October 14, the Day of Defender of Ukraine, we honored those who, risking their lives, defend their land, peace, and secure a happy future of the whole country and its every citizen. That day the Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine Ummah held a ceremony to award with a special medal, established by them ‘For Service to Islam and Ukraine’. It is symbolic that the solemn award of fighters for independence, integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine was held in the reconstructed House of Trade Union, which had almost burned down during the events of February 18-20, 2014. Here were the Maidan headquarters during the Orange Revolution and the National Resistance Headquarters during the Euromaidan.
57 participants in the Donbas war, volunteers, paramedics, chaplains, were awarded with the medals. Unfortunately, some awardees had given their lives for Ukraine: Amina Okuieva, Rustam Hamrayev, Shamil Rumihin, Artem Netrunenko, Ruslan Mudzhabaev.
The ceremony began with the performance of the national anthem of Ukraine. After that Imam-Chaplain Abdullah (Yevhenii) Hlushchenko recited the verses of the Holy Quran, and the RAMU Ummah Mufti Said Ismagilov prayed:
- Oh, Allah the Almighty! May peace and mercy be upon Ukraine and Muslims of Ukraine, and Muslims all over the world! Accept our reciting this prayer, and reward our brothers and sisters who fell in this war, while defending Ukraine. They were standing out for Your sake to protect the peaceful life of their families, their children, their land. We ask You to reward them generously and accept them as shahids. We pray to take them to the Paradise without a report; we ask You to be merciful to them and together with the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) allow to enter them to the Paradise! We pray to You for the souls of Amina Okuieva, Rustam Hamrayev, Shamil Rumigin, Artem Netrunenko, Ruslan Mudzhabayev… Oh Almighty Allah! We pray to You for peace, health and strong faith for all Muslims who defend Ukraine! We pray for everyone who protects, for everyone who helps, for everyone who prays, and for everyone who supports our honest and just struggle! Amen!
The Medals for Service to Islam and Ukraine were presented to the relatives of the fallen Muslim heroes. Among them were Aishe (Irina) Kaminska, the mother of the participant in the Revolution of Dignity and ATO, a female warrior Amina Okuieva. Presenting the award, Sheikh Said Ismagilov thanked for her worthy daughter:
- We reward our sister Amina posthumously, and we express to you, as a mother, as the closest person to her, on behalf of the Muslim community of Ukraine our gratitude for such a worthy daughter of the Muslim Ummah. You know, we cannot do more than the reward given by Almighty Allah, but the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him) said, " Who is ungrateful to people is ungrateful to Allah." On behalf of the Muslims of Ukraine, accept this award for your daughter!
Noting that the awarding ceremony was taking place at the Trade Union House on the Maidan, Ms Aishe said, here the Revolution of Dignity had been born, which reminded her about Amina. She thanked the Muslims of Ukraine in the face of the Mufti for remembering her daughter.
There are 57 defenders of Ukraine, including women: Paramedic Olha Bashei (call sign "Kroha"), volunteers Victoria Nesterenko, Tetiana Skirtach, Heide Rizaieva.
Medal "For the Service of Islam and Ukraine" was awarded to soldiers and veterans of ATO / JFO:
Muslim Cheberloievskom
Suleiman Demerdzhyiev
Veldar Shukurdzhyiev
Andrii Tsuipii
Marlen Misiratov
Maksym Zvintsov
Aslan Misiratov
Eduard Biletskyi
Musa Hiliskhanov
Murad Khadizov
Volodymyr Bezrukyi
Ruslan Zavorotniak
Volodymyr Riabitsev
Valerii Sapunov
Khamzat Khaladov
Khadzy-Murad Zumsoiev
Idris Shiksaitov
Alvi Vutsaiev
Rashyd Konevych
Umad Khazhbazhmadov
Muslim Idrisov
Volodymyr Maksymov
Serhii Nasibov
Oleksandr Adzelenko
Aslan Ishhoiev
Dzebrail Mirzoiev
Timur Kurtseitov
Aziz Iliasov
Serhii Solovei
Anatolii Hanas
Oleksandr Letyk
Kostya Kurazov
Ali Dunaiev
Rustam Yakymenko
Reiimbai Mademinov
Enver Kutiia
Masi Naiem
Alim Kerimov
Yuldash Tohaiev
Mykola Sylych
Yevhen Matsybera
Vidadi Israfilov
Among the awardees were the chaplains: Serhii Putylin, Vasylii Pustovit, Yevhen Glushchenko, and on the submission from the Office of the Military Chaplain of Muslims of Ukraine, – Mufti Said Ismagilov – as he is also a military chaplain.
A young Crimean Tatar writer, and this event presenter Bekir Ablaiev noted during the ceremony, the idea of Ukrainian lands unity and Ukraine’s integrity is included in the anthem of Ukraine:
- If we look at the history of Ukraine, we will notice that more than one generation of Ukrainians had given their own lives to acquire the right on the future generations’ independence. 1991 is written in the modern history as a new page of beginning our country's development. 2004 is the year of civic engagement, the year of the Orange Revolution. 2013 is the Revolution of Dignity, 2014 is the beginning of the war in the Donbas ... Our military, while protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state, and we, the Ukrainian society, have been receiving news from the fighting line every day. We rejoiced over the victories of our soldiers, the news about the liberated settlements, but since 2014, almost every day, we have been receiving sad news too, unfortunately. Not all Ukrainian fighters returned to their families, embrace their wives, children, parents – we will remember them forever. Their bravery, patriotism and allegiance to a country are an example for the younger generation. Islam is impossible without justice, freedom, without implementing the principles of respect and dignity. And could our Ukraine, which we all strive for, exist without these principles? The answer is obvious. Certainly, those who acutely feel the need to uphold these principles, take up arms and go to Donbas to defend the integrity of Ukraine. And among these heroes, we can proudly see representatives of the Muslim community of Ukraine, ” – Bekir Ablaiev emphasized.
Hundreds of Muslims joined the ranks of defenders of Ukraine, dozens gave their lives, and Muslims are sincerely proud of their co-religionists and honor the memory of those who perished, -this unites the Muslim Ummah and the entire Ukrainian society.
Source: UMMA.
