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Internet reports about Moscow mosques used as militants' recruitment centers denied

Muslim religious leaders in Moscow carry on regular work for prevention of extremism, the Moscow Muslim Spiritual Department said

© ITAR-TASS/Maxim Shemetov

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MOSCOW, November 26. /TASS/. The Moscow Muslim Spiritual Department (DUM) has made inspections of Moscow mosques following Internet reports alleging that some of the mosques were used to recruit militants for operations in the Middle East. As a result of the inspections, DUM representatives in an official statement have denied the reports as "groundless."

"The Moscow mosques cannot serve as recruitment centers for militants deployed to fight in Syria because Muslim religious leaders carry on regular work for prevention of extremism," the statement said. "Unauthorized gatherings or any recruitment activities are banned in the Moscow mosques; any attempts to violate the ban are resolutely cut short," the statement said.

"The Imams of the Moscow Mosque regularly conduct seminars and deliver lectures for purposes of prevention of radical propaganda and protection of spiritual and moral values advocated by Islam," it said.

The Internet report claimed that the alleged recruitment center for volunteers to fight in Syria was in a mosque in Prospect Mira street in Moscow.

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