The shocking news from Tatarstan was reported today by the website «Idel.Real», recognized as a foreign agent in the «Russian Federation».
It turns out that in the past, in 2021, the volume of sales of alcoholic products from «Tatspirtprom» in Tatarstan fell by 3%, and vodka by 5%.
«What’s so shocking about that?» you may ask, because it’s wonderful news. It really is wonderful, and ideally these sales should fall by 100%, at least among the Muslim population.
What is shocking is that the authorities of this republic, who are simultaneously preparing to celebrate the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam in Volga Bulgaria, see it quite differently.
As the deputy prime minister of Tatarstan, Rustam Nigmatullin, stated, it is necessary to «make every effort» to prevent further reduction of alcohol consumption in the republic.
Yes, neither we nor you are mistaken — «to make every effort» is not to fight alcoholism among the population and promote a sober and healthy lifestyle among them, but on the contrary, to get them drunk.
To this end, according to the head of the Tatarstan State Alcohol Inspection, Yaudat Akhmetkhanov, the republican authorities have launched «two targeted programs for small settlements», within the framework of which special stores for the sale of «Tatspirtprom» vodka will be opened in them.
After all, according to his words, there are currently «almost 1,200 settlements in Tatarstan, where there are either no stores at all, or these places do not sell strong alcohol», and this needs to be corrected.
Such news is simply breathtaking, especially when you consider that all this is being said under the watchful eyes of journalists by people with Muslim first and last names.
And it comes as the leadership of Tatarstan announces not only the celebration of the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam in Volga Bulgaria, but also the construction of a new cathedral mosque in Kazan.
Local Islamophobes have now risen up against the latter, wanting to see it not in the city center, but on its outskirts, because it does not fit into the urban landscape.
And for them, this news became a real gift — «look, this is your Muslim republic. Of course, they will ask us, «What do you propose — to introduce Sharia law?» Of course we would propose it, but we are realists and we understand the reality of the post-Soviet republics of the Volga region.
But even in a secular state like Finland there is a prohibition. But even in this case, if the society is not ready to implement it, indirect methods can be used to stimulate the rejection of alcohol consumption and, conversely, to encourage the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, campaigns for sobriety, and so on.
But to express concern about the decline in alcohol consumption and encourage its growth, and to proclaim it publicly in the midst of the celebration of the adoption of Islam — such a thing is simply incomprehensible.
Will the Tatar-Muslim leaders who are discussing the celebration of this anniversary with the authorities also express their opinion in public?