Local residents report a new round of conflict in Agvali village

Today, on the outskirts of the Dagestani village of Agvali, where residents have chosen a new imam, many people have gathered to announce the appointment of an imam from another village, local residents report. The police took control over the entrance to the village.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on August 16, after Ramazan Isaev, the imam of the local mosque, fought with one of the local residents in the village of Agvali in the Tsumadinsky District, armed law enforcers arrived in the village. The police took control over the entrances to the village to prevent a mass fight. The villagers independently, without the participation of representatives of the Muftiate of Dagestan, proclaimed Magomedsaigid Kadimagomedov to be their new imam.

Today, on the outskirts of the village of Agvali, people have gathered again in connection with the recent conflict that occurred against the background of the imam’s election, reports a source from the law enforcement bodies. The information was confirmed by the villagers. “Agvali faces the same situation. The police are on duty. There are people from the Tsumadinsky District, while people unknown to us are gathering on the other side,” said a local resident as quoted by the newspaper "Chernovik" (Draft).

The people who arrived in the village reported on the decision agreed between the Muftiate and local alims (Islam experts) to appoint an imam of another village in the Tsumadinsky District the imam of the mosque in the Agvali village. The local residents do not let the comers through the police checkpoint and “are guarding their area,” reports Abdurakhim Mashtikhi, a member of the council of the local mosque. According to him, about 300 people have gathered at the entrance to the district.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 20, 2021 at 01:23 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.