PERSECUTION OF MOSLEMS BEHIND IRON CURTAIN

Wanganui Chronicle, 28 October 1950, Page 5

PERSECUTION OF MOSLEMS BEHIND IRON CURTAIN

Death, Banishment, Hunger And Torture

(By HAIG NICHOLSON, Reuter Correspondent in Cairo).

Reports of persecution, death, banishment, hunger and torture, of the desecration of Mosques and countless horrors committed in an effort to wipe out the Islamic Faith in Russia were told here by 10 Russian Moslems who came to Egypt recently. They were; brought here from Italy where they had been living in a Displaced Persons Camp, after their plight had been brought to the notice of the Arab League. Now, most of them have dispersed, some to Turkey, some to other countries. Only a small number remains in Egypt, but the stories they told of their experiences behind the lion Curtain would till a book- and I soon will, for they are being prepared for publication. Here is one typical story,, told to the Arabic Weekly Newspaper, “Akher Sa’A” by one of the men who found sanctuary in Egypt: ‘1 was born in Turkestan in 1919 and later my family was banished by the Soviets to Archangelsk, in the extreme north on the charge that, my father was a Haj (the title given to a Moslem who has performed the Pilgrimage to Mecca). They imprisoned us at Archangelsk. There were hunger and disease. The Russians organised a campaign against the Moslems, seeking to apply the Kolkhose system by which men worked in their fields for the Government. The Moslems opposed the system and some burnt, their house. The Communists arrested about. 150,000 religious leaders, land-owners, and tradesmen and banished them to Siberia. “Then the Communists sent, spies to Yalta to incite the Moslems to revolt. They compiled a list of more than 200,000 Moslems in the Crimea and asked them to meet, together to receive arms with which they would light Stalin and his supporters. About! 120,000 people gathered. They were surrounded by the Red Army, which opened machine-gun lire on (hem, and they fell in a pool of blood. Those who did not go to the meeting-place were arrested and sent, to Siberia. "In the autumn of 1931, my mother died. In the winter of 1932, my father died. I then considered that to remain in Archangelsk would moan death for me. I escaped in the spring of 1932. I walked for two and a half months to the town from which 1 head

been banished. Rebellion was already fomenting among the people. “The Communists called on all Moslems and asked them to sign a paper on which was written: "No Goa—No Religion Nothing but Communism Nothing but Stalin.” Anyone who refused to sign had a special mark put on his paper. After that, he vanished forever. I was arrested, but I escaped. They arrested me again and sent, me to a mountain camp where there were another 120,000 prisoners. "The Communists tried to starve us to death—not only ourselves, but also all Moslems in the Crimea, Azerbaijan, Turkestan, Tashken and the Ukraine. There was a horrible famine which lasted two years. More Ilian 4,000,000 Moslems died in the famine. The Moslems used to ask for bread In the form of paste so that they could use it for a kini. of soup. When a prisoner dropped dead, the Communist, foreman would put. by his side some bread and potatoes to show that he had not died of hunger. One day, a child playing in Yalta, while digging in the ground, unearthed a plant similar to a potato. Soon lhe news spread, and mole than 50,000 hastened to dig for the now food. The ne|tl. day their bodies were swollen and more Ilian 40,000 died, lhe plant was a strange and poisonous one. “One day in 1934, Moslems saw lhe stoics filled with food. They crowded around them asking for food but were told, ‘tomorrow.’ Next day, the food had vanished. The Moslems discovered that it had only been exhibited to impress visitors. 1 escaped from the Mountain Camp and was told that my name had been posted on the walls as an ’enemy of the people.' 1 changed my name many times, and kept moving from one place to another, never knowing when a bullet would find my heart. Before being sent Io Siberia, a Moslem was frequently tortured. In front of his wife and children, hiwould have his fingernails pulled out or be flogged until he bled. “One day lhe Communists flooded the market with radio sets. These were sold at such low prices that, even the poorest, could buy one. Moslems bought the radio sets. Then they dis-; covered that the Communists had introduced them as a trap for (hey would raid Moslem houses at night and ac-l cuse the inmates of listening to foreign)

■ radio stations." “When lhe Second World War broke out and the Germans invaded Russia, I heaved a sigh of relief and succeeding in getting to Germany with ten thousand other Moslems. Moslems in thousands were arrested for saying ‘the Germans will come and our troubles will end.’ The Moslems who left with the Germans dispersed in Germany, Rumania, and Italy. When the Communist armies arrived in Germany and Rumania, they killed five thousand of them. “Then the Russians asked the Americans and British to hand over to them any Russian Moslems living in their occupation areas. The allies handed over some, and on the back of their heads the Russians branded the words ‘Ezmin Rodina’ (traitor to his country). They would then send them over the borders into Russia. No one knows what happended to them. I was sent with 500 other Moslems to a camp at Pisa, in Italy. There twelve prisoners committed suicide during the night after being told that they were being returned to Russia. I could not sleep because the spectre of Russia would haunt me. At any moment, I expected a Russian officer to appear, ask me a few questions, then pronouce lhe verdict: ‘Ezmin Rodina.’ “Then one cold and rainy night 1 look off all my clothes and crept along the ground until 1 reached the camp walls. 1 climbed over and a soldier caught, mo. After a short struggle, J knocked him down. I started to run. with machine-gun fire directed at me, but they did not hit me. I had been practising running and creeping. I arrived at lhe shores of lhe Mediterranean. 1 walked into the water and waded between the weeds until the water reached my neck. I stayed there until the next day. Five days later, I rfUT.ved at lhe Vatican in Rome. When I jaw the huge door of St. Peter's, 1 was faltering with weariness and crept up the stairs asking for help. Then 1 lost consciousness. "The Vatican look care of me foi | two months. Then 1 left the Vatican J and lived for seven months in a cot-’ ’.ago near Rome. I learnt that my j Moslem comrades al the camp had • contacted Egypt and she had offered; them hospitality. We boarded a ship and as soon as the siren blew and lhe: steamer started towaids Egypt I fell on the deck kissing it. Tears flowed I from my eyes. 1 heard Moslems all j round me say, 'Allah Akbar’ (God h | A: comment on this story, “Akher I Saa" added: “Thirty years ago ihc.x | were 45,000,00(1 Moslems in Russia. I The Arab League now learns that their number does not exceed 22.000.-1 009. The Arab League wants o I know: 'What Stalin has to say about 1 23.000.00'.) v. ho have vanished? Where did they go and how did they disappear What is happening now to I Moslems behind the Iron Curtain?’”