The ban in Russia of a list of highly readable and reliable Islamic books on the claims of preaching extremism has infuriated the Muslim minority. Muslims denounced the move as unjustifiable and totalitarian. Authorities have included recently more Islamic books to the Federal List of Extremist Materials. They included The Personality of a Muslim by Muhammad Ali al-Hashimi. The book is seen as a staple religious text for tens of thousands of Russian Muslims. It emphasises kindness and generosity toward people of other faiths. Other banned books included the works of famed Turkish Muslim theologian Said Nursi (1878-1960). Russia’s Mufti Ravil Gainutdin said that there is no excuse for the continuous banning of some of Islam’s treasure books. He said the way Russian authorities have banned the books does not fit a democracy and it is absurd and deplorable that no Muslim expert, no imam, no head of ecclesiastical department of Russian Muslims has been approached for counselling.
BAN ON BOOKS ON ISLAM IN RUSSIA
The ban in Russia of a list of highly readable and reliable Islamic books on the claims of preaching extremism has infuriated the Muslim minority.
