News about the possible construction of a new mosque for 60 thousand people in the east of Moscow stirred up the Russian MMA community . The emergence of an object in the Kosino-Ukhtomsky district, next to an Orthodox church and the Holy Lake, revered by believers, was discussed on the Web. One of the first against the construction was Russian MMA fighter Maxim Divnich.
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“This mosque is going to be built on a holy Orthodox site. On the Holy Orthodox Lake, there is a temple. I'm afraid to imagine that somewhere in Grozny or Makhachkala, in a holy place for Muslims, an Orthodox church will be built. It seems to me that the freedom of each person ends where the freedom of another begins.
I don't understand these actions, who approved this? The government of Moscow? I call on all Orthodox to come to this church, we are obliged to defend our shrines. Why should we allow the construction of a mosque on this site? — the fighter wrote in social networks.
After the call of Divnic, a people's gathering took place at the Holy Lake. In addition to the ex-M-1 champion, ex-UFC fighter Konstantin Erokhin, boxer Alexei Papin and Mikhail Tarabrin from the Hardcore promotion took part in it. The participants recorded a video in which they assured: «We will be here until the decision is announced to us that there will be no mosque here.»
Divnich's appeal was supported by Vladimir Mineev, who is in the special military operation zone. The fighter said that the decision to build a mosque on the site of a Christian shrine pits representatives of the two faiths.
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"Max Divnich —Well done! He stands his ground, despite the inadequate reaction. No one is against the construction of a mosque. Personally, I will only be glad when Muslims have a large mosque, where they will comfortably pray, without causing discomfort to anyone. Is there no other place than our holy lake? Eat. So what's the problem?» — Mineev wrote in social networks.
Muslim fighters sharply criticized Divnich's protest. Colleagues called him a Nazi, threatened him and demanded to build a mosque. One of those who criticized Divnich's remarks was UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
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«No matter how many Divnichi and the like interfere with the construction of mosques, there will be more and more mosques and Muslims!», the fighter wrote in social networks.
Other fighters joined the champion UFC with Caucasian roots. Muhammad Mokaev, representing Great Britain, even demanded to remove the word «Russia» from the video plate with his introduction to the next fight.
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“I read a lot of comments about how Russians are protesting against Muslims who want to build a mosque in Moscow,” the fighter explained. “That was enough for me. I can say that the country in which I now live has never openly opposed mosques.”
Khamzat Chimaev, performing under the flag of Sweden, joined the indignation by publishing a photo of the Heart of Chechnya mosque with the caption «The whole world belongs to Allah and only to him.»
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The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, also spoke about the movement against the construction of a mosque, suggesting that the protesters go to the NVO zone.
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«The instigators act to please Western interests, no matter what excuses they come up with. Intentionally or not, it doesn't matter. This is a provocation! information saboteurs,» Kadyrov wrote in his Telegram channel.
Against the background of the conflict, Divnich said that he was considering ending his career. According to him, due to constant threats and harassment, it will not be safe to appear at MMA tournaments.
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«In fact, I put an end to my sports career. At events, conferences, fights — 90 % of Muslims. Or I need to come there with an armed guard of 50 people, although I think that in an hour all these diasporas can gather several thousand people. They cut the words out of context and write that I am against Islam and Muslims. There are a lot of threats, very, in including from famous fighters,» he said.
The conflict was resolved after the intervention of the city authorities. On April 5, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced that they would not build a mosque near the Holy Lake, but would allocate a site for it near the Kosino metro station. The mayor noted that Patriarch Kirill and the head of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia Ravil Gaynutdin addressed him with a request to choose another site for the construction of the mosque. «On the one hand, the mosque will not interfere with residents of nearby houses. On the other hand, it will be in good transport accessibility. The area around the mosque will be landscaped and accessible for walking in the same way as we do in Orthodox churches,» Sobyanin wrote in a personal blog.
The mayor also clarified that an area of 2.5 thousand square meters would be allocated for the construction of the mosque, and the original construction site, which caused the conflict, was considered by the Town Planning and Land Commission only in the preliminary order.