At Ramzan’s: what is the reason for the Chechnya head gathering Islamic establishment of Russia in Grozny?
About how they wanted Ravil Gainutdin embroil in a quarrel with Ramzan Kadyrov, to appoint Kamil Samigullin as the head of the new Islamic centre of Russia in Chechnya
Recently, Grozny has received a hundred of Muslim scholars-theologians and religious leaders from Russia and foreign countries of Far abroad. The most of the official websites of the Muslim organizations have published quite dry reports on how their representatives participated in the forum. Probably, everything would have ended with the signing of the documents after the meetings, however, as Realnoe Vremya found out, the final fatwa could be the cause of disagreement.
Kamil Samigullin visiting Kadyrov
On 29 August, in Grozny there was closed the World Islamic Сonference 'Who are they, the followers of Sunnah?'. The forum was dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the first President of Chechnya Akhmad Kadyrov. More than 100 Muslim leaders from Russia and abroad attended the conference.
The topics included the issues of aqidah (creed), Sufism, Islamic law (fiqh), etc. Initially, it was stated that at the conference the various documents would be adopted: the international theological declaration 'Who are the people of Sunnah and consent (Ahlus Sunnah) that defines the religious framework of canonical Islam; the Russian Muftis fatwa on the criteria of traditional Islam and the signs of departure from it in the form of various extremist movements and sects; an appeal to the President of the Russian Federation on interaction between public authorities and Muslim organizations in Russia.
Among the delegates from Tatarstan there was the chairperson of the Muslim Spiritual Board of Tatarstan the mufti Kamil Samigullin. Our Republic was represented by the rector of the Russian Islamic Institute Rafik Mukhametshin and a scientific secretary of the Council of Ulema of MSB RT Rustam Nurgaleyev.
Kamil hazrat spoke to prominent scholars and to the head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov.
Other major Muslim organizations – the Council of Muftis of Russia, CMSB of Russia, etc. – also sent their representatives.
Was there the fatwa?
Meanwhile, the Internet portal 'Voice of Islam', known for its scandalous and opposition to the official spiritual structures (the website has been blocked several times) and working from the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul, recently has published an article with the headline 'In Grozny they will announce a 'fatwa' justifying the elimination of the Islamic Ummah of Russia'. The publication provides the text of the fatwa, which was to be adopted on the forum. It was also reported that the Russian Council of Muftis delegation left the conference because of disagreement with the document.
'In addition to his opponents in the part theological questions that form the basis of this fatwa, the organizers of the conference decided to blacklist all who has its own methodological approaches or conducts political activities, with which they disagree. This fatwa looks like a claim to sweep the entire Muslim space in Russia under the new centre, being formed in Grozny, the nominal head of which, apparently, is going to be appointed Kamil Samigullin,' the newspaper makes a surprising finding.
As the Deputy Chairman of MSB RT, the rector of the Russian Islamic Institute Rafik Mukhametshin, who took part in the event, told Realnoe Vremya, the fatwa was adopted and the Muslim Spiritual Board of Tatarstan is agree with the text of the fatwa. 'Since the early 1990s we have considered the religious revival as democracy. In religion there is, of course, some democracy. But over the years we have received different religious sects, the mixing of different theological and legal schools. The theological and legal mess is very unproductive, causing fitna [affliction – editor's note] among the Muslims… I do not see any problem in this fatwa. We acknowledge all the four madhhabs, they describe well-known things. Nobody was against the fatwa.'
As for the conclusion of the 'Voice of Islam' on the emerging Islamic center in Grozny and a nominal head of the Muslims in Russia in the face of Samigullin, the rector of RII replied rather evasively. 'In Russia we have about 80 Muftis. But now there is a new pleiad of Muftis emerging. Among them they distinguish the mufti of Tatarstan Kamil hazrat. But I don't think someone of them really believes in him. But in our religious space he is quite prominent person. Mufti of Tatarstan – Koran-Hafiz has recently released the Koran, I have read it. This is the first time among the post-Soviet Muftis of Russia – such level of knowledge. It is possible to distinguish him as mufti of Chechnya. They are prominent figures in our country,' said Mukhametshin.
Rafik Mukhametshin: 'I do not see any problem in this fatwa. We acknowledge all the four madhhabs, they describe well-known things. Nobody was against the fatwa.'
'Provocation of forces, 'who are not interested in developing of positive interaction'
Besides, the portal suggests some competition between the Russian Council of Muftis and MSB of Chechnya.
The Council of Muftis of Russia responded to this article and published on its website a refutation. It turned out that two of their delegates were there on a business trip. And according to the schedule of the trip, they came back, as arranged, in advance. The organizers (the MSB of Chechnya) acquired the plane tickets in advance.
The article published in the 'Voice of Islam', they called it provocation of forces, 'who are not interested in developing of positive interaction of the President Vladimir Putin with Muslim religious associations of Russia and member-countries of the organization of Islamic cooperation (OIC)'. Besides, the muftiate promised to send a refutation text with the requirement of its publication.
For clarification of the situation, Realnoe Vremya turned to the press-secretary of the Council of Muftis of Russia and the MSB of the Russian Federation Dilyara Akhmetova. She confirmed that the rector of Moscow Islamic University Damir Khairetdinov and the mufti of Moscow Ildar Alyautdinov left the conference according to their mission. However, before the end of the forum there were two other Gainutdin's people – the chairperson of the Supervisory Committee of the Russian Council of Muftis Farit Farisov and the chief of Department on interaction with state, public organizations and religious associations of MSB of the Russian Federation Shamil Kashaf.
'First, what was published in the 'Voice of Islam' is an unofficial source. We have not seen in the Internet the project published by the organizers themselves. Second, even if it was a true variant of the project, whether it was adopted by the participants unchanged – we do not know either. The organizers have not published yet,' told Dilyara Akhmetova to Realnoe Vremya.
About the fatwa and rivalry – no comments
As we were explained by the chief editor of 'Voice of Islam' Khamza Chernomorchenko, they were given the text of the fatwa by one of the conference participants when this document had already been fully made.
'In the specified refutation there is no a single word about this fatwa. The denial applies only to the information regarding the reasons for the departure of the delegation of the SMR before the end of the event. The information regarding the incident was received by us from the sources that can be trusted. The splash caused by the publication may have affected the fact that the fatwa was never officially released and announced,' commented Chernomorchenko.
He also added that he will definitely publish the official refutation of the Council of Muftis of Russia if the muftiate requires (and will send to the editor) because 'the SMR is the structure that represents a significant portion of Islam in Russia, which we will give a voice on any issue.'
Akhmetov did not comment on the fatwa and the issue of rivalry between the muftiates.
Without Tadzhuddin but with his people
Besides, the portal states that the conference was ignored by the Central Muslim Spiritual Board of Russia, which 'fears that its organizers will intercept its leadership role in approaching the Kremlin sector of Islam.'
However, Ufa still sent the representatives to the capital of Chechnya. The website of the Central Muslim Spiritual Board of Russia in the weekend published an article that indicates that the event was attended by head of the administration of religious organizations the mufti Muhammad Tadzhuddinov and the rector of the Russian Islamic University Artur Suleymanov. The head of the Central Muslim Spiritual Board Talgat Taddzuddin did not attend the forum.