Media War Against Muslim Organisations Launched In Crimea

After 23 years of Ukrainian Muslim communities’ peaceful development (including those on Crimean peninsula), some Russian “experts” found  a seminary of extremism there - all of a sudden. Who stands to gain from destabilization of interfaith relation on the peninsula? What  does Mr. Silantyev strive for by seeing extremism in the Muslim communities’ project of social importance? Does he realise the possible consequence of panic he tries to spread all of nothing in a region, where the political, economical and social situation is extremely difficult? Where will it lead us to? These are the matters demanding the society’s close attention.

Authority’s nonintervention in the religious communities’ internal affairs is the basic principle of any secular society. It was observed in Ukraine through all of the years of its independence, and that observation was constant and strict. National legislation determining organisation and registration of the religious communities always has been and still remains rather liberal even comparing to many western countries.

Precedents when some communities were banned because of their belonging to some or other religious organisation were totally absent. So were the so-called “lists of forbidden Islamic or Christian editions”. Despite some problems in situ, religious organisations had a wide range of possibilities in registration and performing their activities for developing and and accomplishing their interests. Such police was held regarding social organisations as well.

Despite some destabilizing efforts of some parties, there have been no open conflicts based on religion or ethnicity in Ukraine. Our society has always had a higher level of tolerance than the neighbouring countries. Ukraine didn’t experience such things as ethnic massacres, persecution for race, mysterious “fundamentalist” and “islamist” organisations, etc.

On this ground, different Muslim organisations and communities could implement their projects and worked actively for the sake of Ukrainian society. Many Muslim communities of the country, because of their principles and firm pro-Ukrainian position, became an important factor of stability and interfaith consent in the society.

Religious Administration of Muslims of Crimea along with AUASO “Alraid” and other organisations carried out a productive work through latest 15 years in order to develop balanced relations between people of different confessions, including their work on the peninsula. Some dishonest pseudo-specialists, politicians and journalists, though, tried to denigrate these organisations from time to time though.

Merits of the Muslim community in developing Crimea and maintaining peace and rest are hard to overestimate. All-Ukrainian Association of Social Organisations “Alraid” held annual conferences devoted to interfaith and interconfessional dialogue, young generation’s moral education, etc. They always invited representatives of the governing bodies, and those representatives, including those who work for Crimea’s present-day authorities, often took the invitation. Dozens of mosques were built and restored, 17 regular schools were reconstructed in the close cooperation of “Alraid” and RAMC. Besides, Muslim organisations actively participated in developing and implementing many social programmes, namely providing the repatriate families with wells and greenhouses, financial support for orphans, etc.

Unfortunately, today’s situation in Crimea turned for the worse. Some parties demonstrated their obvious attempts to destabilize the situation over past three weeks by overloading anti-Islamic moods and provocations. They accuse the RAMC, Crimean Tatar Mejlis and other organisations or their “financial ties with radical Islamic organisations” more and more often. Frankly speaking, such accusations for RAMC, Mejlis and “Alraid” occurred earlier as well, mostly in openly pro-Russian media.

Due to the latest events such activities of Russian Media are more and more like a well-prepared propaganda campaign. Its aim is obviously to deface RAMC and local Muslim communities, and also replace unfavorable leaders for more Russian-oriented ones. It bears reminding that Russian famous Islamofobia ideologist Mr. Roman Silantyev, known for his anti-Islamic moods and accusing Muslims of radicalism, came to Crimea and gave a press-conference.

He behave oddly and even accused one of Russia’s most reputable religious organisations, namely Council of Muftis of Russia, in links with terrorists. It bears reminding that Shaikh Ravil Gainutdin, who is the Head of that Council, as well as the famous Islamic preacher Mr, Shamil Alyautdinov, who is known for his moderate views, visited Crimea in April in order to meet the RAMC Mufti Mr. Emirali Ablaev. Thus, prominent Muslim leaders of Russian Federation expressed their will for cooperation with Crimea’s most reputable Muslim organisation.

Destructive forces in Crimea and beyond, nevertheless, want to draw an image of “the new enemy” instead of the Right Sector who never came to the peninsula. They use the same techniques for that: manipulations, blatant lies, faking facts and substitution of notions.

AUASO “Alraid” Press-Service