SHAFAQNA RUSSIA- During the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the leadership of the USSR dramatically changed its attitude towards religion, anti-religious literature ceased to be published.
Muslim leaders urged believers to support the Soviet government in the fight against the Nazi invaders.
The spiritual leaders of the Muslims of the Volga region were the first to address the believers. In 1941, Gabdrakhman Rasulev, chairman of the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims and son of the famous ishan Zainulla Rasulev, wrote an appeal “To all Muslim parishes”, in which he called on Muslims to spare no effort in the fight against the Nazis, relying on the verses of the Holy Quran and the hadiths of the Prophet (PBUH). In 1942, Mejlis-Gulami was organized in Ufa, which was attended by leaders of the Muslim clergy from all over the Soviet Union.
The result of the Majlis was the adoption of an appeal to the Muslims. In this appeal, the clergy called on Muslims to unite in the fight against fascism, since it was a threat to the whole world.
Later, this appeal was distributed by the authorities among Muslims, for which, by the end of September 1942, the text of the appeal was translated and printed in the main languages of the Muslims of the USSR: 4.5 thousand copies in Tatar and Kazakh, 3 thousand copies in Uzbek and 2 thousand copies in Tajik, Turkmen and Kyrgyz.
Muslims of Soviet Union played an important role in raising funds to help Red Army
The importance of Muslims in the fight against fascism lay in their willingness to sacrifice, reverence for God and social responsibility.
Muslims took an active part in the war. The Muslims of the Soviet Union played an important role in raising funds to help the Red Army. The Muslims of the Volga region were the first to start collecting donations. Mufti Gabdrakhman Rasulev donated 50,000 rubles for the creation of a tank column and called on all Muslims to help the Red Army. Joseph Stalin expressed his gratitude to him. In the Volga region and Kazakhstan, the largest funds were collected among Muslims. In addition to the production of military equipment, money was also collected to help the families of front-line soldiers and food. Muslims often gave jewelry as donations. For example, the Muslims of Turkmenistan donated more than 7 tons of national ornaments.
During the Great Patriotic War Muslims were allowed to openly celebrate religious holidays
During the Great Patriotic War, Muslims were allowed to openly celebrate religious holidays, and imams were allowed to work with military personnel. For their patriotic activities, Muslim spiritual leaders were awarded medals “For Valiant Labor during the Great Patriotic War.” In 1944 they were allowed to perform Hajj in Mecca. This was a manifestation of respect and gratitude on the part of the Soviet authorities for their contribution to the approaching victory. During the Great Patriotic War, the rules for conscripting Soviet Muslims into the army underwent some changes. At the beginning of the war in 1941-1942, there were no differences between the Muslim nations. But in 1943-1945, Soviet Muslims were divided into three categories: Tatars and Bashkirs, who were subject to conscription along with Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians; mountaineers of the North Caucasus, who have been exempted from conscription in the army since 1943; and Muslims of Central Asia, Kazakhstan and Transcaucasia, who were called up from the age of 18 in 1944 and 1945.
It is worth noting that soldiers and officers, regardless of nationality, made a huge contribution to the Victory. Soviet Muslims also fought and died for the sake of victory. Some Muslim clerics even commanded Soviet partisan detachments. In those years, more than half a thousand Muslims were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union: 161 Tatars, 96 Kazakhs, 69 Uzbeks, 57 Dagestanis, 43 Azerbaijanis, 39 Bashkirs, 18 Turkmens, 14 Tajiks, 12 Kirghiz, 8 Kabardians, 6 Adyghes, 6 Chechens and 6 Crimean Tatars. May the Almighty have mercy on the fallen in this terrible war.