| Abdulla Alishayev | |
| Native Name Lang: | ru |
| Birth Name: | Abdulla Telman Alishayev |
| Birth Date: | 1969 |
| Birth Place: | Makhachkala, Dagestan |
| Death Place: | Central Republican Clinical Hospital, Makhachkala, Dagestan |
| Nationality: | Russian |
| Employer: | TV-Chirkei |
| Occupation: | Journalist |
| Known For: | documentary Ordinary Wahhabism (2006) |
Abdulla Telman Alishayev (ru|link=no|Абдулла Тельман Алишаев; died 2 September 2008) was a Russian Dagestani journalist and writer. Alishayev was the television host of a popular mainstream Islamic television station in the Republic of Dagestan, a multi-ethnic Russian republic within the Caucasus region.[1] [2]
Alishayev hosted a popular Islamic themed television program called Peace to Your Home, which aired on TV Chirkey (TV-Chirkei), a mainstream Muslim television station. He was a prominent opponent of fundamentalist Islam within Dagestan and Russia.[3] He had recently hosted and aired a documentary on TV Chirkey criticizing radical forms of Islam.[3] Alishayev was particularly critical of Wahhabism, which had taken root in neighboring Chechnya, and actively advocated for more moderate forms of Islam.[4]
Alishayev was shot in the head and shoulder by two unknown assailants while driving his car on the evening of 2 September 2008.[5] [3] The attack took place in the Dagestani capital city, Makhachkala.[3] He was rushed to Makhachkala's Central Hospital, where he was operated on.[5] [3] However, Alishayev died on 3 September 2008.[5] His funeral was attended by over 1,000 people.[5]
Alishayev's killing came less than three days after the police shooting of journalist and businessman Magomed Yevloyev, the owner of Ingushetiya.ru, in the nearby Republic of Ingushetia.[3] [6]
U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said of the killing of Alishayev that "There needs to be people held to account for what happened. There is in Russia itself, unfortunately, a sad recent history of violence against journalists who are merely seeking to do their job. And the kinds of threats, intimidation, and violence that's used against a free press or those seeking to work in a free press in Russia have been unacceptable."[1]