On July 25, 2024, the V International Scientific and Theological conference “Spiritual Silk Road: The Significance of Religious Values in the Greater Eurasia Space” was held in Kazan.
The speakers at the major international event were: Chairman of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation and the Council of Muftis of Russia, Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin; Deputy Head of the Administration of the Rais of Republic of Tatarstan and Head of the Department of the Rais of Republic of Tatarstan for Internal Policy Ruslan Mukharlyamov; Head of the Department for Interaction with Religious Organizations of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation for Domestic Policy, Chairman of the Council of the Foundation for the Support of Islamic Culture, Science and Education Evgeniy Eremin; Rector of the Mohammad bin Zayed University of Humanities (UAE), Dr. Khalifa Mubarak Al- Zahiri; Chairman of the Theological Seminaries of Iran, member of the Guardian Council of the Constitution, vice-chairman of the Council of Experts Ayatollah Alireza Arafi; Minister of Awqaf of Egypt Dr. Osama Al-Azhari; Chairman of the Chinese Islamic Association Yang Fa Ming; Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, Deputy Chairman of the Group of Strategic Vision “Russia - Islamic World” Farit Mukhametshin; Chairman of the Authority of Islamic Affairs and Awqaf of the UAE Dr. Umar Habtoor Dar'i; Chairman of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan, Mufti of Tatarstan Kamil Samigullin; representative of the Tatarstan Metropolis, Archpriest Vladimir Samoilenko; Head of the Authority of Sunni Awqaf of the Kingdom of Bahrain Dr. Rashed Mohammed Alhajeri; Deputy Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on issues of religion and interethnic relations Olim Saliev; Advisor to the Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs of the State of Qatar, Dr. Khalifa Bin Jassim Al-Kuwari.
The event was organized by the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation (RBM RF), Council of Muftis of Russia (CMR) and the University of Humanities named after. Mohammed bin Zayed (UAE) with the support of the Republic of Tatarstan.
The moderator of the plenary session was the First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia, Deputy Chairman of the RBM RF, Mufti Rushan Abbyasov. Before the speeches of the conference participants, were read ayats of the Quran from the Russian reader Yasir Khakimjon Dodarbekova. Also, was shown a video, in which, in chronological order, was demonstrate the achievements of the international project made by the RBM RF and the CMR - Spiritual Silk Road.
Welcome letter to the conference participants from Rais RT and Chairman of the Group of Strategic Vision “Russia - Islamic World” Rustam Minnikhanov was read by the Deputy Head of the Administration of the Rais RT and the Head of the Rais RT Department for Internal Policy Ruslan Mukharlyamov.
“The Scientific and Theological Conference “Spiritual Silk Road” has become an authoritative platform for discussing topical issues of the development of the Muslim Ummah, improving interreligious and interethnic dialogue, and countering the spread of radical ideology. This year, the event is being held in the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, in Kazan, on the eve of the BRICS summit, where will be considered the most important issues on the international agenda, including the formation of a fair multipolar world”, - the letter says.
In his address, the Rais of Tatarstan also emphasized that the republic pays priority attention to the preservation of traditional spiritual and moral values, the patriotic education of the younger generation, and the training of highly qualified theologians and religious figures, including within the walls of the Bulgarian Islamic Academy, created with the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The spiritual leader of Muslims in Russia, Chairman of the RBM RF and the CMR, Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin noted the effectiveness of joint work within the framework of the “Spiritual Silk Road” project, which began in 2016 in the Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China.
“Based on the principles of Muslim solidarity and brotherhood, realizing the importance of strengthening cooperation for good, consolidating the efforts of religious leaders of the Eurasian space, were implemented initiatives to develop this dialogue platform”, - said Ravil Gainutdin. Mufti Sheikh emphasized that the educated model of communication showed its relevance, thanks to which it attracted the attention of representatives of the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt, Brazil, Ethiopia, South Africa, Qatar, the Kingdom of Bahrain and everyone who joined the forum for the first time this year.
“The Russian state, under the leadership of national leader Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, is pursuing a consistent policy of legislative protection of the feelings of believers, insulting which, including the Holy Scriptures, is a criminal offense”, - noted Ravil Gainutdin. At the same time, the centuries-old good neighborliness of representatives of different faiths and ethnic groups is associated with the special mentality of the peoples of Russia. Mufti Sheikh noted the important role of Russian Muslim theologians, muftis, and imams in the formation of this mentality.
