A Chechen blogger accuses Pankisi's (Georgia) new imam of being a Kadyrov agent

JAMnews

Tbilisi

Ramzan Kadyrov and a new imam in Georgia

Chechen blogger Hasan Khalitov, facing persecution by the current Chechen regime, alleges that Tahir Duishvili, who now serves as the imam in Georgia‘s Pankisi Gorge, was appointed as the mufti of Chechnya. This appointment was made under the authority of Ramzan Kadyrov.

Khalitov, currently residing in Turkey, says that his relatives were kidnapped in Chechnya. In his Telegram channel, the blogger wrote that Tahir Duishvili, originally from Pankisi, has become the “Kadyrov’s mufti.”

According to Khalitov, the imam was tasked with gathering information about local Kists who consider themselves Salafists [Salafism – a conservative branch of Islam]. Khalitov claims that Duishvili’s goal is to “promote the goals of Akhmat Kadyrov.”

Imam Omar Aldamov, who led the so-called traditional Islamic mosque in Pankisi for many years, died in a car accident about a month ago.

Typically, Chechens, including the Kists, followed Sufism, although in recent years Salafism has been spreading more in Pankisi.

The same blogger published conversations in Chechen, in which, according to him, Duishvili himself participates. In turn, “Radio Liberty” reported on March 25 that in the recording, presumably belonging to the new imam of Pankisi, Tahir Duishvili, he thanks the mufti of Chechnya for support and promises to “teach the correct understanding of Islam” to Salafist supporters in Pankisi.

Another Chechen blogger, Muhammad Abdurakhmanov, reacted to the recordings and speculated that Duishvili may have dual citizenship. He also called on the Georgian government to protect the residents of Pankisi.

According to Radio Liberty, recordings suggest that shortly after the death of the previous imam, Duishvili was contacted from Pankisi and asked to send a new imam. The same report claims that Duishvili allegedly said he didn’t want to take the position because he lives in Chechnya and has lost his theological knowledge.

However, he was strongly urged to go to Pankisi as an imam.

Another Chechen blogger, opposition to Kadyrov’s regime, Tumso Abdurakhmanov (brother of Muhammad Abdurakhmanov), speculated on his Telegram channel that “someone lobbied” for Duishvili’s appointment in Pankisi. He stated that the “mufti sent by Kadyrov” would be an agent of Kadyrov’s government influence in Georgia.

The new imam confirmed to the Mtavari Arkhi channel that before his arrival, he met with Chechnya’s mufti, Salah Mezhiev. It is important to note here that the spiritual leadership of Chechnya’s Muslims is fully controlled by Ramzan Kadyrov.

“I am clear before God, I do not want any provocations. I love Georgia,” quoted Mtavari Arkhi channel the words of the newly appointed imam.

“If things keep going like this, we might end up in a situation in a few years where going back to how things are now will be really hard, maybe even impossible. The so-called fifth column in Georgia has been getting stronger for a while,” said civil activist and journalist Sulhan Bordzikashvili.