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4 August 2003
The counter-terrorist operation controlled by the government of Russian
Federation, de facto turned into a masked system of apartheid
On July 30, human rights organizations representatives came to such
conclusion at a press conference in the Institute of the development
of print media, the "Caucasian knot" reported citing the Agency of social
information.
"The counterterrorism campaign has assumed a threatening character and
scale," says Lyudmila Alekseeva, a representative of the Moscow Helsinki
group. The forces agencies have presumed on idea that perpetrators of
terror acts were solely non-Slavic people who are abusively called 'persons
of Caucasian nationality'. The identity papers checks of
primarily 'Caucasian persons' widely practiced in the streets of Moscow
could not prevent the tragedy in Tushino because, according to Mrs.
Alekseeva, the police did not accomplish their direct duties, while
in pursuit of their own welfare. According to Boris Kagarlitsky, the
director of the Institute of globalism problems, all these events take
place while on a background have emerged global social, economic and
political disorders. All those troubles provoke a natural desire "put
the finger on someone", that is to define a cause of the problem, which
could be safe enough for the authorities.
In Russia, Kagarlitsky went ahead, the authorities Moslem believers
were picked out to be "scapegoats". Thus, racism, separatism and apartheid
flourishing in the modern Russian society, have become the powerful
instrument to keep down social tension. According to Maxim Shevchenko,
the editor in chief of "Smysl" /"Meaning" magazine under the circumstances
the Russian mass media, keep on advocating racial segregation. "The
articles Russian newspapers publish today," said Mr. Shevchenko, "bring
back to mind that of what German newspapers wrote under the Nazis rule".
According to the survey conducted by Moscow Helsinki group, even such
substantial Moscow newspapers as "Izvestia/News", "Courier", "Merchant"
employ the remarks and phrases regarded as very offensive for the particular
nationals and religion.
In his report "Grimaces" of Russian democracy", presented for consideration
on July 30 at the press conference devoted to the problems of racial
and national segregation, Nafigullah Ashirov, the supreme mufti of the
Asian part of Russia and co-chairman of the Council of muftis of Russia
had informed the public opinion of a new turn of reprisals launched
against Moslems after the suicide bombing in Tushino.
Every woman believer dressed according to Islamic law, appeared to be
a suspect for the Russian law- enforcement gencies, Ashirov said. To
prove that, he reminded the official countrywide counter terrorist campaign
termed 'Fatima' which targeted all Moslem women who wore scarfs. The
women are not permitted to public places at that constantly subjected
to thorough checks, searches, abuses. Besides, he police misuse the
term 'shakhid', which was widely distributed by mass media, the word
has nothing to do with those who blow themselves up. This title should
be applied only to one who offered the life for the sake of the sacred
purposes defined by Islamic law. Only then the martyr could get to paradise.
Therefore, the police officials and media naming a suicide bomber 'shakhid'
make a provocative mistake, the mufti said.
He also added that today in Russia it became widely accepted to call
discriminatingly people of some nationalities, 'persons' instead of
'citizens'. The mufti is quoted as say, that many Russians do not realize
today that the Russian Federation had been historically constituted
as a country of many nations, indigenous people and many religious believes
as well.
The reckless politicians sowing prejudice, hostility and hatred toward
non-Slavic people and Moslems, mufti Ashirov said, do no take into account
that over 20 million of Russian citizens are Moslems, whose belief,
Islam, had been accepted 100 years before Christianity in Russia.
Meanwhile the top authorities of Russia constantly vowing they are pursuing
harmony between nations and religions as the major factor of unity and
integrity of this country.
Caucasus Times
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