Ravil Gainutdin also stated that in modern post-industrial societies, despite their high technologies and innovations, catastrophic moral degradation is occurring, characterized by secularism, the promotion of absolute permissiveness, and the destruction of the institutions of family and education. Moreover, this pseudoculture is aggressively broadcast throughout the world as the only true and progressive one.
“Under the current conditions, we, the spiritual shepherds of our people, who have chosen as our mission to serve God and spread His commandments among people, are obliged to unite all our efforts to prevent a universal immoral catastrophe, to end segregation on the principle of the “high” culture of one region and the spiritual “backwardness” of others countries”, - called Mufti Sheikh.
Ravil Gainutdin listed the “Fundamentals of state policy for the preservation and strengthening the traditional Russian religious and moral values” approved by the President of Russia. Each of the points is fundamental for Islamic teachings on morality. In turn, the protection of traditional religious and moral values, rights and freedoms of believers is the most important direction of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation, which enjoys wide support in the Muslim world.
A clear proof of this is the joining to the BRICS coalition by countries such as the UAE, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia. Ties with the Middle East and Africa are developing, including in the field of Islamic finance and the halal industry, as evidenced by the large-scale holding of the International Economic Forum “Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum” in Kazan.
Head of the Department for Interaction with Religious Organizations of the Presidential Executive Office of the Russian Federation for Domestic Policy, Chairman of the Council of the Foundation for Support of Islamic Culture, Science and Education, Evgeny Eremin, noted the significant role of the Great Silk Road in disseminating the achievements of progress, traditions, religious and moral values of different peoples in ancient times.
“Islam is an integral and beautiful part of the Russian cultural code. Today, there are 6,645 Muslim religious organizations operating in our state, 99 of which are centralized organizations”, - Eremin noted. The speaker also pointed out the representation of centralized organizations in the Presidential Council for Interaction with Religious Organizations.
In addition, Evgeny Eremin emphasized the important role of the Islamic world in the preservation and dissemination of spiritual and moral values throughout the planet. On behalf of the Russian state, the speaker expressed support for such aspirations for the benefit of all humanity. In conclusion, Evgeny Eremin expressed hope that the BRICS association will become the standard and core of the future unity of the peoples of the world on the principles of mutual respect, harmony and common values.
“This conference is the result of the special strategic relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the Russian Federation, which has been established since the founding of the emirates and has been strengthened over the past 50 years thanks to partnership agreements and fruitful cooperation between our brotherly countries in various fields”, - the rector of the Mohammad bin Zayed University of Humanities (UAE), Dr. Khalifa Mubarak Al-Zahiri said.
The speaker emphasized that religion as a cultural component of all human societies is the most important factor in achieving peace, security and stability. At the same time, religious leaders in the BRICS group are becoming increasingly culturally important - they are expected to play an important role in building dialogue, the purpose of which is to identify common features that unite religions.
“Our religious discourse today must correspond to the realities of the nation-state and strengthen in our societies the firm belief that sincere devotion to the Motherland, its leadership and symbols doesn’t contradict religious affiliation”, - urged Khalifa Mubarak Al-Zahiri. He also emphasized the importance of the forum on a global scale, given the context of the event.
Chairman of the Theological Seminaries of Iran, member of the Guardian Council of the Constitution, vice-chairman of the Council of Experts Ayatollah Alireza Arafi said that today one of the important challenges to humanity is the decline of religious and moral values.
“As religious leaders, we call for a return to moral and religious values, and also to avoid blind adherence to Western values. We observe that strategic cooperation with Russia benefits our countries and our people”, - the ulem noted.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi pointed out the distinctive features of Islamic spirituality. This is the rooting of the Islamic faith in the soul and heart of a person. The spirituality of Islam is based on human nature. In this case, religious feeling can be elevated and much higher levels of spirituality can be achieved. The Islamic faith is comprehensive and closely associated with national values, worship and submission to the divine will. In addition, spirituality unites society.
“We must educate our society in accordance with spiritual values in order to counteract injustice and emerging problems, thus achieving the highest goals of our peoples for the sake of the interests of the whole world. This is especially relevant given what is happening in Palestine”, - concluded Ayatollah Alireza Arafi.
The Minister of Awqaf of Egypt Dr. Osama Al-Azhari, noted that Russia, especially its Muslim regions, and Egypt have very close and long-standing ties. Many Russian scientists came to Egypt for education, and Egyptian scientists, in turn, traveled to Russia for knowledge.
