Call of Dagestani Muftiate to pray for peace in Palestine is a response to public request

The majority of Dagestanis are showing their unconditional support for Palestine; this was confirmed by millions of roubles raised in a short time to help the victims. The Muftiate's call to pray for Palestinians was somewhat late, but it became an independent decision made without taking into account the opinion of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM or Muftiate) of Chechnya, which had earlier called for daily prayers, activists and a journalist believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the aggravation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict evoked a response among Muslims in Northern Caucasus. In Chechnya, the official clergy is holding everyday mass prayers in support of Palestine; and on October 17, Makhachkala townspeople tried to hold a rally which was dispersed by law enforcers. On October 19, the Dagestani Muftiate called on Imams to pray for an end to the war at their Friday namazes.

There is broad support for the Palestinians in the Dagestani society, Rasiat Osmanova, the director of the public movement "Dagestan without Orphans", believes and emphasizes that peace in Palestine is an issue that unites all the Muslims.

The call of Dagestani Muftiate to pray for peace in Palestine was a bit late, says Magomed Magomedov, a deputy editor-in-chief of the "Chernovik" outlet. "Individual statements made by Muftiate officials that we should not interfere in this situation have not satisfied the society. That is, the call for prayer came under pressure from our society," he has stated.

"There are no external signs of broad support for Palestinians among the Dagestani society, but this problem is discussed in almost every family," Mr Magomedov has added.

"Most people are clearly raising the liberation issue of Palestinian lands and the creation of a state there," Denga Khalidov, the head of the North-Caucasian branch of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems, and a deputy chairman of the all-Russian movement "Russian Congress of Caucasian Nations", has agreed.