The Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation hopes that candidates and doctors of Islamic theology can also be trained in secular higher educational institutions, said Damir Mukhetdinov, First Deputy Chairman of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation, at the opening of annual readings named after theologian Shigabutdin Marjani, timed in 2022 to coincide with the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam in the Volga Bulgaria.
"The rejection that existed fifteen years ago, confrontation and misunderstanding are now gone. On the contrary, we see powerful co-operation in all regions of our country. The secular intelligentsia provides tremendous help and support in becoming and improving the educational level of our imams... I hope this cooperation will be continued and deepened by our academic institutions, and we will be able to train our own candidates and doctors of sciences, theology, in state secular educational institutions as well," he said.
The Marjani readings, devoted to the theme "Islam in Russia: comprehension of the centuries-old experience of Russian Muslims," will open events of the Religious Board of Muslims of Russia, dedicated to the anniversary of the adoption of Islam in the Volga Bulgaria. The sections "History and Archaeology", "Theology and Philosophy", "Political Science and Sociology" will feature specialists in the history of Islam in Russia in the medieval period.
The 1,100th anniversary of adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgaria is celebrated in 2022. On the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin a federal organizing committee for the preparation and celebration was established, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin. In December 2021, Khusnullin approved the plan of the main anniversary events, including 71 events. In particular, it is planned to hold international, scientific, cultural and educational events, summits, and construction of a number of objects. Events are expected to take place in Tatarstan, Moscow and other regions of the Russian Federation.
The scientific specialty "theology" was approved by HAC under the RF Ministry of Education and Science in 2015. The first thesis in theology in Russia was completed in 2017 by Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky, Dean of the Theological Faculty of the Orthodox Svyato-Tikhonovsky State University (on "Resolution of problems of Russian theology in the 18th century in the synthesis of St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow"). In Islamic theology, Mukhetdinov completed Russia's first doctoral dissertation in 2020.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from RIA Novosti