Islam in Ukraine - Lugansk

Ukraine: World’s unseen refugee crisis

editor — Sat, 25 Jul 2015 16:53:00 +0000

More than two million people are now refugees or internally displaced due to war but their plight is little reported.

"All our belongings were destroyed. We don't have bed linen, we don't have a fork, we don't have a spoon".

Natalya Beskorovana’s words condense the everyday reality of the majority of Ukrainian refugees or internally displaced (IDPs) hard hit by the conflict in the country.

While the fighting in Ukraine is placed in a sort of quarantine in the East, life in other parts of the country is moving along almost undisturbed.

Peace and war are enjoying a more than strange cohabitation, so the true impact of the conflict is far from obvious.

At the end of June 2015, one year after the fighting started, there were more than 1.35 million internally displaced people in Ukraine, ranking the country ninth worldwide in terms of IDPs.

There are also more than 900,000 refugees in neighbouring countries and the estimated number of people in need of humanitarian aid is now five million. People face shortages in food, health services, shelter and medicines, which are in worryingly low supply in Ukraine.

In order to receive IDP status, and thus be eligible for some benefits from the state and humanitarian organisations, people need to register with the Ukrainian social protection department.

The process is lengthy and faces many challenges, like short distance displacement where people move from their destroyed home, but because they do not leave to a different administrative area than the one specified on their ID, cannot become IDPs.

Another is when the conflict moves: there are areas around the frontline which the government does not recognise as territories under rebel control and therefore does not include in the official decree stating the towns where IDPs are originating from.

As a result, people fleeing from these areas cannot receive the status and benefits. This is also the case for students and unaccompanied minors, who cannot register without the presence of their legal guardian.

"Of course we need more help; we hope for displacement benefits as now we are really in need," says 32- year-old Oksana while waiting in line for humanitarian aid at the UNHCR distribution centre in Kramatorsk.

"As for money for the children, we have applied to the court to admit Maxym, her three-month-old boy, as a citizen of Ukraine, as he was not born on Ukrainian territory."

Oksana gave birth to her child in her home town of Kirovske, in Donetsk Oblast, just before fleeing the city. She found out she was pregnant when she felt sick the first time they had to hide in the basement because of the shelling.

'Bright blue sky'

Many Ukrainians decide not to leave for safer places because they have a job, which is their only possibility to have some income. As a result, some stay but send away their wives and children.

And those who do leave, families that have often lost everything, find themselves in unknown places and in a dreadful limbo, constantly thinking whether to start a new life from scratch, or to wait for the chance to return back home.

"I want to go back," says Julia Lomakina, a 39-year-old IDP from Donetsk. "But the only case in which I could go back to Donetsk after the war is over is if it is still Ukrainian territory. In that case, yes, I will return home."

Many of those displaced feel that the Donetsk and Lugansk regions should continue to be part of Ukraine.

But for other people, the fighting has gone for so long that they end up saying that it's not that important anymore.

"Of course we want to stay in Ukraine. We were, are and want to be Ukrainians," says elderly Galea from Avdiivka, who lost her husband after his health deteriorated due to the shelling.

"But we just want peace and if it will be different, it does not matter, because we just want to have bright blue sky and no shelling. I want to go back home, not to Russia, but home."

Sourse: ALJAZEERA

25/07/2015

Rate this article:

Tags:

refugees

Humanitarian Aid

migrants

War in Donetsk

ATO

Lugansk

occupied territories

Ramadan in the occupied Donbas

editor — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 13:35:35 +0000

Sheikh Said Ismagilov, mufti, performed a monitoring of the situation in the occupied part of Donbas and shared his information on RISU blog.

"The Holy Ramadan is the most important period of religious calendar for Muslims. It is a month of daytime fasting, night prayers, Quran reading and charity dinners - Iftars, when Muslims treat to rich foodall those who come to the mosque - the house of the Almighty Allah. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him!) said: “O people! A great month is coming to you. It has the night of Al-Qadr that is better than a thousand months. Fasting in this month was made a must by Allah and the night prayer Tarawih is highly desirable to perform. This is the month of patience, and the reward for patience is the Paradise. This is the month of compassion. Those who give Iftar to a fasting man, freetheir neck from hellfire and receive redemption of their sins.”

God's grace is infinite, as the sanctity of God’s chosen time. This grace comes both to peaceful towns and villages, and the land where the insidious undeclared war is being waged, and the inhabitants are taken captives by disguised military men of a foreign country.

