FRANCE-SHOOTING/CHECHNYA PROTEST Hundreds of thousands march in Russia's Chechnya against religious cartoons

Record ID: 324393

  • Title: FRANCE-SHOOTING/CHECHNYA PROTEST Hundreds of thousands march in Russia's Chechnya against religious cartoons
  • Date: 19th January 2015
  • Summary: GROZNY, CHECHNYA, RUSSIA (JANUARY 19, 2015) (REUTERS) HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS NEAR CENTRAL MOSQUE PROTESTERS WITH BANNERS PROTEST IN PROGRESS COLUMN OF PROTESTERS MARCHING
  • Embargoed: 3rd February 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAEFJFTVISBCS2TS1A2OD26BEXY
  • Story Text: EDITORS, PLEASE NOTE, PART AUDIO AS INCOMING
    Hundreds of thousands of people staged a rally on Monday (January 19) in Russia's Chechnya region against French magazine Charlie Hebdo's cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, which the predominantly Muslim region's leader denounced as "vulgar and immoral".
    Carrying signs declaring "We love Prophet Mohammad' men in traditional Chechen dress and women and children shouted "Allah Akbar" (God is greatest) as they streamed down the main thoroughfare of Chechnya's capital, Grozny, rebuilt after two separatist wars in the North Caucasus region.
    "Today we came here with a great pain. Because what is happening in France, these cartoons, is an unbearable pain for each Muslim. We just want to show people that we should leave in peace," Chechnya resident Adam Satuyev said.
    "I think we, Muslims, have been insulted all over the world. Our religious feelings are hurt. And our religious right is also hurt. And I think it is the duty of every Muslim to come out and take part in this march. Not to demonstrate aggression, not to demonstrate the superiority of one religion over another, but simply to show that the good is greater than the evil," rally participant Khava Akhmatova told Reuters.
    French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo published a picture of Mohammad weeping on its cover last week after gunmen stormed its offices, killing 12 people. The gunmen said the attack was revenge for cartoons the magazine had published mocking Islam.
    "We strongly condemn the authors of the cartoons and the politicians who supported them with speeches about freedom of speech. Today we see that Europe has not drawn proper conclusions from recent bloody events in Paris," Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said addressing the crowd.
    Kremlin-backed Kadyrov, who opposes an insurgency that aims to carve out an Islamist state in the mostly Muslim North Caucasus, has cultivated his own brand of Islam which critics say contradicts Russian law.
    Mass rallies organized in the region have been used to show Kadyrov's allegiance to Moscow. Around 100,000 were estimated to have marched in Grozny at a rally organized for the birthday of President Vladimir Putin last year.
    Some participants in other rallies have criticized Chechen authorities, saying they were forced to attend.
    Some state-controlled and Kremlin-friendly media in Russia, which has passed a law making it illegal to offend religious sentiment, have questioned the value of free speech since the Paris killings.
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