The occupying so-called ‘Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Crimea and Sevastopol’ organized  “All-Russian Women’s Congress on the Role of Muslim Women in Preserving Interethnic Unity and Strengthening Patriotism in Russia: Traditions and Modernity” in Simferopol. This event is being held for the first time and aims to utilize religious structures to promote an ideology that supports the occupying regime.

The occupiers continue to use cultural and religious institutions to strengthen their influence over the population of Crimea, particularly among women, spreading ideas that do not align with the traditions and values of the Indigenous People of Ukraine that have developed in Crimea. Statements by representatives of the occupying administration regarding ‘nurturing patriotism through the lens of religious values’ serve as yet another example of imposing an ideology on Crimean Muslims that supports Russia’s aggressive policies.

The Mission emphasizes that events organized by the occupying administration have no legitimacy and serve as propaganda tools to justify illegal occupation of Crimea.