Dagestan starts motor rally Makhachkala-Simferopol against caricatures on Prophet Muhammad

About 200 cars have left Makhachkala to take part in the motor rally to Simferopol under the motto "Russia honours Prophets and respects people!" The participants of the action stand against caricatures on Prophet Muhammad.

The cars took off from the Juma (Grand) Mosque of Makhachkala after the morning namaz (prayer). They are decorated with posters, flags and stickers reading: "We love Prophets!"

The motorcade includes two KamAZ trucks humanitarian aid for the Crimea and bikers, the "IslamDag.ru" reports.

The route will pass across Grozny, Magas, Vladikavkaz, Nalchik, Stavropol, Krasnodar and Kerch. The arrival in Simferopol is scheduled for January 30, where a collective prayer of Muslims from Dagestan and Crimea should take place. The participants will start their way back on January 31, the "LifeNews" reports.

The action was organized with the support of the republic's government and the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of Dagestan. The idea to go en masse to the Crimea was proposed by an initiative group of youth, the RIA "Dagestan" reports with reference to Mukhammadrasul Hajji Saaduev, the Imam of the Juma Mosque in Makhachkala.

According to organizers, the aim of the action is to demonstrate the unity of the Muslim community of the country and to strengthen inter-regional relations.

On January 19, a rally was held in Grozny "We love Muhammad!", which was attended, according to the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), by over a million people.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.