A young man who attacked the Mufti of Tajikistan with a knife has been sentenced to a long term The Chairman of the Council of Ulema of Tajikistan – Mufti Saidmukarram Abdukodirzoda announced during the Friday sermon on February 7 that the attacker received a 26-year prison sentence. This was reported by Tajik media on […]
A young man who attacked the Mufti of Tajikistan with a knife has been sentenced to a long term
The Chairman of the Council of Ulema of Tajikistan – Mufti Saidmukarram Abdukodirzoda announced during the Friday sermon on February 7 that the attacker received a 26-year prison sentence.
This was reported by Tajik media on February 10.
The armed attack on the Mufti of Tajikistan Saidmukarram Abdukodirzoda occurred on September 11 of this year. At that time, it was reported that a young man armed with a knife attacked Saidmukarram Abdukodirzoda in the courtyard of a crowded mosque while he was addressing the congregation after prayer. The Mufti sustained a knife wound to the forehead. In the circulated video of Abdukodirzoda’s speech, it is visible that he still has a scar from the knife on his forehead.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that the attack took place in the central mosque of Dushanbe after the prayer. Abdukodirzoda received minor injuries. He did not require hospitalization — the Mufti was sent home. The attacker was detained, and a criminal case was initiated against him.
According to the investigation, the attack was classified as “hooliganism.”
“Believe me, my heart aches for the mother of the young man. I remembered that the mother of this young man is now alone, and I cried, thinking about what she, poor thing, will do now. Her son has gone astray, but the mother is not to blame; she mourns for her son,” said Saidmukarram Abdukodirzoda.
At the same time, Abdukodirzoda previously stated: “I was asked what to do with him, and I said, may God guide him, and that’s all.” At that time, society believed that the Mufti had forgiven the attacker.
Abdukodirzoda has been the chairman of the Council of Ulema of the Islamic Center for 15 years — the only body issuing fatwas in Tajikistan. He has always supported the anti-religious policies of the government of Emomali Rahmon and gives a religious color to these laws with his fatwas. He is accused of silence despite the destruction of mosques, the ban on wearing the Islamic hijab, and forced shaving of beards. For this reason, some extremist groups have repeatedly threatened him online.