ANTI-ISLAM REPRESSIONS ESCALATING IN RUSSIAN REGIONS.
posted by zaina19 on December, 2005 as Human Rights
ISLAM IN RUSSIA 28.11.2005 - 00:49:06
ANTI-ISLAM REPRESSIONS ESCALATING IN RUSSIAN REGIONS. On 19 October police in Ulyanovsk Oblast arrested a group of Muslims belonging to the Tablig organization and held them for one day without charges.
On 19 October police in Ulyanovsk Oblast arrested a group of Muslims belonging to the Tablig organization and held them for one day without charges.
They were severely beaten and then ordered to leave the oblast within one day.
The official Spiritual Administration of the Volga Muslims invited the group to visit Ulyanovsk from Samara, according to the administration's press service.
They sought to instill tolerance among local Muslims, hoping to reduce the level of tension in society during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Passions were strong in the oblast following the 13 October assault on Nalchik, in which armed groups attacked law enforcement agencies in the republican capital of Kabardino-Balkaria.
The authorities have blamed the attacks on "Islamic extremists" and members of radical youth groups.
Tablig represents one of the more tolerant and peaceful movements within Russian Islam.
The group focuses on educational work and peaceful efforts to bring people back to what they consider the true values of Islam.
However, the Ulyanovsk police conducted a special crackdown when the Tablig representatives were located in the city mosque.
Even though the Tablig representatives' documents were in order and they behaved correctly, the police took them to the Department for Combating Organized Crime (UBOP).
Here the police interrogated them for a long time, insulting them and exerting moral and physical pressure, according to Islam.ru.
At the train station, as the group members were seeking to fulfill UBOP's order to leave the region, a group of young people assaulted them.
Currently, the victims are in Saratov, where they hired a lawyer.
The Spiritual Administration have appealed to President Vladimir Putin and several Russian human rights groups, asking for help in the case.
Unfortunately, this episode and other events in Russia provide little optimism for improving relations between Muslims and the ruling political elite.
After the Nalchik attack, there has been a new wave of demonization of Muslims in Russia, accompanied by political provocations and pressure from the law enforcement agencies, including arrests, beatings, and torture.
Expectations that political repressions will continue to escalate against "radical Islam" make further study of the Muslim situation in contemporary Russia extremely important.
Acknowledgement: All available information and documents in "Justice For North Caucasus Group" is provided for the "fair use". There should be no intention for ill-usage of any sort of any published item for commercial purposes and in any way or form. JFNC is a nonprofit group and has no intentions for the distribution of information for commercial or advantageous gain. At the same time consideration is ascertained that all different visions, beliefs, presentations and opinions will be presented to visitors and readers of all message boards of this site. Providing, furnishing, posting and publishing the information of all sources is considered a right to freedom of opinion, speech, expression, and information while at the same time does not necessarily reflect, represent, constitute, or comprise the stand or the opinion of this group. If you have any concerns contact us directly at:
eagle@JusticeForNorthCaucasus.com