“Sheikh Muhammad Ayyad Tantawi from Egypt went to Russia, where he learned Russian and then taught at one of the largest universities in Russia in St. Petersburg for 20 years. Russian Islamic scholar Karachkovsky even wrote in Arabic about his life. Muhammad Ayyad Tantawi, in his book “A Gift to the Smart with Messages about the Country of Russia”, reflected his love for what a man from Egypt saw in Russia. The Russian ambassador to Egypt every year visits the village of Nijrid, where this Egyptian scientist was born. In a similar way, a spiritual path was paved, along which thousands of scientists and imams passed”, - said Osama Al-Azhari, also citing historical examples of contacts between scientists of Egypt and Central Asia.
The minister noted that the “Spiritual Silk Road” project is aimed at counteracting neo-colonialism, establishing universal peace, preserving spiritual and moral values, and creating a favorable future for the entire human civilization. Muslims must end the topic of terrorism and extremism and move on to higher goals to contribute to astronomy, medicine, engineering and other sciences.
“My appeal to all Russians and residents of other countries, including Muslim ones, is that in every country every person should be a good citizen who loves his homeland, help improve the well-being, security and stability of his country”, - urged Osama Al-Azhari.
The speaker shared with the conference participants the vision of the Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf, which is to eradicate destructive extremist ideas, ethical backwardness and educate a creative person to build a common civilization. Osama Al-Azhari also expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and supported the idea of forming a sovereign state of Palestine.
Chairman of the Chinese Islamic Association Yang Fa Ming emphasized that Islam is a religion that promotes the middle, optimal path. Since 2016, representatives of Muslims in China have joined forces with representatives of Islam in Russia and Central Asia to hold this international conference in response to the prevalence of extremist tendencies in some parts of the world.
“However, we have a long way to go to solve these problems. Since 2020, the Islamic community of China has brought together the country's outstanding Islamic scholars and experts. Drawing on the experiences of our righteous predecessors, we have used our collective wisdom to translate and publish Islamic classics to promote the concepts of moderation, peace, tolerance and unity. We see that this has a positive effect”, - said Yang Fa Ming.
The Chairman noted that the Islamic Association of China promotes Muslim ethics in society. For this purpose, seminars and symposiums are held with the participation of prominent figures, monographs by recognized authors are published, and documentaries are made.
“There is a Chinese saying: “The power of role models is limitless”. This example is the spiritual strength of the righteous path of Muslims”, - emphasized Yang Fa Ming. He also reported on the concept of "building a community with a shared future for mankind" proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Yang Fa Ming noted that Islamic and Chinese civilizations have a rich history, being the crystallization of human wisdom, and demonstrate the values of humanity's search for truth. The common values of human civilization are interconnected and are the basis for dialogue and harmonious coexistence of different values.
“The theme of today’s conference proposed by the organizers fully corresponds to the socio-political situation in which the world finds itself today. For our side, the fundamental similarity of the social, humanitarian and ideological positions of Islam and Orthodoxy is of particular importance”, - said Farit Mukhametshin, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, Deputy Chairman of the Group of Strategic Vision “Russia - Islamic World”.
The GSV “Russia - Islamic World” operates in this direction. As an example, Farit Mukhametshin led the GSV’s International Conference held on May 16, 2024 in Kazan on the topic “Russia - Islamic World: Fair Multipolar World Order and Secure Development”, which was attended by more than two hundred politicians, scientists, public figures, and religious leaders from 45 countries of the Islamic world.
The diplomat noted that the theme of the current conference reflects two key aspects: the coincidence of interests of Russia and the countries of the Islamic world on key issues of joint protection of traditional values, as well as upholding and strengthening security measures. Concluding his speech, the speaker emphasized that an event like the scientific and theological conference “Spiritual Silk Road” is not only an important contribution to strengthening international dialogue and upholding the foundations of traditional values, but also acts as an important tool for intellectual enrichment.
Chairman of the Islamic Affairs and Religious Endowments Authority of the UAE Dr. Umar Habtoor Dar'i, reasoning in his speech about the significance of the ongoing conference, wittily noted that silk is a noble fabric, an example of subtlety, beauty and quality. The softness of silk carries the meaning of tenderness, mercy and compassion, combined with strength and flexibility. These are the qualities of the “Spiritual Silk Road” project as a modern intellectual and scientific platform.
“The most important factor to avoid negative consequences and confront modern challenges is the development of education”, - said Umar Habtoor Dar'i. The speaker also noted that loyalty to the Motherland, special attention to the needs of young people and opposition to extremist ideas should become important factors on the path to universal progress and stability.
Mufti of Tatarstan Kamil Samigullin invited the conference participants to cooperate with Tatarstan in various fields: economic, cultural, religious. The mufti told the guests about the vectors of development of the modern Tatar ummah. Kamil Hazrat also emphasized that Tatarstan is the largest center for the development of Islamic finance in Russia and elaborated on the activities of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan in this area.