Last year I spent Ramadan in Donetsk. The invaders have already established a curfew, there was already a constant shelling from all kinds of heavy weapons, and just at this time the columns of militants from Slovyansk and other cities invaded Donetsk.

A feature of the Muslim Tarawah prayer in Ramadan is that it ends deep in the night. Every night returning from the mosque by car, we broke curfew, and every other time we were stopped by patrols on the deserted streets. Once they even opened fire with automatic weapons, fortunately they shot on top of the car, because we seemed suspiciousto them. They used foul language swearing at us and fidgeted our passports, but then let us go.

Despite the danger, the faithful still go to the mosque, risking even to be thrown to the basement at Schorsa street in the dungeons of the former building of the Security Service. Religious life needled its way even in such conditions. This year it became more difficult and dangerous to fulfil one’s religious duties during the holy month.

Donetsk

Due to the strict curfew, some 7-10 people attend the night prayer in our mosque. These people have their residence on the streets surrounding the mosque and can slip more or less unnoticed. One may travel from other parts of the city only before curfew and stay in the mosque until the morning as nobody takes a risk of returning home at night. Imam of Donetsk Mosque "Al-Amal" Sheikh Hamza Issasaid that "Tarawah prayer is performed daily in accordance with the Islamic canon, but the number of parishioners is small. In the days when the mosque held an Iftar dinner, more Muslims come, but they must remain in the mosque until morning because of a curfew.”

Tarawah-namaz in the mosque

On June 28, a missile hit once again in the large Cathedral Mosque of Donetsk, located in the area of the contact line of terrorists with the armed forces of Ukraine. Chair of the The Prophet’s Star community Bragin Rashid reported it in social networks. This was the third hit in the mosque during the last year; previously the mosque dome got broken and one wall of the buildingwas damaged. This happens becausemilitants locate their firing positions in the city, hiding among residential areas of Donetsk andshelling the Ukrainian cities, villages and positions of the Armed Forces. As a result, the mosque is in disrepair. Tarawah night prayers are not held there at night.

Makiyivka

In the mosque of Makiyivka, located in the old area of the city, the night prayers were not held at the beginning of Ramadan due to the curfew. Then some male Muslims living nearby in the private sector started attending it. The number of parishioners at night is some 5-7 persons.
Luhansk

After the Cathedral Mosque of Luhansk was hit by a Grad missile, Muslim community repaired it and now they hold the Tarawa-night prayer. An unexploded shell which stuck out in the middle of the prayer roomwas neutralized. According toHead of Luhansk Muslim community SaifullahRashidov, due tothe curfew, only about 10 parishioners gather each night in advance in the mosque, have dinner together and pray,staying at mosqueuntil dawn when the curfew ends.

In the cities of Stakhanov, KrasnyLuch, Torez, Snizhne, Bryanka, the mosque are not attended in the night. There is currently no information as for the activities of mosques in the cities of Alchevsk, Antratsit, Sverdlovsk and Shakhtarsk.

The charitable dinners–iftars – are held once a week in the occupied areas, at the expense of donations received from Muslims from all over Ukraine. They are attended by themost needy co-religionists - the elderly, the disabled, children and large families. The communities prepare food, and treat to it all those who come to the mosque.

Iftar

Before the beginning of the holy month, the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims recommended that Muslims in the occupied territories should not risk their lives and becareful, incase of danger they should not attend a mosque but pray at home.

Donbas is the second (after the Ukrainian Crimea) region of Ukraine by Muslim population. Prior to the occupation, there were about 250 thousand Muslims in Donbas, and a mosque was builtin almostevery major city since independence. Most Muslims of Donbas remained under occupation along with their places of worship.

01/07/2015

Rate this article:

Tags:

Cathedral Mosque of Donetsk

imam

Makeevka

Lugansk

Search for reasons behind family conflicts should be started inside oneself

eugen — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 19:00:18 +0000

The first family seminar devoted to search for better understanding in the family and finding solutions of family problems and conflicts was held on Sunday, May 26, 2013, in the city of Lugansk. This event undertaken by the Donbas Division of the All-Ukrainian Association of Social Organizations “Alraid” in the Central City Mosque gathered more than 50 people.

Ayahs of Koran meant as a warning to listeners and invocation of the Most High’s blessings on them are recited at the beginning of each event organized by Muslims. This time, the honorable role of recitation was performed by Mr.Muhammad Alustaz, Imam of the Central City Mosque.

Lectures about choice of family partner, marriage procedure, development and strengthening of family bonds and settlement of family conflicts in keeping with the Sunnah of Prophet (may be peace and blessings upon him), which had already been traditional to these events, were accompanied by psychologist’s consulting.

