By bne Gulf bureau Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia’s Chechen Republic, has performed the Umrah pilgrimage in Mecca during an official visit to Saudi Arabia, his office announced on October 13. Kadyrov, accompanied by a delegation of Chechen officials, visited Islam’s holiest site as part of a trip that blends religious observance with regional diplomacy. Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca that can be undertaken at any time of the year, is distinct from the annual Hajj pilgrimage and is seen as a highly spiritual journey for Muslims. The Chechen leader described the experience of circumambulatin…