“Hizb-ut-Tahrir” was planning to hold an International Forum and a Conference in Simferopol on October 7-8. The facility owner suddenly dissolved the agreement on a unilateral basis and rejected the rent. The “Hizb-ut-Tahrir” activists held an unauthorized meeting, which, for some reason, gave a start for the Media reports on some threat of “radical Islam” in Crimea. Specialists from the neighbouring Russia fell to observing upon the situation.

Roman Silantiev, the Russian Islamic researcher, was very harsh in his comments on “Hizb-ut-Tahrir” in Crimea. According to him, this is a terrorist organisation which is clear for everyone except Ukraine: “This organisation is acknowledged as terrorist not everywhere; not in Ukraine, for instance...” Mr.Silantiev goes further “predicting” Ukraine’s future as a country will be sweep through by the “radical terrorists” attacks.

Alexei Pushkov, the director of the Institute of Contemporary International Studies (ICIS) at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, shared his concerns on chances of forming a “Centre of Radical Islam” in Crimea. “While possible association with the EU preoccupies the official Kyiv, they can miss the threat of forming Centre of radical Islam in Crimea. The “Hizb-ut-Tahrir” open meeting is disturbing,” he said.

At the same time, Ukrainian specialists consider such information, first of all, as an attempt to touch off panic in the Ukrainian society, and second, an attempt to cast our country in a negative light during the coming Eastern Partnership Countries Summit is to take place in Vilnius. Thus, the information on “Islamic threat in Ukraine” has no reasonable basis.

According to Dr.Vyacheslav Shved, the Vice-President of the “Ukrainian Centre For Islamic Studies” NGO, the noise in the media is nothing else but “massive ideological propaganda against Ukraine which became more active lately.”

“Meeting held by “Hizb-ut-Tahrir”, not registered within the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice, became a pro forma case (for launching the informational campaign). The local Media, unfortunately, play into the hands of foreign provocator, bringing the Ukrainian inhabitants chaos and sense of helplessness.”