Mufti of Crimea Asks to Suspend Process of Installation of Bending Cross in Feodosia

02 September 2011

It became known that the Council of Ministers of the AR Crimea adopted the decision on allocation of the land plot to the permanent usage for installation of an orthodox bending cross in Feodosia. The mentioned above land plot is located in Feodosia along Dzhankoy – Feodosia road.

In connection with the mentioned above decision of the Council of Ministers of Crimea, Mufti of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Crimea hajji Emirali Ablaev addressed mayor of Feodosia, Alexander Bartenev stating that this allocation of land for the religious symbol was not agreed with the Spiritual Board. “The mentioned decision of the Council of Ministers of ARC violated the item 3 of the Decision of the Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea of February 13, 2001 #33 “On some measures on stabilization of the interreligious relations in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea” stating the necessity of agreement of installation of the religious objects with the Interreligious Council of Crimea,” – the statement of Mufti of Crimea said.

Mufti of Crimea E.Ablaev also noted that it became known that the Head of the local religious Muslim community “Kefe” gave his consent to installation of this religious object, however, the agreement for placement and installation of the religious objects doesn’t lay within the powers of any separate Muslim community, but directly the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Crimea.

“We consider that one-sided decision on this issue is inadmissible and we need the dialogue with the representatives of other religions, including Muslims,”- Mufti of Crimea hajji Emirali Ablaev said.

In his address to the mayor of Feodosia Mufti of Crimea asks to suspend the process of execution of land management and other documents on placement and installation of the religious objects – bending cross on the land plot in Feodosia along Dzhankoy – Feodosia road, as well as to adopt measures on additional examination and agreement of this issue with the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Crimea.