars were present. They all made a conclusion that we should not celebrate the New Year, as the Sharia law expressly forbids us to do it," the Imam told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The renowned poet and essayist Adallo Aliev agreed with him. "Islam has no such holiday as the New Year. We have our own holidays, while Christians have their own ones. They don't celebrate our holidays, like Kurban Bayram," said the poet.

Meanwhile, a plastic Christmas tree was installed in Makhachkala in Lenin Square; children are running around it; right there, numerous Santa Clauses (Fathers Frost) and Snow Maidens are ready to get photographed with you for money.

Magomed Rasulov, a resident of Makhachkala, said that he had celebrated and will celebrate the beginning of the year. "My family and my children have been waiting for this festival for a whole year. It's the favourite holiday in our family. We are getting together only as a family and welcome the New Year with a glass of champagne; then, we go to visit our relatives and friends; and we have fun till morning," he said.