Dagestanis Studying at Islamic Schools in 'Crisis Countries' Should Return Home, says leader

Common-sense leadership from a predominantly Muslim country. Now if only Muslim leaders in Europe and the United States would try to bring their students home from the global jihad.

Interfax via Pravoslavie — 10/14/2013

Ramazan Abdulatipov.

Photo: RIA Novosti

(Makhachkala) The head of administration of Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim republic in Russia's North Caucasus, has insisted that local people who have children studying at Islamic universities and colleges in "crisis countries" try to bring them back home.

"It must be announced to the population at district and city level that they should recall their children who are studying at Islamic institutions in crisis countries, countries where there occur various kinds of terrorist attacks, revolutions, and so on," Ramazan Abdulatipov said at a meeting of the Anti-Terrorism Commission for Dagestan on Friday.

He insisted on punishment for such students, "especially those who are fighting in Syria," if they fail to return home, and on warning their parents about this. "Dagestan has put forward an initiative for criminal punishment for taking part in hostilities in that country. Such people work for terrorism," he said.