Chairman of the Russian Council of Muftis Ravil Hazrat Gaynutdin spoke at the annual meeting of the GSV "Russia-Islamic World" held today in Kazan.
"Allow me to congratulate you on the anniversary celebrations being held in Russia in honor of the 1,100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgaria. We are grateful to Vladimir Putin, who has announced state support for these celebrations, which emphasize the unique Eurasian character of our country. I would like to emphasize that Vladimir Vladimirovich was almost the first Russian leader who loudly and openly declared that Russia is an integral part of the Muslim world. In 2003, he addressed the OIC summit in Kuala-Lumpur and two years later the Russian Federation joined this reputable international organization as an observer", the Mufti reminded.
Ravil Gaynutdin told how he took part in the first meeting of the Group of Strategic Vision "Russia-Islamic World" in Istanbul on February 1, 2007. According to him, in many ways the so-called "people's diplomacy" contributed to bringing Russia and the Muslim world closer together. Although for many centuries Islam was considered a "tolerant" religion in Russia and Islamic countries thought that Islam could not fully exist in a non-Muslim state, today Russia has proved the opposite.
The chairman of Russia's Council of Muftis said: "The Muslim world is the only one that has not turned its back on Russia and the Russians today. He also noted that the position of Islamic countries plays an important role for Russia's domestic and foreign policy, and the Muslim world has become the main external market for Russia for many years.
"We need competent personnel, which should be trained in specialized Islamic centers at major universities in our country. Success will begin after systematic work with the Muslim world with the involvement of experts," he concluded.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Vyacheslav Prokofiev/TASS