The Russian Muslim athlete has followed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov in calling for solidarity with the people
FILE PHOTO: Khabib Nurmagomedov poses during a ceremonial weigh-in © Ethan Miller / Getty Images via AFP
Khabib Nurmagomedov, the Russian mixed martial arts fighter who has the distinction of being the first-ever Muslim to win the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has shared a message of support for the Palestinian people amid the ongoing fighting in the Middle East.
On Monday the Dagestan-born lightweight champ shared a post with his 35 million Instagram followers that featured a prayer for Allah to defend those who cannot defend themselves. The message included emojis of raised open palms – a gesture of supplication in Islam – the Palestinian flag and a heart, but no other content.
Fellow Russian mixed martial artist Khamzat Chimaev, who was born in the Chechen Republic and is based in Sweden, has also reportedly posted a graphics-only message of support. His picture, as shared by Russian media, included the outline of the land of Palestine, with the Palestinian flag and a drawing of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Old Jerusalem.
Israel is retaliating for the deadly incursion and hostage-taking raid conducted last weekend by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Its military has fully blockaded Gaza, where the organization’s power base is located, denying its two million residents access to electricity or water. The stated Israeli goal is to fully destroy Hamas “terrorist infrastructure” in the area.
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Ramzan Khadyrov, the head of Chechnya and an influential figure in the Russian Muslim community, has urged pressure on Israel, so that it exercises restraint.
“Create a coalition and call on those who you call friends, Europe and the entire world, so that [the Israelis] do not bomb peaceful citizens under the pretext of destroying the militants,” he said on Monday, addressing the heads of Muslim nations.
The conflict stands out among other flare-ups in the region, because it can “turn into something bigger,” Khadyrov warned.
The Russian government has condemned violence against civilians regardless of who perpetrates it. President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday the crisis was evidence of failed diplomacy by the US. He argued that Washington was never concerned with the core interests of the Palestinian people.
