Orientalists argue with blogger about Akhmat Kadyrov's status in Chechnya

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, who has linked the term "Akhmat Kadyrov's way" with the interests of the Chechen nation, intends to raise his father to the rank of saints in order to gain new privileges, the blogger, Tumso Abdurakhmanov, has suggested.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that delegates of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations had declared the attempts to "Akhmatize" the Chechen ideology, after on May 21, at the suggestion of Magomed Daudov, Speaker of the Chechen Parliament, Khosi-Yurt (Tsentaroi), the native village of Ramzan Kadyrov, was renamed to Ahmat-Yurt. On May 31, a new micro-district in the Nadterechny District was also named in honour of Ramzan's father.

"The way of Akhmat-Hadji is ... a combination of deep faith in the Almighty with the national interests of the Chechen people," Ramzan Kadyrov wrote in the "VKontakte" social network.

The blogger, Tumso Abdurakhmanov, believes that Kadyrov seeks to shape his father's image as a saint. The Orientalist, Mikhail Roschin, disagrees with him.

"Kadyrov didn't declare his father to be a saint; he presents him as a man worthy of respect ... In the Caucasus, each son tries to praise his father," Mr Roschin has noted.

The Orientalist, Vladimir Bobrovnikov, sticks to the same opinion. The Kadyrov's post should not be viewed as a demonstration of a symbiosis of the faith in the Almighty with the ideology of Chechen authorities, he said.

"Being a strong leader, Ramzan Kadyrov tries to show that he continues his father's way. He praises his father and the way he had covered," Mr Roschin has added.

Some local residents have regarded the statements of Chechen leadership about the "Akhmat-Hadji way" as a continuation of Chechen officials' polemic with Tumso Abdurakhmanov.

"It's obvious to me that this is a new answer to Tumso, who is actively criticizing Kadyrov's rule," said Abubakar, an activist of a Chechen NGO.