Statement of leadership of the Spiritual Board of Dagestani Muslims on decision of the Lenin District Court of Orenburg to ban dozens of Muslim books

We are most profoundly outraged by the decision of the Lenin District Court of the city of Orenburg of March 26, 2012, to ban dozens of authoritative Islamic books. By its essence, the prohibition of these books is prohibition of the Islam in Russia, because they include the interpretation of the Holy Quran, the biography and teachings of the blessed Prophet Muhammad (let Allah bless and welcome him), the training in the Islamic prayer, fasting, zakat and pilgrimage, which form the very basis of Islam and make the integral and mandatory practice of every Muslim.

The conclusions presented in this court decision have nothing to do with the circumstances of the case. The court fixed the circumstances not proved in consideration of the case and incorrectly identified the relevant case circumstances. The decision of the Lenin District Court of the city of Orenburg of March 26, 2012, which prohibits tens of authoritative Islamic books, not only violates the norms of the law, but also creates grounds for inciting religious hatred and ethnic enmity, undermines the foundations of inter-religious dialogue and intra-confessional tolerance, and poses a threat to peaceful coexistence and safety of all citizens of the Russian Federation.

We are strongly supporting all the condemnations of this voluntarism expressed by the Russian Muftis Council, a number of respected religious, social, and political leaders of our homeland; we entirely share their outrage, support their demands and are ready to support them.

We are sure that the prohibition of Islamic literature will create - at the background of severe social and political unrests in the Russian Federation - the effect of sabotage against the integrity and security of our state. We see that instead of religious and moral education on the principles of tolerance and respect for one's opinion the poly-confessional environment of the Russian society gives rise to religious intolerance, religious and ethnic segregation, and even open fascism.

Instead of striving for dialogue, peace, accord and prosperity within the united lawful state, the nations of Russia are pushed to discord, enmity and hatred, which will undoubtedly lead to disastrous consequences. It is quite clear that the situation demands immediate and complete decisions.

With account of the aforesaid, we hereby demand to:

1. Restore the deadline for appealing against the decision of the Lenin District Court of the city Orenburg of March 26, 2012, and ensure an impartial and fair consideration of the case. Nobody has ever won the war on books; nobody has ever reached welfare through banning books; and certainly nobody has ever won a war on our Creator. Wake up!
2. Provide an opportunity for a new independent expert examination on the case by an expert organization that has no professional association with any confession. An expert opinion cannot be objective, if it is made by a person, who has ideological beliefs diametrically opposite to the positions of the Muslim confession.

We look forward to a comprehensive support of this statement by all the major religious confessions of our country, as well as by all the political, social and other organizations of the international community, engaged in the topics of religious freedom, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, where the Russian Federation has the observer status since 2005.

We hereby express our sincere hope for the prompt abolition of the decision of the Lenin District Court of the city of Orenburg of March 26, 2012, to ban Muslim books, and termination of the proceeding on the case.

Spiritual Board of Dagestani Muslims 

June 20, 2012