Singer Rustem Zhugunussov Fined for Religious Discord

Blogger and singer Rustem Zhugunussov has been fined for inciting religious hatred following his comments about a woman harassed in a mosque, Orda.kz reports. 

He suggested that the victim herself had provoked the harassment.

Court Case

The case was heard in Astana. The Department of Religious Affairs filed the lawsuit, stating that Zhugunussov’s social media posts incited discord.

Zhugunussov, who uses Instagram and TikTok to promote Islam, was accused of making discriminatory statements. In one post, he argued against celebrating New Year’s, saying that ancestors, biys, and enlightened people had not observed it, and therefore, celebrating meant renouncing religion and traditions.

In another, he responded to an incident in Aqtobe, where a man harassed a woman in a mosque.

Think about it: someone might see you and misunderstand, like, she goes to the mosque, maybe she’s looking for a man,
Zhugunussov said.

He added that women should leave home only when accompanied by a male relative.

Zhugunussov did not attend the court session despite being notified.

The court ruled:

Rustem Zhugunussov was found guilty of committing an administrative offense under Part 2 of Article 453 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Kazakhstan (dissemination on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan of mass media products containing information and materials aimed at inciting social, racial, national, religious, class, and tribal discord). He was fined 78,640 tenge.

Background

The harassment case that prompted his comments took place in Aqtobe at the end of July. Twenty-three-year-old Emmanuella Nauryzbayeva reported that a man blocked her from leaving the mosque and pressured her with a “one-time nikah” proposal.

The offender, previously convicted of hooliganism and other harassment, was jailed for five days.

However, online backlash also targeted Nauryzbayeva. Social media users accused her of provoking the incident, while unknown persons called her at night and showed up at her home shouting insults.

Original Author: Anastasia Prilepskaya