Mufti's call for vaccination outrages residents of Chechnya

Salakh Mezhiev, the Mufti of Chechnya, has urged residents of the republic to get vaccinated against influenza. The Chechen authorities are imposing vaccination on local residents, the residents of Grozny, interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot", believe. Theologians should not interfere with vaccination issues, especially since the procedure is voluntary, Instagram users have noted.

Salakh Mezhiev, the Mufti and the head of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of Chechnya, has called on the population to get vaccinated against influenza. "If those who run medicine are responsible for this [vaccination] and say that it must be done, otherwise there will be harm [to one's health], then the Sharia imposes an obligation on us to do it. Therefore, we call on Muslims to get vaccinated," the Mufti said at a meeting of the operative headquarters to counter the spread of the coronavirus infection in Grozny.

Social network users were outraged by the fact that the recommendation to get vaccinated is given by the Mufti. "What does the Mufti have to do with vaccination?" asked the user zarkieva.s.

Residents of the republic told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that they do not want to participate in the vaccination campaign.

"It is alarming that the authorities are so stubbornly imposing this vaccination on us. Now, the Mufti has joined in," said Tumisha from Grozny. She also said that her father "had never been vaccinated in his entire life and died at the age of over 100." "These vaccinations are openly imposed on everyone. Now there is only talk about ... the coronavirus vaccine, because it is still being tested, and it has already been brought to us, and they want to vaccinate people," she has noted.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 2, 2020 at 04:08 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.