Neither of the parties is ultimately flawless in a conflict situation

Once the event ended up, each one could pass an anonymous psychological test that allowed one to judge one’s behavior and character prior to taking on to resolve family problems. Because everyone knows that when a conflict situation occurs its stirrers-up are both parties rather than one of them, and neither of the parties can be ultimately flawless with respect to the other one.

Only conscious choice and mutual support can make the family safe and secure in the whirl of daily life

Summing up the event, the audience came to the opinion that although the common ethnic origin of spouses could be a good means in finding common approaches to family building, this fact should by no means be seen as a verdict to international marriages.

However, an international marriage will not involve problems if young men and women, when making partner choice, are not driven by romantic impulses but guided by intention to learn more about values and morals of the person with which they are going to share the life path.

Only such union of the two mature persons ready to offer each other support and compromises in implementing common goals of life, on the one hand, and individual aspirations of each of them, on the other hand, can be safe and secure in the whirl of daily life, not being exposed to severe internal shocks.

03/06/2013

Rate this article:

Tags:

Lugansk Cathedral Mosque - the Most Visited in Ukraine, - Rashidov

oksana — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 09:01:20 +0000

Mosque building in Lugansk started in 2007 in Pavlovskaya Street – directly on waste ground at a ravine. The mosque was officially opened in June of this year. But recently rumors started to spread in the city that the building may slide into the ravine. Nevertheless, the chairman of the board of religious organization "Salam" Seyfulla Rashidov denies them and asserts that the mosque became the most visited in Ukraine.

In Lugansk the cathedral mosque which is in the Pavlovskaya Street, does not collapse. On the contrary, it is improved and extended.

"Earlier there was a waste ground passing into a ravine, and now - a beautiful building. We also plan to plant trees and flowers in the adjoining territory that it became cozy not only inside", Seyfulla Rashidov explained.

The project of the Lugansk Cathedral mosque is executed on the basis of the outline sketch of one of the mosques in the Crimean autonomy. The mosque building represents a two-storied cult construction a total area of 550 sq. m. Minaret height makes 25 meters. In a basement floor there are a sports hall and a kitchen; on the ground floor - a library, an educational class, an office. Simultaneously in the mosque can pray up to 500 persons.

Having seen black overlappings on the ravine slope, townsmen started to worry about the mosque condition – even there started to spread rumors that the building may slide into the ravine. But there are no reasons to worry about; the Lugansk Cathedral mosque is all right.

According to Seyfulla Rashidov, it is the most visited mosque in Ukraine not only by Muslims, but also by representatives of other religions.

By Cxid.info

Related Links:

News

State Committee on Religions Congratulated Muslims of Ukraine on Mosque Opening in Lugansk

In Lugansk Officially Opened Cathedral Mosque

SMMU Ummah invites for Opening of Cathedral Mosque in Lugansk

In Lugansk Took Place Seminar "Virtues of a Muslim family"

Press Reviev:

Islam in Modern Lugansk Region

Under the Badge of Half Moon. To Praise Allah in Lugansk Uneasy

07/10/2010

Rate this article:

Tags:

Lugansk

mosque

Rashidov

State Committee on Religions Congratulated Muslims of Ukraine on Mosque Opening in Lugansk

oksana — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 06:22:02 +0000

In connection with a festive celebration on the occasion of opening of the Cathedral mosque in Lugansk, the head of board of the State Committee of Ukraine on affairs of nationalities and religions Yury Reshetnikov congratulated the SMMU "Ummah" on significant event in the life of Muslims of Ukraine.

Taking the opportunity, Reshetnikov wished "the participants of the festive celebration well-being and happiness, sound health, family coziness and subsequent spiritual fulfillments".

"Nowadays the Ukrainian state is proud of variety of national cultures and religious traditions, which became its national property and our general heritage which should be stored and increased", the congratulation goes.

The head of the State Committee on Religions noticed that Ukraine became the hospitable house for many people traditionally professing Islam and understanding of responsibility for well-being and rest in this house, for its present and future, makes inseparable our democratic advancement from universal process.

Ukraine "highly appreciates noble work of the domestic Muslim Ummah in spiritual field, respects the powerful contribution to the duty of lifting of moral bases of social being".

"Nowadays the Spiritual Management of Muslims of Ukraine "Ummah" undergoes the time of the dynamical development, playing an appreciable role in revival of spirituality, culture and education of a Muslim community", the State Committee on Religions notices.

