Tajikistan’s grand mufti Saidmukarram Abdulqodirzoda has not been seen in public since an unprecedented stabbing attack last week that witnesses say left him with a knife wound on his forehead.
Eyewitnesses told Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service that a knife-wielding young man stabbed Abdulqodirzoda in the courtyard of the packed mosque as he was speaking to mosque-goers after the prayers.
"Abdulqodirzoda sustained a knife wound on his forehead. Mosque-goers immediately subdued the attacker. Police were on the scene very quickly because the district police headquarters are located nearby," an eyewitness said on condition of anonymity.
A source close to the matter reportedly said the attacker is a resident of the Dushanbe suburbs but did not give further details.
Contacted by RFE/RL late on September 11, Abdulqodirzoda reportedly said in the brief phone call that he was “doing fine” and that there was “nothing to worry about.”
Recall, the Interior Ministry’s press center said the attacker injured the mufti “with a bladed article out of a sense of hooliganism”.
The incident reportedly took place after prayer at Dushanbe’s central mosque at 5:20 pm.
The press center said the attacker is currently under arrest and no motive has been determined.
Police and other government officials declined to provide further details of the incident, citing the ongoing investigation.
RFE/RL says the absence of official information has led to speculation about reasons behind the attack on Abdulqodirzoda. Many Tajiks reportedly believe Abdulqodirzoda may have been targeted for his unequivocal support for government policies that are widely criticized for restricting religious freedom.
The 61-year-old Saidmukarram Abdulqodirzoda is the state-elected head of Tajikistan’s Muslims. He has been the chairman of the Shuroi Ulamo (Council of Scholars) of the Islamic Center, the only fatwa-issuing body in Tajikistan, since 2010.
