On the eve of the Global Peace Summit, the Supreme Mufti of Crimea, Aider Rustemov, and the Mufti of the Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine, “Ummah,” Murat Suleimanov, urged the governments of Muslim countries to support Ukraine’s efforts to establish a comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace.

In his appeal, the Supreme Mufti of Crimea emphasized that since 2014, the Muslims of Ukraine, particularly Crimean Tatars, have been victims of the war waged by Russia using brutal methods. “We, the indigenous people of Crimea, were expelled from our native land, from our homes. Those who have remained living under occupation have been subjected to violence, torture, imprisonment, kidnapping, and murder for these 10 years. Their children in kindergartens and schools are forced to sing the Russian anthem, march in Russian military uniforms, and then are mobilized into the Russian army as cannon fodder. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims in Crimea do not live in peace; they live in war.”

Aider Rustemov also highlighted the global consequences of Russia’s actions, stating that this war has one of the most destructive potentials. Its possible consequences include nuclear power plants being at the center of hostilities, the risk of a nuclear war, a worldwide radiation threat, and a food crisis in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Therefore, achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine is crucial for all of humanity.

Mufti Murat Suleimanov noted that the Muslim community of Ukraine has been one of the biggest victims of this war. After the occupation of Crimea, Russia invaded the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where large communities of Muslims, including Kazan Tatars, lived. Imams fled the occupied territories to save their lives, and some mosques were closed. “Over the years of the great war, several Ukrainian mosques have been damaged by Russian bombs and missiles, some of them completely destroyed. But we, Ukrainian Muslims, remain here and continue to fight for the sake of the weak, men, women, and children, as the ayat says. And we urge everyone to support Ukrainians,” the Mufti emphasized in his address.

Murat Suleimanov also stressed that the path to establishing a comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace is to implement the Ukrainian Peace Formula and to publicly support this initiative by participating in the Peace Summit at the highest level.

Address of the Supreme Mufti of Crimea Aider Rustemov: https://cutt.ly/Veu7MKh8 

Statement of the Mufti of the Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine “Ummah” Murat Suleimanov: https://cutt.ly/xeu7MhPX