The court found the book "Shura in Bashkortostan" extremist

The book "Shura in Bashkortostan" was recognized as extremist due to negative assessments of non-Muslims and "non-true Muslims"; The author intends to appeal the decision.

On April 3, 2019, the Beloretsk Interdistrict Court in ZATO Mezhgorye of the Republic of Bashkortostan decided to recognize the book "Shura in Bashkortostan" by Ishmurat Khaibullin as extremist material.

The book was confiscated during a search in December 2017 from a certain resident of Mezhgorye, after which a pre-investigation check was launched under Part 1 of Art. 282 of the Criminal Code (inciting hatred or enmity). No criminal case was initiated, as the investigation decided that keeping a copy of the book for personal reading was not in itself an action aimed at inciting hatred. However, the prosecutor's office considered that the book should still be recognized as extremist on the basis of a comprehensive psychological and linguistic examination.

Experts from the Center for Legal and Technical Expertise of the Technopark Innovation Center of the Bashkir State University came to the conclusion that the book contains information aimed at inciting religious hatred and enmity towards non-Muslims and "untrue Muslims." Khaibullin sent detailed written objections to the court, in which he indicated, among other things, that the conclusions of experts that the text contains negative assessments of certain groups and forms the image of the enemy are based on phrases taken out of context, and propaganda of the inferiority of any group or appeals experts did not find violence in it. However, the court sided with the prosecutor's office and banned the book. Khaibullin intends to appeal this decision.

Ishmurat Khaibullin, an Arabic teacher and Muslim public and religious figure who declares views characteristic of moderate Salafism, headed the organization Shura of the Muslims of the Republic of Bashkortostan, which in August 2017 announced its dissolution. Shortly before that, six texts from the organization's website were recognized as extremist, and a criminal case was initiated against Amin Shayakhmetov, who published them (subsequently, it was terminated due to the decriminalization of Article 282 of the Criminal Code). Although we are not sure of the legitimacy of the goals pursued by "Shura Muslims of the Republic of Belarus" in its activities, we believe that the court did not have sufficient grounds to ban the book "Shura in Bashkortostan": in itself it does not contain any illegal appeals, nor statements that go beyond acceptable criticism and incite hatred.

On June 19, 2019, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan rejected Khaibullin's appeal against the book's ban, and on August 9 it was added to the Federal List of Extremist Materials.

Sources

• Case card No. 2a-576/2019 ~ M-396/2019 // Website of the Beloretsk Interdistrict Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan. April 25, 2019
• Inc. inf.