21:27, 1 February 2016

Roundtable in Makhachkala treats closure of mosque in Khasavyurt as unjustified

Participants of the roundtable in Makhachkala dedicated to the closure of the mosque "Severnaya" in Khasavyurt. Photo by Patimat Makhmudova for the ‘Caucasian Knot’.

The authorities and Muftiat of Dagestan should deal with the Salafi community in the form of a dialogue, and not through pressure and actions that could be perceived as a provocation, said the participants of the roundtable in Makhachkala dedicated to the closure of the mosque "Severnaya" (Northern) in Khasavyurt.

On January 31, a message arrived at the SMS-service of the "Caucasian Knot" reporting about an attempt to close a mosque in Khasavyurt. Local residents confirmed that in the evening on January 31, power agents gathered in the vicinity of the mosque. Later on the same day, eyewitnesses told that law enforcers had closed the mosque "Severnaya" by welding up its entrance door. According to authorities, the closure of the mosque was caused by the fact that it had been erected in the place allocated for construction of individual residential facilities. In the evening the mosque was reopened and the parishioners could administer their namaz (prayer) there.

Closure of mosques will not help in fighting terrorism and will not stop the outflow of young people to the armed underground and to Syria, Nazhmudin Nazhmudinov, a representative of the "Severnaya", said during the discussion.

Closing the mosque without any discussion with the parishioners can be treated as a provocation, Maxim Shevchenko, a member of the Human Rights Council (HRC) under the President of Russia, said in his turn. According to his version, this situation undermines the authority of the Mufti of Dagestan.

Shevchenko urged the Muftiat (Islamic High Council) to actively participate in resolving the situation with the closing of mosques, and advised Salafis to defend their rights through going to courts and addressing the HRC.

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

Author: Patimat Makhmudova

Source: CK correspondent