Conflict among parishioners of the Irkutsk Cathedral Mosque

On December 19, a conflict broke out between two groups of believers in the Irkutsk mosque, newspaper the Regional reports. One of the parishioners of the Irkutsk Cathedral Mosque, Magomed Nalgiev, expressed distrust to the imam of the mosque, Farit Mingaleev, and tried to use brute force. M. Nalgiev said that the imam should not read the Friday prayer. The assistant to the imam, who intervened in the conflict, was hit in the face. F. Mingaleev instructed one of the parishioners to read a prayer in order to avoid escalating the conflict.

The injured assistant to the imam sent a statement to the Oktyabrsky District Department of Internal Affairs of Irkutsk. On December 26, police officers arrived at the mosque. Before the beginning of the prayer, a clash was again brewing, since M. Nalgiev claimed that on December 19, the Muslims of this parish chose a new leader for themselves (meaning the parishioner who read the prayer instead of the imam).

Law enforcement officials detained M. Nalgiev and a group of his supporters. Those dissatisfied with his detention held an unsanctioned picket in front of the city administration building.

During the picket, Nikolai Kuryanovich, a former State Duma deputy of the 4th convocation (Rector of the Irkutsk State University of Trade and Economics), happened to be next to the protesters, whom the Muslims, apparently, perceived as an official. He talked with the believers, after which they peacefully dispersed.

Sources

• Ivan Mamontov. Satan beguiled? // Newspaper "Regional". 2008. December 29.