In Dagestan, supporters and opponents of New Year again argue on need for celebrations

On the eve of the New Year, a debate has onset in Dagestan about celebrations of the start of the year. Some people say that they plan to celebrate, and see nothing wrong with this holiday. Others believe that the New Year is a pagan holiday and should be celebrated by Muslims.

The New Year will be for surely celebrated all over the republic, Magomedsalam Magomedov, the leader of Dagestan, said on December 18 in Makhachkala at the joint sitting of the Security Council of Dagestan, the anti-terrorist committee and the operational headquarters of the republic. "We are a secular republic within a secular state. This holiday has nothing anti-religious in it," he said.

"I personally have never celebrated the New Year. Naturally, I won't do it this time. As for the official opinion of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of Dagestan, we haven't decided yet," said Magomedrasul Omarov, the head of the press service of the SAM.

Some residents of Dagestan are against the New Year. "My family has never celebrated and is not going to celebrate this pagan holiday. We have enough of our holidays. But I don't impose my opinion," said Mutaelum Mutaelumov, a resident of the capital of Dagestan.