Education has played a key role in Islam since the inception of the religion, largely due to the centrality of the Holy Quran and its study in the Islamic tradition. The Russian Federation pays special attention to the development of a domestic Islamic theological school. In 2018, President Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with Russian muftis, expressed confidence that traditional Islamic education is a very important factor in the upbringing of youth. The annual Forum of Teachers of Muslim Educational Organizations emphasizes the importance of ongoing discussion in this area.
It is important to note that the Forum has been held since 2011 by the Religious Board of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Russian Islamic Institute with the assistance of the Kazan Federal University and the Fund for the Support of Islamic Culture, Science and Education. Over the years, the status of the conference has changed - the event has been declared both international and all-Russian. However, from year to year, the Forum becomes a platform for discussing current issues of modern Muslim education in Russia.
The agenda of the Forum, held in 2015 in an international format, included issues of law enforcement practice of federal legislation in the field of Islamic education, summer spiritual and educational camps and advanced training courses for teachers at mosques. Then, the rector of the RII Rafik Mukhametshin said in his speech that the system of Muslim education in Tatarstan and in Russia as a whole is going through difficult times, since a certain stage has already been passed - the stage of formation of the main institutions of Muslim education.
The VI International Forum was held within the walls of the Bulgarian Islamic Academy, which continues to assist in organizing the event at the present time. In 2020, the Forum was organized within the framework of the international symposium "Theology of Traditional Religions in the Scientific and Educational Space of Modern Russia". In the future, the growing importance of the event can be traced by its correlation with major events in the scientific and cultural life of the Russian state. Thus, holding the All-Russian Forum in 2022 marked two round dates: the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by Volga Bulgaria and the 140th anniversary of the madrasah "Muhammadiya".
Tatar-speaking imams for the needs of the Ummah of Tatarstan and Russia was repeatedly raised in speeches made during recent meetings. Hundreds of teachers from educational institutions not only in Tatarstan, but also in other Russian regions, as well as in the CIS countries, take part in the annual forums. The conferences are not complete without specialists from the Islamic world - invited guests give lectures and share their experiences. In 2023, the Vice-Rector of the Mohammed bin Zayed University for the Humanities (UAE) Mohammed Al- Azizi called the Forum a symbol of cooperation between universities of the states.
If at the dawn of the Forum the issues of the development of Muslim education in Russia, as well as the quality of services provided by educational institutions, were discussed, then in the conditions of modern reality other aspects come to the fore. The XIII All-Russian Forum of Teachers of Muslim Educational Organizations, held on October 30-31, 2024 in Kazan under the title "Traditional Spiritual and Moral Values as the Basis of the Civil Identity of Russian Muslims", indicates the dynamics of the development of the discussion. The topics touched upon during the event, such as "The Influence of Religious Education on the Formation of Civil Identity" or "How to Educate Representatives of the Muslim Elite in Mosques?", speak not only of the timely response of the ummah to the challenges of the time, but also of the important role of Muslim education in Russia.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: DUM RT