Moscow's Large Muslim Community Faces Violence, Suppression

VoiceofAmerica ^ | October 16, 2013 | James Brooke

[klpt]

Moscow is now home to 2 million Muslims - more than any other city in Europe.

So when the faithful gathered Tuesday for the start of the Eid al-Adha holiday, tens of thousands of men unrolled their prayer mats on the asphalt of Moscow’s streets. Last year, they prayed outside in rain and snow.

Looming overhead were the new minarets of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, a century-old mosque that is now being expanded. It is one of only four mosques in all of Moscow.

“Certainly mosques are needed. Mosques are needed in each micro-district,” said Abdul Bari Sultanov, a Russian Muslim from Tatarstan, a historically Muslim region, after prayers Tuesday. “As well as madrassas, schools, imams so that people would be morally prepared for meeting their God.”

The Russian Orthodox Church is building 200 new churches around Moscow. In contrast, new mosque projects never win building permits.

Russian Muslim activist Geydar Dzhemal claims that the Kremlin blocks new mosques in Russia’s capital.

“They understand the politics of suppression -- direct suppression,” said Dzhemal, who has criticized Moscow’s policy on Islam since the Soviet days. “And they don't understand that this will create problems for themselves much worse then those they are trying to understand now.”

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has vowed that no new mosques will be built in Moscow. He claims that the Muslims praying in streets on holidays are largely Central Asians, guest workers who will eventually go home.

[Hardraade]

Lol.

I just limped to the pharmacy and got a fresh needle supply. Did you see the Sauds sulking?

[SoFloFreeper]

Voice of America reports this? Sounds more like Voice of Obamugabe....building sympathy for an eventual boycott of Russia’s Olympic games.

[BBell]

What’s that? A target rich environment?

[BBell]

I wish more people would remember Beslan.