On 12 November Kyiv hosted a conference of the Crimean Tatar Kurultai. It was the first time since returning from Deportation that the gathering was held outside the Crimean peninsula, due to impossibility of performing free gatherings in the Russia-occupied Crimea. Overall, 200 delegates were keen to attend.
When given a word, Mufti of RAMU ”Umma” Said Ismagilov said that Ukrainian Muslims are proud with the strength, courage, valour and strong faith in God, demonstrated by the Crimean Tatars living on the peninsula.
— They are role models in fraternity and endurance in terms of the Russian occupation and repressions against the Crimean Muslims. We always remember them in our prayers. Wishing peace and God’s mercy for all the Muslims in Crimea!
Sheikh Said also noted that hard times demand hard decisions, in particular, those voiced by the Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev. Among his theses was the demand of expelling the collaborates with the occupational regime from both the Mejlis and the Kurultai; a need to extend the time in office for the current delegates of Kurultai (until general election of the new calling is possible). He also stressed that imams taking money from the occupational authorities even though the regime persecutes the Crimean Tatars and all the Crimean Muslims for their ethnicity and religion, would have to go after the occupation was over, for they had no moral right to continue occupying their posts.
