On Tuesday, August 20, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin arrived in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, on an official visit.
Chechnya is a republic that is part of the Russian Federation. The majority of its population is Muslim. Its top leader is the Islamist Ramzan Kadyrov, a staunch supporter of Putin. During this trip, Putin has visited a new mosque in Grozny. On its official website, the Kremlin announced in a caption: "Vladimir Putin presented the mosque with a Quran decorated with gold ornaments and inlaid with precious stones". The Kremlin has only published this photo in which Putin looks at this Koran, but has omitted another more relevant moment:
The Chechen website Grozny Inform posted a full video of the event on Telegram. According to the outlet, the Mufti of the Chechen Republic, Salah-Hadzhi Mezhiev, read a sentence from the Quran. Grozny Inform notes: "Putin was pleased with this sentence. He took the Quran in his hands and kissed it, noting the beauty of the Holy Scriptures." You can watch the video of the event here:
Grozny Inform has also posted the video on Youtube. In addition, on its website the Chechen media outlet has posted this photo showing Putin posing with the Quran :
Although the Kremlin has hidden this gesture (it does not appear anywhere on its website), the video of Putin kissing the Koran has also been spread by the Iranian Mehr agency, which has highlighted the Russian dictator's kiss to the sacred book of Islam in the title of its news. The Iranian agency notes: "After receiving a gold-encrusted copy of the Holy Quran of Muslims in a mosque in the Russian Chechen Republic's capital, Grozny, Russian president Putin kissed it and then hugged it to take photos of Kadyrov and Mezhiev."
Regardless of what one thinks of the Russian dictator's gesture, one question remains: What would many of Putin's admirers say if that gesture had been made by a Western politician?
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