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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Russian Muslims Want Their Own Vice President |
| 2005-09-28 |
| Russian Muslims intend to raise the question of introducing a vice president post to have their own representative in the Russian government, head of the Muftis Council Ravil Gainutdin was quoted by Ekho Moskvy radio as saying. Such an official will be needed if "the number of Muslims in Russia increases at the current pace, while the demographic situation changes for the worse," Gainutdin said. In his opinion, Muslims deserve to have their interests "represented on the highest level." However, the major Russian mufti said the country currently does not need a so-called chief mufti with the same power as the Orthodox patriarch. But an organization that will unite Russian Muslims would be worthwhile, Gainutdin said. Recently a group of 400 Muslims from the Russian internal republic of Kabardino-Balkaria sent an open letter to President Vladimir Putin asking him to let them leave Russia for any Asian or European state where "human rights are respected." They also tried to ask the Russian leader the same question during a nationwide phone-in show Tuesday, but no messages from the republic were voiced during the live broadcast. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #7 Why is it I hear the voice of Roddy McDowwell as Snowball saying "Don't worry, Brain, you can still be Surgeon General..." |
| Posted by: Phil Fraering 2005-09-28 19:29 |
| #6 Reserving slots for religious and ethnic groups (a la Lebanon) is pretty alien to western democracy. But who said Russia is a western democracy? Bad idea, but not all that far out of left field. All hail tsar Putin!!!! |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2005-09-28 16:09 |
| #5 Russian Muslims Want Their Own Vice President IIRC--Commrade Stalin had a method for accomdating such troublesome peoples demands. See Ukranie, 1933-36. |
| Posted by: N guard 2005-09-28 14:15 |
| #4 I was about to suggest Billy boy.... who knows more about vice than our ex-president. |
| Posted by: GK 2005-09-28 13:31 |
| #3 They can have Al Gore. |
| Posted by: BrerRabbit 2005-09-28 13:22 |
| #2 Geez....Russian muslims sound like the American liberals.(liberalhawk excepted) |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-09-28 12:16 |
| #1 Then you need to elect someone to represent you in the current government, instead of seeking a single individual to serve your own exclusive interests, YOU GODDAM WHINERS. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-09-28 12:14 |