Mufti Nurbiy Emizh: “Adyghe repatriates should not be ministers of religion in Adygea and hold the posts of imams”

In a conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent , Mufti of Adygea and the Krasnodar Territory Nurbiy Emizh said: "Repatriate Adygs should not be ministers of religion in Adygea and hold the posts of imams." According to him, "they have a different mentality, they are used to a completely different approach to religion in the Muslim countries in which they previously lived. And we must not forget that we do not live in an Islamic state and, first of all, must comply with the laws of our country."

As the "Caucasian Knot" recalls, "in the early 1990s, the bans on religion were lifted, and everyone received the right to freely practice religion. Almost simultaneously, the 'iron curtain' was raised, separating Russians from other countries, and some representatives of the Adyghe diaspora got the opportunity to return home.

The first two muftis in the republic were appointed to this post from among the repatriates. (Subsequently, the practice of appointing repatriates to the post of mufti was discontinued, but since the restoration of the institution of muftis in the republic to the present day, a person with a religious education has never been appointed to this post). The imam of the Maykop Cathedral Mosque was also until recently a repatriate from Syria.

Over time, among the repatriates and compatriots who arrived from abroad, there were people with a higher religious education, who were also engaged in religious activities under the Spiritual Muslim Board of Adygea and the Krasnodar Territory.

Later, almost all of them were forced to leave their posts, and with them their historical homeland, and return back abroad.

One of the repatriates with a higher religious education, Ramadan Tsei, was the only one in the history of Adygeya who was officially deported from the republic allegedly 'due to violation of the rules of the passport and visa service'.

The latter commented on the words of the Mufti of Adygea and the Krasnodar Territory in the following way: “Recently, Emizh began to openly declare that repatriates should not be engaged in religious affairs in Adygea, to be ministers of religion. Such a statement is illegal. It contradicts both Russian legislation, and the norms of Islam, and universal norms .

Under Russian law, Adygs living abroad have the right to return to their historical homeland and engage in any activity that is not illegal. If a repatriate has a religious education, where else can he find application, no matter how in the field of religion? But Emizh cannot agree with this. Why? Because whoever of the repatriates does not come as a minister of religion, he will know more than Emizh about religion. Against the background of them having a religious education, he will look unsightly."

Sources

• Salyamova A. Mufti of Adygea against the participation of repatriates in religious activities // Caucasian knot. 2007. April 12.