Religion experts explain motives for militants’ attacks on synagogue and temple in Dagestan

Ayats (verses) of the Koran, references to which were left by attackers at a synagogue in Derbent, are interpreted by the extremists to justify their confrontation with Jews and Christians, Leonid Syukiyainen and Dmitry Mikulsky point out. The experts suggest that the date of the attack on the Orthodox temple was chosen by the militants because of the Christian holiday celebrated on that day.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on June 23, a synagogue and a church were attacked in Derbent, and a road-and-patrol police service (known as DPS) checkpoint was shelled in Makhachkala. According to the preliminary information, fifteen law enforcers and four civilians, including an Orthodox priest, were killed in the attacks. The militants, according to the preliminary information, left the inscriptions of “2:120” and “8:39” on the gates of the synagogue. An author of the “Sprosite u Rasula” (Ask Rasul) Telegram channel suggests these are references to the 120th ayat (verse) of the second sura (chapter) of the Koran and the 39th ayat (verse) of the eighth sura (chapter) of the Koran.

The date of June 23 was chosen for the attack because of the Orthodox holiday celebrated on that day: the Holy Trinity Day, suggested professor Leonid Syukiyainen, a specialist in the Islamic law. “The extremists probably chose that day, because more people gather [at the temple],” Leonid Syukiyainen explained.

Dmitry Mikulsky, Chief Researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IOS RAS), suggests there is a lack of real dialogue between followers of different religions. When commenting on the references to the ayats (verses) of the Koran left by the extremists in justification of their actions, the expert called them “manipulations by radicals.”

“First of all, the Koran is a book calling for goodness and peace ... The Koran says: ‘Fight them if they fight you.’ Are the Jews and Orthodox Christians of Dagestan now fighting Muslims?” said the scientist.

Let us remind you that the attacks in Dagestan became the first armed incidents in the republic within more than a year.