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Moscow Closes Six Mosques in Caucasus
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Russian President Putin is accused of using the Ossetia school crisis to tighten his grip over power
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By
Damir Ahmed, IOL Correspondent
NALCHIK, September 16 (IslamOnline.net) - Local Authorities of Nalchik,
capital of Kabardino-Balkaria (a Russian Federation
Republic), located in the northern part of
Caucasus, have closed six mosques, citing fears “extremist ideas” could
spread through them.
The
media communiqué of Kabardino-Balkaria Muslims' administration; a
copy of which was obtained Wednesday September 15, by IslamOnline.net,
stated that the official authorities have refused a petition submitted
by the religious administration Tuesday to re-open the six mosques.
“The
official authorities in the city have decided on September 6 to close
all six mosques in the city indefinitely under the pretext of fighting
terrorism and curbing the spread of extremist ideas among Muslim
youths,” the communiqué added.
It
has been decided, according to the communiqué, that the Gami'e mosque
of the capital, inaugurated May 21, would be the only one available
for Muslims to perform their Friday prayers.
The
communiqué pointed out that Muslims in the Russian republic face
obstacles to reach the Gami'e mosque to the far north of the city to
perform Friday prayers; a matter that occasionally leads them to
perform their prayers under the rains in front of the closed mosques.
On
the official pretexts to close the mosques, the religious
administration of Kabardino-Balkaria Muslims denied any links between
such mosques and terrorism, pinpointing that there have been no
precedents to such alleged relationship.
The
religious administration has demanded all governmental and Islamic
institutions and agencies to interfere to reopen the six mosques of
the city.
Such
arrangements followed the school crisis of Beslan,
North Ossetia
that recently witnessed a hostage-taking operation and the use of
force by the Russian troops, leading to 336 persons killed; almost
half of whom were children.
Russian
official circles pointed out to the involvement of Muslim fanatics in
that incident, though there has been no evidence to support that
effect.
Kabardino-Balkaria
is located in the northern part ofCaucasus
. Muslims of the republic represent 70% out of a total population of
800,000. Number of mosques amount to 58 in
Nalchik, Brohladni and Terik.
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