News:

25^th October, Tuesday, while giving a press conference titled: "About mass violations of rights of believers by Ukrainian authorities", Mufti of Moscow and Moscow region Albir Krganov said the following:

"While building a new state, there in Ukraine they (new Ukrainian authorities) decided by any means to support foreign Islam as long as it stays far away from Russian Islam. And of course they supported foreigners, who preached different forms of Islam, including radical forms - Hizb-ut-Tahrir and others..."

He also added that he recently returned from Crimea, which due to joining to Russia in the spring of this year avoided discord between religions, particularly he said, "In Crimea they also wanted to exploit this issue - they wanted to initiate slaughter between different religions". (Source: http://ria.ru/religion/20141125/1035098398.html)

Comment:

Unfortunately, we witness more and more situations when so called religious figures, muftis and imams in the Russian federation pronounce speeches, evaluating and giving such commentaries that have nothing to do with Islam and its values. In this connection it is worse to mention the following:

1. The greatest surprise is the division of Islam into a triangle of Russian, foreign and radical Islam, where radical and foreign is defined not according to contradiction to ayas of Quran and hadiths of our beloved Prophet Muhammed (saw), but according to contradiction to so called "Russian Islam".

A question borns: What is meant by the heralds of Russian Islam by this conception? What does it mean - "Russian Islam"? Does not Albir Krganov, who graduated from Islamic Institute of Higher Education, know that Islam is the last Revelation from the Lord of the universe, which was complete in the time of Prophet Muhammad (saw) and any attempts to bow Islam under Russian, national, liberal and secular demands, by rejecting some of the sharia rules  is nothing but disbelief (Kufr), since Allah (swt) said:

أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ ۚ فَمَا جَزَاءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ ۗ وَمَا اللَّـهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

"Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture and reject the rest? Then what is the recompense of those who do so among you, except disgrace in the life of this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they shall be consigned to the most grievous torment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do." [2:85]

2. As for the words of Mufti Krganov that in Crimea slaughter between religions was prepared, which was avoided by annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in the spring of 2014, we should say that Hizb ut Tahrir is international political party, which works in Ukraine and particularly in Crimea for almost 20 years. Hizb ut Tahrir is known in Crimea for its mass enlightenment activities, conferences, presentations, seminars, and also nonviolent rallies and pickets. Also it is worse to mention that in Ukraine there were never any terrorist acts, done by so called Islamic terrorists.

And this differs from the Russian Federation where people witnessed explosion of apartment houses and acts of terrorism in public places, in which many innocent people died. So a question borns: What is slaughter and what is peace and stability according to Mufti Kraganov?

3. The main cause that forced Albir Krganov to make such statements is clear, it is understood from the title of the press conference where these statements were said: "About mass violations of rights of believers by Ukrainian authorities".

In current conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, Russia mobilized all its tools to discredit today's Ukrainian authorities. We witnessed attacks on Ukrainian authorities not only from political figures but even from members of the culture and arts community (actors, artists, singers and etc.). This press conference shows us that it is time for the Muslim religious figures to start their attacks.

This situation clearly and distinctly shows us the main point of Russian (also secular, liberal, etc.) Islam, where religion of the Lord of the Universe should be on the guard of interior and foreign policy of ruling elite, but not on the guard of Quran, Islam and Islamic Ummah.

And if the statements of Krganov were not politically motivated and were based on reality and true concern about rights of the Muslims, he would know that Ukrainian authorities as certain politicians and public servants oppose the development of Islam in Crimea by exploiting the same myth of traditional and radical Islam.

In conclusion, we want to make brotherly admonition (nasiha) to Mufti Krganov, so that he should not be a tool in alien political games, hold steady to and spread The Truth (Haqq), and be the real guardian of interests of Islam and Muslims, because in this indeed is success in both worlds (here and after death).

Allah (swt) says in the Quran:

((مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ))

"Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)." [50:18]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Fadl Amzayev

Head of Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Ukraine