Chechnya marks Muslim New Year with mass march

On November 27, in Grozny, youth activists held a celebratory march on the occasion of the coming the 1433^rd New Year according to Hijri. The Muslim lunar calendar started in 622 of the Christian era – the year when Prophet Muhammad moved from Mecca to Medina.

Hundreds of young people with flags of the Chechen Republic and Russian Federation, posters and banners marched yesterday, on November 27, along central avenues of the city of Grozny. The march in honour of the onset of the Muslim New Year began from the Square of Peoples' Friendship and ended at the central mosque of the republic "The Heart of Chechnya" in Akhmad KadyrovAvenue. The event was attended by about 500 people.

"The new year by Hijri starts on the first day of month Muharram of the lunar calendar. This is the day of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, move from Mecca to Medina (Hijri) in 622. On this day it is a custom to read prayers and perform other religious rites in mosques," said an official of the Chechen Muftiate.

In recent years, the Chechen authorities pay special attention to religion and religious holidays. Today, Chechnya operates about 600 mosques; there are two higher religious educational establishments and 14 madrassas. Also, the republic has opened three schools of Koran scholars (Hafizes). One such school is in Tsentoroi, the ancestral village of the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, and two others – in the cities of Grozny and Gudermes.