The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will participate in international events dedicated to the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgaria, Deputy Head of the Russian Council of Muftis (RCM), head of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Moscow region Rushan Abbyasov told to RIA Novosti.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the Russian government and leadership of Tatarstan to prepare a proposal to celebrate in 2022 the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgars in the Volga region. Chairman of the Council of Muslims of Russia Ravil Gaynutdin made a proposal to commemorate this important holiday for Muslims on November 4 in the course of Putin's online meeting with leaders of Russia's largest religious associations.
"Our partners in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which unites more than 57 countries of the Islamic world, are very much interested in this anniversary... They are ready to participate in international events dedicated to this event. These are international conferences, roundtables and exhibitions", he said.
The OIC is an international organization of Islamic countries, established in 1969. It unites 57 states. Russia has the status of an observer country in the OIC. The headquarters of the OIC is located in Saudi Jeddah.
Abbyasov said Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin met last week in Tatarstan with Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, with whom he discussed the plan for the anniversary events.
"We certainly understand that Bolgar, Tatarstan will be the center of some such important, major events, but also in a number of regions of our country our Religious Boards of Muslims, our communities have also prepared programs that will include round tables, conferences, exhibitions, and concert events. A large number of presentations of various publications is planned, and the opening of mosques and schools is underway. Some events will be held on a federal level, while others are planned on an international level," Abbyasov said.
In particular, in Tatarstan and Ryazan the presentation of the photo album "Shadows of the Kasimov Khanate" was already held. According to the Deputy Head of the RMC, this is one of the first events devoted to the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by the peoples of Volga Bulgaria. The Russian Religious Board of Muslims also reported that next year a monument to Suyumbike, the queen of the Kazan Khanate of the 16th century, will be installed in the city of Kasimov in Ryazan Oblast as part of the anniversary celebrations.
Islam was officially recognized at the state level in the Volga Bulgaria in 922. "It was from there, in our opinion, that the smooth spread, the penetration of Islam to different parts of our country started... The proof of this is that today, from Kaliningrad to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, all over our country there are Muslims, and Islam today persists," the interlocutor concluded.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Based on materials from RIA Novosti