All language subtitles for Muslims from Ukraine and abroad fight common enemy in Ukraine- Russia FRANCE 24 English

Bienvenue to Swap to
reporters here in France 24.

I'm Marco In.
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine,

many Muslims have been
involved in the war effort,

forming several
battalions on the front

line, ordinary people
helping them get ready.

If the majority of these
women and men are Ukrainian,

there are also grounds
where the Muslims

coming from the Caucasus
among them, Chechens.

On the 18th of October, the Kiev Parliament

recognize the independence of
the Chechen Republic of Ichkria,

when it's occupation by Russia.

Together, the Muslims have
faced up to their common enemy,

Russia, while defending
the values of Ukraine.

Our reporter, Ray Abuzadeh,
who made this report,

joined the Snow Rade,
some considered it a jihad

and the truest sense
of the word inside

a country, which
is majority Christian.

Yes, well, nobody in
Ukraine called Koli-Jihad,

but they consider
themselves an jihad,

because they are
fighting for their country,

they are defending their houses
and they are defending their family.

We met them off to you who said,

"We can't call it a jihad," because
Ukraine is a secular country,

and the Mofti doesn't have
the authority to call a jihad.

Right, thank you very much.

Let's take a look at another
report by Anna Isgerar,

Ray Abuzadeh, who
went to meet these Muslims

united in the fight
for Ukraine's survival.

An ambulance on its
way back from the front,

on board, a soldier with
a bullet in his abdomen.

You okay? It's fine.
Hang on, we'll be there in 10 minutes.

The war has turned Said Ismail
al-F into a first-aid volunteer.

Since the 1st of December, we've
been evacuating the wounded every day,

at the moment
there's street fighting,

so we're getting a
lot of bullet wounds.

This is as far as we're allowed to go.

The hospital's location is a secret.

Next stop, the Constantinovka Mosque.

26 kilometers from the front line,
the sound of shell fire never stops.

Dressed in military fatigues,

the Imam and former Mufti
leads the Friday prayers.

In conditions of war, the religious
tax take on a particular resonance.

The Imam urges his
congregation to defend the country.

I'm convinced this is a jihad
because, according to Sharia law,

we have the right to defend
our lives, families and property.

But I'm calling for the defense
of Ukraine, not for jihad,

because Ukraine is a secular country.

Ukraine is mostly Christian, but
there are half a million Muslims,

around 1% of the population.

Many have joined the armed
forces since the Russian invasion,

like Muhammad Ali.

There was a battle
here on February 27th

when a small group of
Russians got into town.

His hometown went up in smoke.

We saw everything with our own eyes.

The school was burning,

and we could smell the
bodies consumed by fire.

It was like nothing I've
ever experienced before.

It was a turning point for Muhammad.

He joined those in the Kharkif Muslim
community who've decided to fight.

You're right on time for the food brother.
Let's eat!

And it's there he met Hajmurad,
a voluntary chaplain in the army.

As you know, our men are dying.

Young men are going to war,

and we Bury many of them without
being able to identify their bodies.

Can we forgive that? Absolutely not.

This is something new for a Muslim
community used to keeping to itself.

Before, the political system
followed Russian propaganda.

Muslims were accused
of being terrorists,

but now society has
become more mature.

We're accepted for what we are,
and that allows us to be more active.

At the Islamic Cultural Center,
everyone plays a part in the war effort.

After work, Natalia Mansur makes
candles for the soldiers and the trenches.

It's to help them keep warm, make
food, and give them a bit of comfort.

It's the way of saying
they're not forgotten.

We want to help them
because this affects all of us.

Natalia learned how to
make them on YouTube,

and these dark
times being able to

contribute in this way
gives her some hope.

How do I feel?

My heart is filled with joy.

I'm found to be able to do something.

However small.

The next day, the
candles and other supplies

are loaded up by
Muhammad Ali and Hajmurad.

The two friends are off to
supply the soldiers at the front.

Destination Bach Mut.

Everything can change in an instant,
which is why we always have a plan,

but God alone knows what will happen.

We approach a town under
constant attack by the Russians.

To reach the Ukrainian positions,
we have to take this dirt strike.

But just as we're entering the town,

our car hits a concrete block.

I've broken the wheel.

Have you got a cable?

Pull it there. Take it a bit closer.

We're stuck between
two artillery positions.

We have to get the journalists out.
The press can't stay here.

To be safe, Hajmurad
quickly decides to hitch a

ride with these men from
the Chechen battalion.

Let's go.

We move deeper into the
depths of a town under siege.

The road is a ghost town.

That wasn't far away.

Sheltering in the
basement, Hajmurad,

the Chaplin, gathers
news from the front.

Yesterday, we learned that the
Russian invaders were close to Bach Mut.

But our brothers have just told
us that they've pushed them back.

Our resistance fills us with joy.

The Chaplin's presence is a source
of valued support for the soldiers.

Thank God our brother
comes to see us regularly.

He helps raise our morale.
We're happy to see him.

Together, we're going to win.

The Russians are fighting side by side
against their common enemy, Russia.

Muslim Cherpoloyski
is the commander in

chief of the Chechen
Sheikh Mansur battalion.

