Interesting list of banned publications relating to islam in the Crimea. Obviously, their leader threatening to bring the fighters in Syria back home to help persuade Ukraine to grant them autonomy, after NATO declined to assist, wasn’t such a good idea.
Now they face a little house-cleaning.
“...Some of the children of the deported—raised in Uzbekistan and now adults—have returned to become leaders. Refat Chubarov, head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, the representative body of the Tatars, has called on his people—there are now approximately 300,000 Tatars in Crimea—to peacefully boycott the referendum. Nevertheless, some Crimean Tatars have vowed to oppose secession, with force if necessary. According to Western press reports, some Tatars fighting with the rebels in Syria have offered to return to join the cause....”
What "leader" is that?
I forgot to reply to this. "Now"? Almost immediately with the start of the invasion, Crimean Tatars were "disappeared" by Russian forces in Crimea (Well, not really disappeared, one fellow was video taped being grabbed and shoved into a car) and were later found to be tortured and killed out in the woods. For example, from March 18th:
http://www.rferl.org/content/crimea-tatar-killing-ukraine-russia-annexation-minority/25301602.html
I don't know about you, but I think I can understand why Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians, both historical victims of mass murder by the Soviet regime, might be wanting to resist the Russians.