Appeal of Dagestani village Imam to tourists sparks discussion in social network

Tourists have come to rest and have the right to dress as they please, some social network users have noted in their comments to the appeal of the Imam of the village of Gunib to the guests of Dagestan urging them to wear closed clothes and observe the moral and ethical standards adopted in Dagestan. In their turn, other users have objected asserting that local Muslims and authorities should be more active in demanding from tourists to comply with the dress code.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that the issue of introducing a dress code for tourists, as well as disputes about the rules of behaviour for vacationers, has been repeatedly raised in Dagestan.

Today, the public "Voice of Dagestan" in the social network "VKontakte" has posted a video, in which the Imam of the village of Gunib, Abdul Magomedaliev, urges tourists to respect the dress code. "Since the summer season has begun, a large number of tourists come to our republic; and we are very happy about it. But we would be even happier, if the moral and ethical standards inherent in our people were observed. We've faced the problem of indecent appearance. This applies both to women and men," he has stated.

In their comments to the video, some social network users said that tourists should not be told how to dress. "They come here to rest as they've used to do it, and not to accept your religion with its customs. When you let one into your house for help, he'll accept your customs, and when you let someone in for money, he remains as he is," the user Ramzan Shakhbanov has written. He was supported by Gulzhan Tazieva. "What you wanted was tourism. People go to rest and relax. You better watch out people – they are no better," she has commented.

However, some users have supported the Imam's calls. "I fully support and agree with the words pronounced in the video; one should respect the traditions of local people," the user Alexei Sidorov has noted, in particular.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 13, 2022 at 11:26 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.