Abduction of brides in Chechnya will be inflicted both financially and criminally

From now on abduction of girls and women for marriage in Chechen Republic is prohibited. Abduction of a bride will now be equated with kidnapping and all those guilty will be not only fined but also punished in accordance with the legislation of the country.

Last Friday, October, 1, Ramzan Kadyrov, President of Chechnya, had a meeting with Sultan Mirzayev, Head of Moslem religious department of the republic. Problems connected with setting conflicts caused by blood animosity and abduction of girls have been the subject of the talk. Chechen President said that abduction of brides contradicted the principles of Islamic religion and Chechen national traditions and customs and "should be eradicated from our society".

Already on the next day a broadened conference was held in Chechnya with participation of the imams of mosques and kadiies (religious judges) of the districts of the republic. The representatives of clergy declared that from the moment on any resident of the republic guilty of abduction of a bride would be obliged to pay the girl's family one million rubles penalty and a clergyman who would compel the bride's parents agree with the marriage of their daughter with the abductor would be immediately dismissed.

"According to Islamic norms, a girl can get married only if she herself wishes that and if her father approves of the marriage. Nevertheless, a custom of abduction of brides is still something common with us. This is a serious problem not only because this custom violates Islamic rules but it also often results in very grave situations, up to animosity among families and even declarations of blood feud", one of the members of Chechen muftiyat said to a reporter of "Caucasian Knot".

But many people disagree with the new prohibition. "This tradition has come to us from our forefathers and abduction of a bride has never been regarded as a crime, both in Chechnya and all over the Caucasus, it has rather been a demonstration of adroitness and bravery of a skilful horseman", Salakh U, a local resident, comments on the problem.

However, there are other opinions on the matter. "As for me, I cannot understand a man who abducts a wife for himself. If a girl does not wish to marry you and create a family why force her? This sort of marriages result in divorces all the same. Is a man unable to make court to a girl, convince her to marry him and do it amicably as normal people do and as it has always been our tradition?", Luisa C, resident of Grozny says.