Let us remind that on May, 29th, 2010, in Lugansk took place the official opening of the Cathedral mosque. Organizers of the action were the AUASO "Alraid", the SMMU "Ummah" and the religious organization "Salam".

By arraid.org

SMMU Ummah invites for Opening of Cathedral Mosque in Lugansk

In Lugansk Took Place Seminar "Virtues of a Muslim family"

Islam in Modern Lugansk Region

Under the Badge of Half Moon. To Praise Allah in Lugansk Uneasy

11/06/2010

Rate this article:

Tags:

State Committee on Religions

Yury Reshetnikov

SMMU Ummah invites for Opening of Cathedral Mosque in Lugansk

oksana — Thu, 27 May 2010 22:48:34 +0000

On May, 29, 2010, in Lugansk will take place official opening of the Cathedral Mosque. Organizers of the event are the Ukrainian Association of Social Organizations "Alraid", the Spiritual Management of Muslims of Ukraine "Ummah" and the Lugansk religious organization "Salam".

The opening ceremony will be attended by the Ambassador of the State of Kuwait in Ukraine, Lugansk Mayor, representatives of city and regional administrations, social Muslim organizations, Imams of mosques and foreign guests.

The new three-storey mosque with eighteen hundred meter minaret built with assistance of the AUASO "Alraid" and donations of Muslims of Lugansk and the region. It was the first in the city history and the largest one in the Lugansk region, where lives about 25,000 Muslims - this is the third figure in Ukraine after the AR of Crimea and the Donetsk region.

Cathedral mosque can accommodate up to 600 believers. Besides the two prayer rooms (male and female) there is a library of Islamic literature. Under the roof of the mosque work classes on studying of the Holy Quran and the Arabic language and courses on the culture of Islam.

In Lugansk region there are already seven mosques: in Krasny Luch, Alchevsk, Stakhanov, Sverdlovsk, Rovenky and Bryantsy. The first mosque in the region was opened in 1998 in Anthracite.

Festive opening of the Cathedral Mosque will take place at 12pm in Lugansk, Pavlovskaya street 28-Zh. For media accreditation call: (0642) 34 69 22 / 23.

INQUIRY. The Spiritual Management of Muslims of Ukraine "Ummah" (the SMMU "Ummah") is the central body of unification of Muslim communities of thirteen regions of Ukraine, officially registered in September 2008.

The SMMU "Ummah" is an independent association of Muslims, one of the founders of the Council of religious centers and managements of Muslims in Ukraine at the State Committee on Religions of Ukraine.

The SMMU "Ummah" publishes a newspaper "Ummah" in Ukrainian, facilitates printing of Islamic literature, building of mosques, organizes Hajj to the holy places of Islam and carries out active work to consolidate the Muslims of the country.

By press-service of the SMMU "Ummah"

Islam in Modern Lugansk Region

Under the Badge of Half Moon. To Praise Allah in Lugansk Uneasy

28/05/2010

Rate this article:

Tags:

In Lugansk Started Project on International and Ethnic Tolerance

oksana — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:40:50 +0000

Since March, the 1st, in Lugansk started the project "Assistance to education of international and ethnic tolerance among youth of Lugansk area" which is realized by city social organization "Heart of a Woman", in partnership with Management on affairs of family, youth and sports of the Lugansk regional state administration, with financial support of the Fund of assistance of democracy of the Embassy of the USA in Ukraine.

The project is directed at assistance to decrease of national intolerance, xenophobia, racism and education of tolerance of youth leaders of Lugansk area by destruction of existing of negative stereotypes concerning national minorities.

Within the limits of the project is planned carrying out of research among youth of Lugansk area which will give the information for revealing of the most aggravated cells of xenophobia and racial intolerance and revealing of the list of the national minorities most of all suffering from displays of xenophobia in Lugansk area.

Besides, it is planned to carry out public debate on local television channel on a topic "Society - the unity of different", with the assistance of representatives of radically set youth and representatives of diasporas of national minorities of Lugansk area.

For representatives of aggressively set youth which was revealed during the research, organizers also prepared educational-training program. In the program which is intended for 3 days of work, will be considered issues of influence of migratory processes on economic growth, influences of migratory processes on preservation of national identity, and also acquaintance with features of culture, history, and traditions of the national minorities chosen by results of the research.

About the dates, time and place of carrying out of the planned actions it will be additionally informed through local mass-media and the Internet.

By "Public space"

Islam in Modern Lugansk Region

Under the Badge of Half Moon. To Praise Allah in Lugansk Uneasy

19/03/2010

Rate this article:

Tags:

tolerance

Lugansk

intercultural dialog