AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Muslim institution of Russia, along with the publisher of the book Islam in the North Caucasus, has appealed against a Moscow court ruling that banned the work.
The encyclopedia, the result of more than a decade of research, was designed to provide a comprehensive academic account of Islam in the region and its cultural and linguistic diversity.
Prosecutors cited two specific chapters, Wahhabis in the North Caucasus and The History of Islam in Chechnya, alleging links to terrorist groups. The book was subsequently added to the list of prohibited materials, and its distribution was suspended.
Ildar Nurimanov, the book’s editor, rejected the accusations as personal and rooted in past disputes. Damir Mukhetdinov, deputy head of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims, confirmed that while some financial penalties have been imposed under certain rulings, the book has not been destroyed. He added that they plan to appeal to higher courts to defend the scholarly and legal integrity of the work.
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