Imam of Derbent mosque refutes recruitment of parishioners

The appeal to the authorities to close the Salafi mosque in the "Airport" District in Derbent was spread by the women, whose children, as they assert, went to war in Syria. The authors of the appeal believe that the mosque is recruiting fighters to the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS), but the Imam of the mosque has completely refuted these allegations.

The appeal of Derbent women was spread in social networks and mass media on July 20.

"We have been bringing up our children in the best traditions of Dagestan: love of Allah; respect of elders; and being good citizens of their country. They had no problems with the law; but our whole life changed only after our children began visiting the mosque in the "Airport" District. It looks like someone has replaced them," the authors of the appeal write.

"Today, our children are not with us. Some are fighting for the ISIL; others have already been killed," the appeal emphasizes.

The authors ask to "take actions and close the facility, which is used under the cover of the mosque to recruit young people into the ranks of radical Islamists."

Gadjirasul, the Imam of the above Derbent mosque, has already read the mothers' appeal.

"I've read the appeal; and I'm shocked. I would like to talk to the authors thereof and try to understand why they are confident that it was the fault of the mosque that their children are with the ISIL," Imam Gadjirasul told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"There is no reason to accuse us of that; we never make such calls in the mosque – the problem is on the Internet; but neither we, nor anyone else can stop it," said the Imam.

Gadjirasul has also suggested that the appeal may be a provocation aimed at closing the mosque.

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