01:31, 11 February 2017

Kadyrov bans Shiite self-torture rituals in Chechnya

The ritual of al Kasnazani's followers. Screenshot of a video: youtube.com/watch?v=-5gvDB6F2-I

A group of followers of the Shiite ritual of driving knives in heads has been revealed in Chechnya. Ramzan Kadyrov has held a preventive talk with the self-proclaimed Caliph of the community. The Chechen Muftiate has treated the beliefs of the group as contrary to Islam. Scientists are puzzled on how the cult of religious self-torture has entered Chechnya.

In January, a video appeared on the Internet, showing a group of men in one of the Middle East countries conducting some ritual. Five men had knives driven not deep into their heads. Their faces expressed no visible pain and blood.

The video also showed a Moscow Chechen Aslambek Zubairaev. On February 2, he had a meeting with Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechnya's Mufti Salakh Mezhiev and other members of the clergy.

Aslambek Zubairaev was named the leader of a group of Chechens who took part in the ritual – the followers of one of the Shiite branches that had arisen in Iraq and is headed by Sheikh Mohammed al Kasnazani.

The actions of Zubairaev and his followers are contrary to Islam, said the official of the Chechen Muftiate. According to his story, the self-torture rituals are unacceptable from the point of view of Islam.

Residents of the republic also express their concern in connection with the spread of various religious trends in Chechnya.

They fear extremes in professing Islam, both on the part of radical Salafism, and on the part of radical traditionalism, said Alikber Alikberov, the deputy director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

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

Source: CK correspondents