Ismail Berdiyev

Ismail Berdiyev was born on 27 February 1954 in the village of Belye Body in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (now Aqsukent [ru] in Kazakhstan),^[2] where his parents were expelled from North Caucasus with other Karachay people, when they were accused of collaboration with the Nazis in 1943 by Soviet regime. He returned to Karachay-Cherkessia with his family in 1957.

Berdiyev died on 5 August 2024, at the age of 70.^[3]

Berdiyev, the mufti of Russia's North Caucasus region of Karachayevo-Cherkessia,^[4] stated that FGM 'does not contradict the dogmas of Islam',^{[citation needed]} and that this was a way to 'eliminate sexual depravity'.^[1] He also claimed this was a way to reduce 'lechery' and 'sexuality', stating that "All women should be cut, so that there is no depravity on Earth..." The mufti made his comments following publication of a report by the Russian Justice Initiative (RJI), stating that FGM is widespread in some parts of Dagestan.^[5] He was supported by Vsevolod Chaplin, a former spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church.^[1]