Russian Muslim Leaders Denounce Jihad Against America

Muslim leaders of Russia believe that Talgat Tadzhuddin is a sick person

The scandal, which was initiated by so-called Russian Supreme Mufti Talgat Tadzhuddin, is still stirring in the Russian Muslim society. Tadzhuddin declared jihad on the USA, and some of his statements have already become famous expressions: "We are tired of this green dollar. We have to exchange it here and there, damn this dollar together with Bush. We need to take American hostages and to sell each of them for a million and a half. The USA will then wish to see its Georgian prostitute Eduard Shevardnadze via the territory of the Caucasus." All that was completed with "It’s not me talking, it's God talking to you with my lips."

Audio tapes with Tadzhuddin's expressive speech became as popular as a brand new pop album in Moscow. The events, which took place in the Russian Muslim society over recent five days, show that Tadzhuddin definitely needs to have his head examined. Otherwise, he would not have announced the need to call up the Supreme Islamic Peace Council with representatives of all Muslim countries of the globe. Of course, Tadzhuddin will become the head of that council as the Elder of the World's Islam - the mediator between the faithful and Allah. However, the Islamic religion denies any direct and indirect mediation between a Muslim person and God, so Tadzhuddin made a very rough mistake, having caused a negative reaction on the part of his followers.

Gusman Iskhakov, the Mufti of the Tatarstan republic, released a rather simple statement on the issue: “Talgat Tadzhuddin is a sick man, he experiences a spring crisis at the moment, I am responsible for my words." Other Russian miftis said basically the same.

However, certain Russian politicians supported jihad. Deputy Aleksey Mitrofanov from the Liberal and Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) pointed out that one should have declared jihad long ago. Mitrofanov added that if he were a Muslim priest, he would send his suicide terrorists to destroy American tanks on the territory of Iraq.

Muslim leaders of Russia held a special session of the Council of Russian Muftis in the beginning of the current week. Muslims from the Russian Asian region, Ural, Volga region, North-West, Tatarstan, Bashkortastan, Chechnya arrived in Moscow to take part in the meeting. Spokespeople for the presidential administration, several public and political organizations also participated in the session.

Muslim leaders harshly denounced the notorious "jihad subject" and approved a special statement. As a result of the discussion, Talgat Tadzhuddin was pronounced an inadequate man, who discredited Islam. It was even said that it was not good to pray with him. Russian Muslim leaders reminded him of his scandalous statements and pronounced him a lying prophet. Put it in a nutshell, the Council of Muftis cut the ground from the under Tadzhuddin's feet. Spokespeople for the administration of the Russian president expressed (albeit privately) their total agreement with all decisions of the council.

Ravil Gainutdin, the chairman of the Council of Muftis, said that the Council conducted negotiations in order to accept Tadzhuddin's former friends as Council's members. "I would not like to expose their names, because Talgat Tadzhuddin is a very revengeful man. They say that he intimidates and threatens people."

They say that Talgat Tadzhuddin fell ill with flu right after he declared jihad on the USA. The Supreme Mufti made up a very "original" way to take a revenge: he drew a snook on the document and faxed it to Moscow newspapers and to the Council of Muftis. This fax arrived at Kremlin offices, at the offices of the Russian government and the State Duma.

"You see what he is doing? This makes it clear – he is an inadequate, ill person. I feel really sorry for him," the chairman of the Council of Muftis, Ravil Gainutdin said.

Ilyas Takhirov
Especially for PRAVDA.Ru