Mufti Of Belarus: They Deny Us In Building Mosques Without Any Justification

The spiritual leader of Belarusian Muslims at the beginning of the celebration of Kurban Bayram spoke about the “tolerance” of the authorities.

On the occasion of Eid al-Adha, Belsat watched how one of the most important Islamic holidays is celebrated in Homel and Iwye, and also talked with Mufti of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Belarus Ali Voronovich.

Belarusian Muslims began the celebration of one of their most important holidays - Kurban Bayram.

A necessary attribute these days is a sacrificial animal. It is connected with the story of the prophet Ibrahim, whom Allah commanded to sacrifice his son, but at the last moment, recognizing the loyalty of Ibrahim, he allowed him to replace the human sacrifice with a ram.

“It is considered desirable what the Prophet Muhammad did. One part of the meat was cooked and treated to friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. Another part was given to the poor and beggars, and the third part of the meat was given to treat the family,” said Imam Sergey Saranchuk, head of the Muslim community of Homel.

This is approximately what they are doing now. However, the sacrifice is not food, but an important symbol.

“A feast of sacrifice, as it will be in Russian. It teaches us to sacrifice what is dear to us. For God's sake, but not in the sense that He needs it, but this is our guideline! It establishes that we, our souls and those around us would live good! ” says believer Natallia Prakharenka.

As a rule, the closest people gather around to have a good time on this day

“Forgiving each other sweet, fun and good mood,” says parishioner Mohammed Kvika.

Eid al-Adha should be the part of the pilgrimage to Mecca. But not every Muslim can get there, so believers must fulfill the climax where they are now.

According to Mufti Ali Voronovich, there are 24 Muslim communities in Belarus, only it is difficult to calculate the total number of Muslims. Among them there are Belarusians, and Russians, and Tatars. The approximate number of Muslims in the country is 50 thousand. Muslims admit that even in Belarus, which boasts of its tolerance so much, it often comes to a misunderstanding when believers talk about their religion.

“Quite often, the people associate Muslims with some kind of terrorists right away. Although most Muslims are in no way connected with terrorism, they are peaceful people,” said Mufti of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Belarus Ali Voronovich.

The Homel Muslim community has its own local problems.

“When we turn to the authorities for the permission to build a mosque, they refuse us and do not even justify this!” adds Ali Voronovich.

This is exactly what happened with the last attempt to start the construction of a mosque in Liakhavichy, Homel region. In total, there are about three thousand Muslims in Homel who feel especially happy during these summer days.