On this festive day, we cannot forget those who are unable to celebrate it fully with their loved ones — our Muslim prisoners of conscience. And although the names of Abdulmumin Gadjiev and Kemal Tambiev are usually known among them, there are many more — hundreds in Russia alone. And in this case we will refer to all of them, although in this article we will use the name Aslambek Ezhayev as a collective image of these people. Partly because our team knows him better than any other Russian Muslim prisoner of conscience, and partly because it has been a year since he was imprisoned.
Aslambek is certainly not the first Muslim prisoner of conscience we have in mind, imprisoned for his activities. However, in a sense, he is currently unique and very telling in the context of this article. In all previous cases, when a Muslim public figure was put behind bars, his case was covered by the media and Muslims knew what was happening to him. There was always some official charge, however absurd, comments from lawyers, human rights activists, coverage of court proceedings, lawlessness and treason — everything that accompanies a judicial process.
In this case, it was clear from the very beginning that Aslambek’s situation is fundamentally different. He was simply thrown behind bars, and for a long time not only no charges were brought against him, but no investigation was even carried out. Even now, a year has passed, but there are no detailed comments from lawyers, expert opinions from human rights activists, or reports from the court. And it is clear why — lawyers who really want to help such defendants can easily become defendants themselves, as happened to Dagir Khasavov, human rights organizations in Russia are suppressed, and independent media have been crushed.
Against this background, the pompous comments of some systemic Muslims that «the Ummah did nothing for Aslambek Ezhayev» can only evoke mild surprise. Especially considering that they are coming from the mouths of those who, if they have done anything at all, have hastened to distance themselves from Aslambek and accuse him of not accepting the new rules of the game that they themselves have accepted.
So how can we help Aslambek and others like him within the framework of these rules of the game? And how have those who have accepted these rules helped him?
Not long ago, their claim that their integration into the system allows them to effectively solve the problems of oppressed Muslims fizzled out. And this fizzling out is not an exception to the rule, but the very rule that states that their role within the system is not to solve the problems of oppressed Muslims from within, but to foster loyalty among Muslims to this system by even talking about the possibility of solving their problems within it.
Therefore, when we answer the question of how the Ummah can help Aslambek Ezhayev and other Muslim prisoners of conscience, we say — first of all by recognizing the fact that it is fundamentally impossible to help them under the existing system.
Someone may ask why it is necessary to acknowledge this obvious and depressing fact? Very simple — so that at least every Muslim who speaks in defense of this system under various absurd pretexts realizes that he is acting against Aslambek, against Abdulmumin, against Kemal and against many other fellow believers whom he is betraying and sacrificing for this system because of some foolish considerations that are actually meant to cover one thing — his adaptability and fear.
Therefore, even if we cannot free our prisoners from behind bars at this time, what we can and must do now is not to strengthen these bars and walls today and strive to break them down tomorrow.
And let no one tell us that this is a utopian position and impossible. If it were so, pro-Kremlin «Muslim bloggers» would not convince Muslims that they should fear the collapse of this empire of evil because it is the worst scenario for them. Therefore, both they and their masters fear this scenario and consider it real — otherwise, why would they put thousands of those they consider theoretically capable of posing such a threat behind bars as a precaution?
So we must strive to make this theoretical threat a practical reality. In order to do this, we must first understand that we cannot solve the problem of the oppressed Muslims without doing this, and we must enforce this understanding among the majority of Muslims. And no matter how much these «practices» scoff at the idea that it will change nothing, in reality both they and their masters fear it.
Because they understand very well that once such a conviction is formed among Muslims and other communities in the country, everything will change. And that will be the time for the liberation of our prisoners.