Clip with apologies recalls Chechens' attitude to interethnic ties

In Chechnya, people condemn relations with non-Muslims; and there is a strict rule not to show them off, analysts have recalled in connection with the apology of a skinhead who stated that he was "in love with a Chechen girl."

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the young man who had introduced himself in a video posted in a social network as a skinhead, who fell in love with a Chechen girl, apologized to Chechen people in a new video.

Any mention of Chechens can spark a sharp reaction among these nationals, Svetlana Gannushkina*, the head of the "Civic Assistance" Committee*, believes. According to her story, Chechens who consider themselves fighters for morality could be offended by the very fact of love between a Chechen girl and a skinhead, or the relationship between a Muslim woman and a non-Muslim man.

"A Russian guy has converted to Islam for the sake of a Chechen girl, but this did not save them from persecution of the girl's relatives ... In any Russia region, a person can face big problems because of words about a Chechen woman or the Chechen people in general," Ms Gannushkina* has explained.

Ruslan Kutaev, the President of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations, has noted that the practice of apologies has also become a sort of a standard, including in other Russian regions.

Chechens can be offended by the fact of relationship between a Chechen girl and a young man who does not profess Islam, a source from the "Memorial" Centre for Human Rights Defence**, believes. According to his version, the Chechen society has no custom to flaunt any man-woman relationship. Usually a skinhead is a nationalist; and it's unacceptable for him to fall in love with a non-Slavic girl.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.

**As reported on the website of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the reason for including on March 1, 2024, the unregistered "Memorial" Centre for Human Rights Defence (CHRD) into the roster of foreign agents was the spread of "inaccurate information aimed at creating a negative image of the Russian Federation, as well as the Russian Armed Forces."