He's been fighting in
the Donbass since 2015.

The Russians have forced this war on us.

That's why we have to fight them
and survive using every possible means.

Most of the time, we use
guerrilla tactics because

we don't have enough
military equipment to go

face to face with them on equal terms.

We don't have aircraft, tanks,
artillery or rocket launchers.

As we prepare to
leave, Nuredin makes

sure there are no
snipers waiting outside.

His fight against the Russians began
in Chechnya when he was just 14.

I'll never forgive the Russians for
what they have done in my country.

Never. I'll fight against his regime
until I die or until it is destroyed.

I think that Europe and
the entire world have

now understood who
the real terrorists are.

More than 700 kilometers
away in Kiev, Maga

another Chechen is
also fighting the Russians.

After studying in France, he
joined the Jochardudayev battalion.

A specialist in
military intelligence, he

keeps his face
hidden while we speak.

What you see there is a heavy machine gun.

We captured it from the Russians at Isian.

There were a lot of abandoned tanks.

War trophies that
make it possible for

Maga and his battalion
to support the army.

Ukraine seems ready to fight to the end.

So we're going to
stay with it until victory.

Look, this is the symbol of the
Ukrainian Tatars and the Chechens

and our struggle to defend Ukraine
together and destroy the Red Terror.

The Tatars come from Crimea,
converted to Islam in the 14th century.

Today they're the largest
Muslim community in Ukraine.

They too have Putin in their sides.

All of these books
for the libraries occupy

territories because a lot
of libraries were destroyed

in these occupied territories.

Ali Maliyov is the
deputy director of

the Tatars Cultural
Institute of Ukraine.

He's seeking to preserve
the identity of his people.

In the beginning of 2014, Russians
try to give us money, some benefits, etc.

But almost all Crimea and
Tatars said, no, we have

won Masalandits Ukraine
and our land is Crimea.

If we try to sacrifice Crimea
and to present Crimea for Russia,

it means that this war will be
the war of our next generations.

Allah is my people.

Today, Ali and the Tatars are
burying one of their soldiers.

Seran Kadirov died in Bachmuth.

In this war, one more
Crimea and Tatars, one more

Muslim, one more Ukrainian,
one more brave human

of this land who struggle for this land.

For the fighters of the
Crimean battalion, only

Ukraine's victory can
restore the dignity of the

deceased.

It's very difficult to
express everything I feel.

For most of us here,
he was a brother. I don't

even have the words to
tell you how close we were.

It's a very heavy loss for all of us.
And we will take our revenge.

This is the price of war, the tears
and the blood that has been shed.

In this Christian cemetery, a new
plot has been set aside for Muslims.

The body of the soldier is buried in
the earth for which he gave his life.

Our reporter, Ray
Dabuzad, is the Willis raid we

saw in the report just
how units from Chechnya

fight against Russia.

What is their motivation?

The first motivation is
the commune. As you

said, the Russia still a
commune. The second the.

parliament, the rada Ukrainian as
you said before, they voted resolution.

Recognized Chechnya
as an occupied territory by

Russia, but the third
which is the most important

motivation, Ukrainian in the past.

Fought with Chechnya
in the two wars, the name

of the guy, Alexander
Mosaic, by the Chechnya

fighter, as the brother,
who's the only one called

brother, and we used
to call him in Grozny, the

Christian brother.

That's why Chechnya considered
themselves paying back adept to Ukraine.

Indeed, there is a
history there, right? What

about the Tata's? Why
have they chosen Ukraine as

that country?

Tata is a different
story, different, old and

painful. In 1944, they
had been deported by the

Soviet Union to
somewhere in Central Asia,

to Siberia more than
a quarter of a million.

It has been deported from
Crimea. 46% died in this

deportation between the
May 18th, 1944 and the

beginning of June.

But now, they have a
different story from the 2014,

they don't want to be
Russian. They don't want

to be under Russian authority.

We met a lot of them,
there's a different message.

We met Isaac Yef, the
leader of the Crime Battalion.

We met Tamileta, Tashiva,
the permanent representative

of the president of
Ukraine. For the Crimea,

let's have a listen
to the message that

she's sending to the
Tatar and Crimea.

Will they say if you have the possibility
to stay in Crimea, stay in Crimea?

If you are in the age when you could
mobilize for Russian army, avoid it.

And unfortunately, flee
Crimea, yes. But of course,

don't go to Russian
army, don't fight against

your own country
and your own people.

Different message from
the message on the past sent

by Mustafa Jamilov
before the fall in invasion,

24th of February, was stay in Crimea.

Don't leave your land.
Now the message since

September 2022, the forced
mobilization, under Russian

army, the messages don't fight in
Russian army, don't be mobilized.

Because Ukrainian,
and we'll use today, Tatar,

to use themself today
as Ukrainian, Tatar, and

Muslim. Their land is Crimea,
but their motherland is Ukraine.

And, dear, lessons of
history coming back, right?

Thank you very much
indeed. You can see the

report by raid. I was
at a, and Agniesz,

a Yera on our
website, france24.com.

And indeed, repeated
here on france24

throughout the week.
Stay with us for more news.