The President of Chechnya criticizes the Republican Muslim Spiritual Directorate

Chechen President Alu Alkhanov, during a meeting at the Government House in Grozny, criticized the republican ministries and departments, as well as the Spiritual Muslim Spiritual Directorate, which, in his opinion, are not taking the necessary measures to counter extremism. "We must fight for every soul, but I don't see this fight yet," he said.

A. Alkhanov considers the prevention of the recruitment of young people into illegal armed groups to be the most important direction. As an example, he cited the case when two students of the Urus-Martan secondary school left their studies and went to the mountains. The President of the Republic called it "a serious signal that requires a response and the adoption of the most measures." "There are about 500 settlements in Chechnya," he added. "If even two people leave these villages for the mountains, a battalion will be recruited." According to A. Alkhanov, in order to counter extremism, "first of all, we need a unified ideology that would clearly and intelligibly explain what Wahhabism is, how it differs from traditional Islam, what this trend has brought and can bring to Chechnya."

Sources

• The President of Chechnya criticized the spiritual administration of the republic's Muslims // Interfax. 2005. February 13.