Mufti Said Ismagilov On Top 100 Most Influential Ukrainians, Again

Ukrainian Magazine “KorrespondenT” has published its traditional Top-100 Most Influential Ukrainians on the year gone by. Mufti of RAMU “Umma” Said Ismagilov is on the list for the second year in row: he hit the 96th position - not bad, considering that the number of Ukrainian Muslims is estimated 4% at the best.

This time, the edition marked Sheikh Said’s credits for advocacy for Ukrainian Muslim community and representing Ukraine internationally:

“Publicly active in defending the Ukrainian Muslims’ rights. When the Kyiv Islamic Cultural Centre was raided in March be the law enforcement, he didn’t hesitate to make a statement of forging the facts and findings: “I announce systematic persecution of the Ukrainian Muslims, for that was the third time over the course of the year when an ICC was raided. Every time they slip the same books”. He’s equally active in defending the Crimean Tatars in Crimea; and fosters links with Muslim organisations from abroad, while establishing new ties”.

It bears reminding the medium’s last year’s characteristic of the Mufti:

“...A huge patriot of Ukraine. During the Revolution of Dignity supported the protests. Has a very strict pro-Ukrainian position on Crimea and Russian Federation’s aggression in Donbas. Ardently supports the Crimean Tatars suffering from repressions in Crimea. Over the post-Maidan years became very popular in Ukraine, even among people that are a far cry from Islam. Conducts dynamic international activities, such as establishing links with Turkey and other countries with strong Muslim communities.”

The “KorrespondenT” stressed that its Top-100 had very little change over the past decade. On the other hand, the persons who obtained levers of influence after the Revolution of Dignity, managed to keep their positions and go stride for stride with the experienced players. According to various surveys, the Ukrainians have a high demand for new faces n politics.

Said Ismagilov is the Mufti of RAMU “Umma” and President of Head of the Ukrainian Centre for Islamic Studies and famous public figure. He is a follower of Sunni Islam and advocate of al-Wasatiyyah (“the Golden Mean”) principle, which means refusal from any extremities and radicalism. He always underlines that Muslims are an integral part of Ukrainian society, and calls for his adherents to take the active role in creating the new Ukraine, without corruption and lack of responsibility of the state officials.

The Sheikh is one of the initiators and a collaborator of the Ukrainian Muslims Charter and the Ukrainian Muslims Social Conception.