DDHK News - Chechen Muslim leader Ramzan Kadyrov said he was trying to end the old practice of kidnapping bride-to-be that goes against Russian law.
Kadyrov was appointed by the Russian government to maintain peace in Chechnya, a decade after the Russian military knocked out Chechen independence fighters.
"The local government is not fully responsible for this situation ... the abduction of the bride has no place in either Islam or in Russian law," Kadyrov said during a meeting with the Chechen government published on the official government website.
Analysts say Kadyrov is facing increasing pressure from Moscow to curb local traditions that violate federal law after spiritual leaders in August ordered armed groups to abuse women who do not wear headscarves. The incident shocked the Chechen people.
The abduction of the bride by the groom's family until the time of the wedding is an ancient tradition in the North Caucasus and existed before Islam entered Chechnya some 250 years ago.
Sometimes the bride's abduction serves as part of the matchmaking, but often the bride and her family are unprepared.
Kadyrov was referring to the attempted kidnapping of a young woman on December 28 in the village of Geldagen which sparked a physical fight between the families of the bride-to-be after the woman fought back. Kadyrov said he had fired a local priest who approved of the kidnapping.
Kadyrov has said publicly that he believes Islamic law takes precedence over Russian law, but has also repeatedly said he is committed to the Russian government.
Kadyrov first called for an end to the tradition of kidnapping brides in October, when he imposed a fine of 1 million rubles ($ 33,180). But many Chechens, including women, see the abduction of the bride and groom as part of cultural identity.
"This is an old and beautiful habit, it shouldn't be subject to legal sanctions," said 41-year-old Grozny resident Syeda Umayeva, who was kidnapped by her husband's family 17 years ago. (Mel / Reuters). *
