Russian Muslims protest radical literature ban

July 20, 2008

MOSCOW (AFP) — Russia's highest Muslim council on Saturday issued a protest against a ban on some Islamic publications considered by the authorities to be "extremist."

The Council of Muftis "has taken a decision to request that the relevant institutions of the Russian Federation carry out a repeat analysis of the books," the council said in a statement.

Starting last year, the authorities have compiled a regularly updated list of publications seen as breaking sweeping new laws against extremism. Most of the banned books are linked to Islam.

The council said it was "seriously concerned" that there was no official committee to analyse the literature and accused the experts who compiled the list of doing so "tendentiously and subjectively."

The Council of Muftis, which represents Russia's 20 million Muslims, on Saturday also called for a "balanced" approach in a criminal inquiry against a Moscow editor accused of publishing one of the banned books.


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