Russian «muftis» have finally spoken out in defense! Perhaps they are referring to Muslims imprisoned in Russia for many years, such as the publisher Aslambek Ezhayev? Or the peaceful Islamic Jamaats, banned in Russia, which operate freely in the «satanic West» and for which membership in «spiritual Russia» can result in long prison sentences? Or the banned Islamic literature, peacefully published in other countries? Or something else related to the trampled rights of Muslims?
There was a time when the head of the Council of Muftis of Russia, Ravil Gainutdin, allowed himself and similar statements. But now his zeal is directed at defending the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which has oppressed him for many years, transforming him from a religious figure who stood up for the equality of Russian Muslims with the Russian Orthodox Church into a pathetic puppet serving the politics of the «Russian world». Thus, Gainutdin called the Ukrainian authorities’ desire to cleanse the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra of Moscow priests a struggle between Satanists and believers.
«What the authorities are doing today — forcing believers out of the churches, confiscating these churches — is a real struggle of Satanists who want to alienate people from faith, from religion, and impose their own faith on them,» said this «defender of believers».
What then can be expected from colleagues like Albir Krganov, who even then bowed to the priests when Gainutdin allowed himself to defend the interests of Islam and Muslims? He did not hesitate to compare the Moscow priests in Kyiv with the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah be pleased with him, and greet him and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them.
«The current situation in Kyiv with our Orthodox brothers, people of the Scriptures, as part of the UOC reminds us of the situation with the Palestinians and the migration of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and his companions. Then the pagans of Mecca tried to kill the Prophet of Allah, peace be upon him, but justice triumphed and the world learned about the peaceful religion of Islam. The persecution of our Orthodox brothers in Ukraine, as part of the UOC, in our opinion, resembles a similar story, with the clarification that they are not companions, but people who have dedicated their lives to serving the Creator,» Krganov said.
Needless to say, the comments here are superfluous… But for those who have forgotten or are not aware, it is necessary to explain what this is all about. There is no struggle against Orthodoxy and Orthodox believers in Ukraine, as pro-Kremlin satanists try to portray. The Orthodox Church in Ukraine enjoys the full support of the authorities. Moreover, not just one, but two — the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP). Ukraine is fighting on its own territory only against the MOSCOW «Orthodox» and the MOSCOW Church, i.e. the so-called Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), which still recognizes the canonical supremacy of the latter, even now, when a genocidal war is being waged against Ukraine, supported and blessed by this Patriarchate.
And if we talk about the eviction of Moscow priests from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and other Orthodox churches in Ukraine, this is not because they are Orthodox, but because someone wants to convert them to another religion, but because they did not want to join the UKRAINIAN church and decided to remain in the church subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate.
And now let’s ask some questions. Turkey today is not only not at war with Russia, as Russia itself is at war with Ukraine, but seems to be its partner, and the Russian and Turkish presidents call each other friends. But why are the Turkish Jamaats of Said Nursi, Suleymanjilar, Osman Nuri Topbash, etc. banned in Russia and not only expelled from some mosques but now can be imprisoned for 10-15 years for their participation? Why are the books of Said Nursi or Osman Nuri Topbash also banned?
Russian officials and their «Muslim» puppets like Krganov will say: because we have our own, Russian Muslim spiritual administrations, their mosques and the literature published by them, and therefore we do not need foreign ones on Russian territory. But why should Ukraine, which has its own Ukrainian churches, tolerate on its territory branches of a church of a hostile state, which is waging a war against it with the aim of its destruction?
And by the way, how many Ukrainian Orthodox Churches of the Kyiv Patriarchate are there on the territory of Russia itself? And they used to exist because millions of Ukrainians live in Russia, some of whom had such a need in certain regions. But all such churches on the territory of Russia have been closed by now. Although Ukraine has not attacked Russia and occupied its territory. But from Ukraine, which has suffered such an attack and (temporarily) lost part of its territory, they demand to tolerate the churches of the occupiers in other territories.
And most importantly, what we have written about many times. The UOC-MP and its current leadership, headed by the KGB agent Gundyaev, known as Patriarch Kirill, have long ceased to be purely religious and have become a quasi-religious ideological-political structure. Moreover, this structure has played one of the most important roles in the creation and implementation of the de facto state ideology of Putin’s Russia — the «Russian World», including its manifestations such as the fight against Islamic revival and enlightenment on the territory of Russia, or the aggression against Ukraine, and the desire for expansion and revanchism in such countries as Serbia, where it inspires similar forces.
There is no doubt that on the territory of any state that wants to protect itself from the «Russian world» any structures, branches, and activities of this organization must be banned. Especially since everywhere there are or can easily be created their own Orthodox Churches, independent of Moscow, to which the corresponding communities and parishes can switch from the UOC-MP. What, as in Ukraine, is the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople willing to support?
Moreover, the UOC-MP, as a criminal organization, should be banned not only in Ukraine but also in Russia itself in the event of the overthrow of the Putin regime, as was the case with similar criminal organizations of the Nazi and Communist regimes after their downfall.
And by the way, the same should now apply not only to Orthodox but also to the structures of other religious denominations, including «spiritual organizations of Muslims».
Their leaders, who are guilty of actively supporting the existing regime and the criminal ideology and policies of the «Russian world,» should be held accountable. And the parishioners of the respective communities should create new religious organizations cleansed of criminal elements and the legacy of the old regime.
Well, for now we can only dream of this in Russia, so we can only rejoice for Ukraine, where this is already happening. And I wish them to persevere and complete this matter. Amen.