Residents of Novy Kurush report tense situation in village after closure of mosque

The situation in the village of Novy Kurush in the Khasavyurt District of Dagestan, where a Salafi mosque was closed on September 22, remains tense. As of September 28, the very mosque is closed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 9, Magomed Khidirov, Imam of the Sufi mosque of the village of Novy Kurush, was killed. Apart from the Sufi mosque, there is also a Salafi mosque in the village. On September 22, the SMS-service of the "Caucasian Knot" received a message that the Salafi mosque in the village of Novy Kurush was closed and that the Imam and 20 mosque-goers were detained. Besides, two local residents were put on the wanted list on suspicion of the murder of Magomed Khidirov.

In the evening of September 28, a resident of the village of Novy Kurush, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the mosque still remained closed.

"The mosque did not even perform the festive prayer on the holiday of Eid al-Adha. The mosque-goers are afraid to actively demonstrate their dissatisfaction, since the mosque was closed with the support of law enforcers and administration... However, the people's dissatisfaction intensifies, and I do not know what will happens next, if the rights of the Muslims of the village are derogated," the villager has said.

The man has suggested that the conflict in the village is being artificially inflated.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.