Ukraine's grand mufti trades religious attire for combat outfit; joins fight against Russia [details]

It's been over two weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine and the devastation doesn't seem to slow down, lest stop. With peace talks reaching no conclusions, civilians are being killed, cities being wiped off, bombs are dropping amid incessant shelling and people are in constant fear for their life. At the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky had requested for military assistance from world leaders and even urged his country's people to pick up arms to defend the country. Joining the Ukrainian forces against Russian aggression was the country's grand mufti Imam Said Ismagilov, a prominent Islamic figure in the country.

Imam Said Ismagilov is the Mufti of the Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine "Umma", one of the Muslim spiritual leaders of Ukraine, President of the NGO "Ukrainian Center for Islamic Studies", Chairman of the Muslim community "Nur" of Donetsk, member of the Donetsk city public organisation "Al-Amal". The Islamic scholar called for all Muslims to join forces against Russia and Putin's army.

The grand mufti imam led by example by joining the Ukrainian army and was seen in an army attire. He traded his traditional robes and headdress for combat attire. Pictures on his social media shows the grand mufti posing with members of Territorial Defence Forces in Kyiv, which he joined on February 24, the day Russian invasion began.

Ukraine's grand mufti Imam Said Ismagilov was also seen marrying off a couple wearing his combat uniform as he joined Ukrainian forces to fight Russian troops. "For the first time since the beginning of the war, married a Muslim couple to Islamic Qanonom. The man and the girl are both soldiers of the Kiev territorial defense battalion. Witnesses, guests and imams - also all fighters of territorial defense forces," he wrote in a Facebook post.

Fight Russian troops invading Ukraine

The Imam also said that there's religious basis for Muslims to respond to President Zelensky's call to take up arms and fight Russian troops.

"This is the choice of each individual Muslim whether he wants to go to Ukraine to fight against the Russian invaders," he told Middle East Eye. "However, there is a Quranic justification in favour of such a choice."

Ismagilov strongly condemned the Russian Muslim leaders who sided with Putin on this war.

"I have open disrespect for Russia's Muslim religious leaders, who have approved of this war, because they are not on the side of truth and justice, but on the side of criminal power, and have blessed the killing of us and our children. I will never forgive them," he said, adding "I advise them to take off and throw their turbans in the dump, because they have no moral right to be called religious leaders."