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“We Are Ukrainians”: Memorial to Fallen Muslim Soldiers Unveiled in Kyiv
Representatives of different faiths and backgrounds are fighting shoulder to shoulder to deter the Russian aggression. In Kyiv, a wall of remembrance was opened to commemorate the Muslim soldiers who gave their all for Ukraine.
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A new memorial wall honoring Muslim soldiers who died defending Ukraine was unveiled on August 27 at the Islamic Cultural Center in Kyiv.
The memorial commemorates Ukrainian Muslims who have defended the country against Russia since 2014, preserving dozens of names and stories of those who did not return.
The opening ceremony was attended by members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, government officials, ambassadors, and other representatives of diplomatic missions, military chaplains, religious leaders, and members of the Arab diaspora.
The ceremony began with a minute of silence, followed by the Ukrainian national anthem and an Islamic nasheed performed by the Honored Academic Song and Dance Ensemble of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Passages from the Quran were then recited, followed by a prayer for the fallen.
For Said Ismagilov, a senior lieutenant with the 2nd Separate Medical Battalion, the wall is also deeply personal. He knew many of the soldiers commemorated there. Some were his friends.
“To honor the memory of everyone who fought for Ukraine’s freedom and for the lives of the Ukrainian people is not simply our duty. It is a spiritual mission,” Ismagilov said. “They gave everything they had so that others could live.”
Muslims Fighting for Ukraine
Muslims of different ethnic and national backgrounds have served in Ukraine’s Armed Forces and other branches of the country’s Security and Defense Forces.
Member of Parliament Tamila Tasheva said thousands of Muslims are currently serving Ukraine, while hundreds have been killed.
“They include Crimean Tatars, Azerbaijanis, Dagestanis, and people from the North Caucasus who are fighting for the Ukrainian state,” she said.
The ceremony concluded with a dua, a prayer, by Sheikh Murat Suleimanov, Mufti of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Ukraine “Ummah,” for the souls of the fallen.
For Sheikh Murat, the memorial is also a reminder that Islam has deep roots in Ukrainian history.
“Muslims are an integral part of Ukrainian society,” Suleimanov said. “We were here, we are here, and through our actions we show that we are Ukrainians.”
“And we will defend our country from the enemy and build the best future for our country.”
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