Syrian mufti's address from Chechnya

Interview by Timur Ytsayev, Grozny. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

The Mufti of Syria, Sheikh Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, is worried about the participation of Chechen natives in the Syrian conflict. He made the statement during his visit to Chechnya. Chechnya has kindred ties with Syria, we are connected with each other historically. More than 100 years ago Muslims from Chechnya settled on the so-called territory of ash-Sham (a general name of all countries east of the Mediterranean Sea). Many Chechens studied in religious schools and stayed on the new territory.

“The image of the Chechens was corrupted in the world. However, a son of his nation, Ahmat Kadyrov, showed who the real Chechens were, what their culture, traditions, and customs were. He was killed on the path. His son Ramzan Kadyrov inherited the helm successfully. The tragedy is that the Chechens are deceived today, being involved in military activities on the territory of Syria, they cannot represent the republic which exists today. The young people are making a mistake,” Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun said.

He thinks that “the project of the Chechen Spring, which is similar to the Middle East revolutions, didn’t succeed in the republic, as representatives of the peoples undermined the Western plans. The Chechens consolidated and put everything in order in their home.”

At the same time the Mufti thinks that reports on a big number of Chechens participating in military activities in Syria are exaggerated. He thinks they are aimed at representing all Chechens of the world as terrorists and extremists, while in Syria militants from dozens of countries are fighting.

Those who are fighting in Syria and are calling themselves Chechens have come from different countries in reality – some from Europe, others were trained in Lebanon, a third kind came from neighboring countries. “The Chechens are brave, sincere, and decent people. Real Chechens won’t kill innocent people and participate in an unfair war,” the Mufti of Syria thinks.

He addressed young Muslims of Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and other countries: “In Turkey there are people who are ready to deceive you and involve you in the war. You will be invited to military exercises in Libya, Syria, Tunisia; they need you as cannon fodder. The Turkish authorities are NATO partners; they have common goals; and they are not good for Muslims. Remember that we want peace; none of us wants war and murders. Don’t forget that you represent nations and have no right to disgrace them.”

Chechnya is concerned that terrorists of Islamic State acting in Syria and Iraq are trying to destroy the cultural legacy of the Islamic world – mausoleums and religious centers. “Terrorists of IS are trained for the destruction of the world's legacy. Sometimes their actions resemble a dark period in the history of humanity. They commit genocide of the Christian population in the occupied territories, they commit awful crimes, including mass executions of local people and military personnel. It has nothing in common with Islam. This is not jihad; they are terrorists, drug addicts, and lost souls,” Chechen theologians say, stressing that some young people misinterpret the essence of jihad, as it is not only a military struggle, but also a spiritual struggle of a person against his own drawbacks, sins, and weaknesses.