Efforts to engage with migrant workers in Khabarovsk will be significantly strengthened with the opening of a central mosque in the city, announced Arthur Garifullin, Chairman of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Far East and official representative of the Supreme Mufti of the Central Religious Board of Muslims of Russia in the Far East, during an interview with TASS.
“At the moment, we are able to reach only up to 20% of migrant workers. During Friday and holiday prayers, we hold discussions, provide guidance, explain behavioral norms, and distribute informational leaflets. With the opening of the mosque, our reach will increase, and the mosque will become the center of this process, a place of spiritual peace,” Garifullin stated, commenting on discussions at the Far Eastern Interfaith Forum.
Construction of the central mosque began in the summer of 2024 on Vyborgskaya Street, with the opening planned for the summer of 2026, according to Garifullin. He also noted that many of the clerics at the Spiritual Administration share the same nationalities as the migrant workers, allowing them to communicate vital information in the workers’ native languages. However, he emphasized the challenge of reaching a larger number of people.
Strengthening Work with Migrant Workers
Efforts to help migrant workers adapt and prevent crime among them need to be enhanced through traditional religious organizations, Abdulhamid Bulatov, head of the department for monitoring interethnic and interfaith relations, extremism prevention, and interaction with religious organizations at the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs (FADN), told TASS.
“We need to expand this work, relying on existing traditional religious organizations,” Bulatov said. He stressed that involving representatives of these organizations in assisting migrants with adaptation would be more effective. It is more impactful, he noted, when a person’s co-religionist explains the norms of behavior and laws.
Bulatov also highlighted that global data shows adaptation problems arise when migrants make up about 10% or more of the population. Migrants tend to live in compact communities and often do not prioritize learning the local language.
“Often, this leads to the marginalization of migrants. A person may not hold radical views in their home country, but when placed outside of their usual environment, they can become susceptible to radicalization. It’s not just about being treated poorly — which generally doesn’t happen in our country — but rather the lack of a ‘cultural immunity’ that helps them maintain their traditions,” Bulatov explained.
About the Forum
The first Far Eastern Interfaith Forum, “Traditional Russian Values as the Foundation of Interfaith Cooperation,” is being held in Khabarovsk on October 16-17. The forum is attended by leaders and representatives of traditional faiths, as well as regional government officials.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Kramst/Creative Commons 4.0
Based on materials from TASS