Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Regional Court Rules Islamic Text Not Extremist

Last month, President Vladimir Putin introduced legislation to the Duma preventing courts from deeming major religious texts — including the Quran and the Bible — extremist.

A court in the far eastern region of Sakhalin overruled on Thursday an earlier decision by a lower court to ban an Islamic text on extremism grounds after complaints from senior religious figures and outspoken Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, the Interfax news agency reported.

“Muslims were expecting the reversal of this decision,” said Said-Magomed Chapanov, a lawyer for Kadyrov, said after the decision by Sakhalin Regional Court, according to Interfax.

Parts of the Islamic text “Supplication to God” were pronounced extremist under controversial new legislation by a court in Yuzhno-Sakahlinsk on Aug. 12, prompting an outcry.

“I demand a harsh punishment for the provocateurs who made this court decision,” Kadyrov, the head of the mainly Muslim North Caucasus Republic of Chechnya wrote on Instagram at the time.

Last month, President Vladimir Putin introduced legislation to the Duma preventing courts from deeming major religious texts — including the Quran and the Bible — extremist.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more