34 Ukrainian Muslim organizations have signed a Charter of Muslims of Ukraine aimed at joining in a single consolidating force for Ukrainian unity. The move and the affirmation of support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity are especially vital given the challenges brought by Russia’s occupation of Crimea and military conflict in Donbas. The most devastating blow for many Crimean Muslims has been the Chief Mufti of Crimea’s decision to cooperate with the Russian occupation and evidence of collaboration with the repressive organs by the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Crimea, under the Mufti.
Serhiy Danilov, a Crimea specialist at the Association of Middle East Studies [AMES] was one of the guests at the ceremony on Dec 5. He explains that the annexation of Crimea, as well as the occupation of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts have fundamentally changed the “map of Muslim organizations of Ukraine”. With the effective loss of the largest religious association – the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Crimea – from this map, and the latter’s increased role as an instrument of the occupation regime, a significant percentage of those with a position viewed as dissident have been driven from Crimea.
