The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, held a meeting with representatives of the ministry of internal affairs, clergy of Chechnya and heads of regional administrations and demanded to stamp
out all cases of bride kidnapping. The reason for this meeting was an attempt at bride kidnapping on New Year's Eve in the village of Geldagan. As a result, a fight broke out between relatives of a girl
and a groom-to-be. According to Kadyrov, everyone in the region knew about the kidnapping beforehand. However, neither local police nor the head of the local administration did anything to prevent it. As a result, the head of the village administration and the imam of a local mosque were fired. The kidnapper may be punished as well, because he has to pay 1 million rubles to the parents of the kidnapped girl.
Kidnapped girls have no other option but to agree to marry their kidnappers. According to Shariah law, a girl who spends a night in the house of a male stranger is considered stained, even if nobody touched her.
It is fair to say that the kidnapping of a bride can appear not to be crime, but a romantic escape by two lovers, an ancient Caucasus ritual, which in most cases ends up with the blessing of the parents of both sides and a happy marriage. Islam demands that the bridal couple follow certain rules. A groom should pay for his bride. Both young people should wed of their own free will. In most cases the reason for kidnapping is the lack of money to pay for a bride, as living standards in the North Caucasus republics are very low.
Alexander Vladimirov. Exclusively to VK.
