About 1 million people have flooded the streets of Chechen capital of Grozny in a rally against the publication of the Prophet Muhammad by Charlie Hebdo magazine. The demo, dubbed “Love to Prophet Mohammed,” was organized by region’s clerics.
About 1 million people, residents of Chechnya and other Russian Caucasus republics, gathered for the rally, the Interior Ministry press service said. Orthodox priests, mostly from the neighboring republics, have also arrived for the demonstration.
The protesters were carrying banners, saying “We love Prophet Mohammed,” “No to Mohammed cartoons,” “Islam is a religion of peace and creation.”
Participants at the rally said Muslims should not respond to provocations. “Violence is not the method,” one of their slogans said.
The crowd gathered near the “The Heart of Chechnya,” one of the biggest mosques in Russia.
The head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, told the crowd that Islam was a region of peace and Russian Muslims won’t let use them to destabilize the situation in the country.
“We are announcing to the whole world that Muslims won’t let use them to destabilize the situation in the country. We have always been reliable protesters of Russia. And now [we] are capable of giving a fitting rebuff to any enemy of our Homeland.”
Europe hasn’t drawn any conclusions from the recent events in Paris which left 17 people dead, Kadyrov said.
“We see that European journalists and politicians under false slogans about freedom of speech and democracy declared the freedom of boorishness, and uncivilly insult religious feelings. About what freedom of speech are they [speaking] in Paris and other Western capitals?”
The head of Russia’s Mufti Council, Ravil Gaynutdin, said that Western countries are abandoning family and spiritual values.
“We should value our spiritual and moral values, and family traditions. We should build our spiritual country: great Russia,” Gaynutdin said, Tass news agency reported.
The rally ended with a mass prayer.
The ‘Love for Prophet Muhammad’ rally was called by the republic’s clerics.
Earlier, Kadyrov called on Chechens to join him at the protest.