“For today, the Religious Board of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan has developed 15 unique Islamic products for 14 financial organizations. These are mortgages, debit cards, current accounts for legal entities and individuals, project financing, leasing, factoring, acquiring, surety, pension savings, cashback, investments and securities, installment plans. At the same time, we not only developed them, but also carry out further external Sharia audit of their sales”, - the mufti noted.
Kamil Hazrat reminded the conference participants that historically Kazan is the capital of Quranic printing, saying that in 2023 the Religious Board of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan published the updated Mushaf “Kazan Basma” in full compliance with modern international standards. The mufti noted that in foreign countries there is a request for the re-publication of mushafs prepared by the Religious Board of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan. In addition, in 2019, the Commission for the Preparation of the Quran of the Dubai International Prize (DIHQA) attracted the Religious Board of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan as an expert to work on the publication of its mushaf.
Kamil Samigullin also drew attention to the fact that Russia today is stoically fighting in the global conflict with the West for universal ideals. “But most of all, in the confrontation with the West, the hearts of Russian Muslims ache for their co-religionists in Gaza”, - he noted.
A greeting on behalf of Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan was read by the representative of the Tatarstan Metropolis, Archpriest Vladimir Samoilenko. In his greeting, the Metropolitan noted that the International Scientific and Theological Conference, dedicated to discussing the issues of preserving and developing the religious and cultural heritage of peoples, as well as fundamental universal traditional values in the context of a rapidly developing society and scientific progress, has not lost its relevance.
“It is very important that the exchange of views between representatives of religious and political circles, scientific and public structures takes place within the framework of the current conference in Kazan, a city with a thousand-year history, in a place where there is a wealth of experience in centuries-old dialogue between different religions and cultures, primarily Orthodoxy and Islam”, - the letter also says.
Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan expressed hope that this experience will be in demand within the current forum, especially in the context of discussing the challenges that the modern world poses to traditional foundations, often encroaching on the fundamental values of peoples and not disdaining attempts to sow enmity between representatives of different religions and national-cultural traditions.
Head of the Sunni Awqaf Authority of the Kingdom of Bahrain Dr. Rashed Mohammed Alhajeri stated that the beginning of the process of creation and correction lies in sowing the seeds of the noble values of Islam. For this reason, holding conferences and meetings on Islamic values and their importance is the key to prosperity.
“The real beginning of correction begins with the family, which is the primary unit of society”, - emphasized Rashed Mohammed Alhajeri. In this regard, he recalled three important facts: religious values educate, correct behavior and actions, satisfy mental and emotional needs; family values contribute to community cohesion and the well-being of its members; Strong families are based on two greatest values - love and mercy.
“Religious policy in Uzbekistan is based on the principles of the secular nature of the state, religious tolerance and equal treatment of all religions. Representatives of various nations and ethnic groups professing Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism and other religions are expanding their activities on equal terms in the republic”, - Olim Saliev, Deputy Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Religious Affairs and Interethnic Relations, noted in his speech.
The speaker also noted that on the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Uzbekistan, significant changes have occurred and large-scale reforms have been implemented in many areas, including in the religious space. In order to in-depth study of Islam and teach its scientific foundations, was created the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, which specializes in teaching secular and religious knowledge. The activities of the Center for Islamic Civilization have been established, the main goal of which is to study and promote the ideas of enlightened Islam as a religion of goodness, peace and tolerance.
The speech of the Advisor to the Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs of the State of Qatar Dr. Khalifa Bin Jassim Al Kuwari, concluded the plenary session. According to the speaker, historically the Silk Road has had a commercial quality to a greater extent. However, the initiative of Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin with the addition of the word “spiritual” actually deserves praise.
“The history and significance of the Silk Road is not limited to just the economic component; it also represents strengthening ties between peoples, religions, different cultures and traditions”, - the speaker noted. Khalifa Bin Jassim Al Kuwari proposed to express special gratitude and gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Rais of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov in the final resolution of the conference.
The plenary session of the V International Scientific and Theological conference “Spiritual Silk Road: The Significance of Religious Values in the Greater Eurasia Space” took place at the Korston Hotel. The forum also included sections “The Quran in the Forms and Images of Modern Islamic Culture and Education”, “Peoples of Greater Eurasia: Modern Ethnographic Studies of Religious Everyday Life” and the Forum of Muslim Youth of the BRICS Member Countries “Creation. Responsibility. Leadership”.