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27 March 2008, 10:28Fellow Muslims slam Russian mufti
Moscow, March 27, Interfax - Russian Central Muslim Spiritual Administration has condemned a statement by Nafigullah Ashirov, co-chairman of the Russian Muftis Council that Zionism is similar to fascism, words that have caused a rift between the council and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia.
"By his words, Nafigullah Ashirov has endangered interreligious peace in the country," the Muslim Spiritual Administration's envoy to Moscow, Rastam Valeyev, told the Interfax-Religion.
"This is not the first time that the self-styled 'Supreme Mufti Authority of the Asian Part of Russia' has provoked a scandal and inflicted serious damage on interreligious dialogue," Valeyev said.
Much has been said recently about anti-Semitic and anti-Orthodox statements by Ashirov, but "it is Muslim leaders who have been the targets of the sharpest and most insulting statements by that mufti," the envoy said.
"Since 1992, Ashirov has been constantly and in the dirtiest way possible insulting the chairman of the Central Muslim Spiritual Administration, Supreme Mufti Sheikh ul-Islam Talgat Tajuddin, and his associates and North Caucasus Muslim leaders," Valeyev said.
Ashirov "has brought discord into Muslim communities on a territory from Yekaterinburg to Sakhalin," and the Administration is sorry it has "believed in his seemingly sincere repentance of his criminal past," Valeyev said.
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