ISCA - The Islamic Supreme Council of America

Kadyrov Proposes to Ban Wahhabi Fundamentalism in Russia

August 28, 2002

Izvestia, August 28, 2002, EV
Akhmad Kadyrov, the Kremlin-appointed head of Chechnya, seems to be supporting the federal government's idea of a referendum on a constitution for Chechnya; but insists on Chechnya's interior ministry being reformed before any further action is taken.

A referendum on a constitution for Chechnya is to be held in Chechnya in December this year, says Akhmad Kadyrov, head of the Chechen administration. At a news conference in St. Petersburg, he noted that the referendum is an integral part of the plan for Chechen settlement which President Vladimir Putin signed in early 2002. In compliance with the draft constitution, Chechnya is a region of Russia and it will observe federal laws.

Kadyrov has once again proposed banning Wahhabi fundamentalism, the radical Muslim movement, in Russia. "Negotiating with these people (Wahhabis) is not possible; eliminating them can be the only solution to this problem."

"Unfortunately, those who are preaching ideas of Wahhabism are now operating nationwide and adoption of the law enabling to initiate trials for propagating ideas of Wahhabism is required," Kadyrov said.

Moreover, Kadyrov confirmed his negative attitude to the idea of negotiating the representatives of Aslan Maskhadov, the leader of the Chechen separatists. "By such actions, we give the guerrillas another pretext to unleash their anti-Russian propaganda and enable them to gain new recruits," he stated.

Kadyrov's reaction to a proposal by Sergei Mironov, the human rights authority in the Russian Federation, to withdraw excess troops from Chechnya was positive. Kadyrov noted his intention to request President Putin to withdraw the excess troops, leaving only those which will be permanently stationed in Chechnya after reforms to Chechnya's Interior Ministry are completed in October.

Kadyrov arrived in St. Petersburg to sign a framework agreement touching upon the economic, cultural, scientific and social spheres, according to RTR-Vesti.ru.

(Translated by Andrei Ryabochkin)