Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Ingush Teips Successfully Prevent a Blood Feud


Paul Goble

            Staunton, July 26 – Teips, the clan-type organizations that are the traditional basis of Ingush society, are often blamed for blood feuds; but in another indication of their modernization, two of them have now negotiated along with republic Muslim leaders and successfully blocked what could have been the start of a blood feud.

            On June 16, in Nazran, there was a clash among representatives of the Medov teip. It turned violent. Adam Antselov, although not a member of that teip, intervened to try to calm things down.  In the process, he was killed; and there was a risk that a blood feud would emerge between the two.

            But the leaders of the two teips met in the village of Ekazhevo. In addition to hundreds of local people, the meeting was attended by the chief mufti of the republic, his deputy, and the imam of the Altiyev district of Nazran. As a result, Medov elders apologized for what had happened and a blood feud was avoided.

            The Ingush government was also involved: it promised to provide assistance to the widow and children of Antselov (fortanga.org/2020/07/v-ingushetii-proizoshlo-primirenie-tejpov-i-otkaz-ot-krovnoj-mesti/ and interfax-russia.ru/south-and-north-caucasus/news/semya-zhertvy-vooruzhennogo-konflikta-v-ingushetii-otkazalas-ot-krovnoy-vrazhdy).

            Like their increasing role as NGOs (windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2020/07/second-ingush-teip-enters-political.html and windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2020/07/after-crackdown-on-ngos-primordial.html), the teips are now behaving in ways at odd with the image if not the reality of these primordially based groups.

            Meanwhile, a hearing for detained Ingush activist Magomed Khamkhoyev was postponed after the judge recused himself from overseeing the case. He did not give a reason, but it is entirely possible that he may be increasingly uncomfortable with the role the state is asking him to play (fortanga.org/2020/07/sudya-vzyal-samootvod-po-delu-magomeda-hamhoeva/).

            It is extremely unusual for a judge in a Russian court to take such a step. If this becomes more than a one-off development, it could be a sign that the power of the Russian executive branch to force the judiciary to do its bidding is being challenged in a new and potentially more serious way. 


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