VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 150, September 26, 2010
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful

RUSSIAN MUSLIMS: THE FORGOTTEN GROUP OF THE GLOBAL UMMAH

Mosque in Bashkortostan Russia

EDITORIAL:

When was the last time you heard about Russian Muslims besides the context of terrorist acts involving the train bombings or taking school students as hostages ? Russian Muslims are an integral part of the Global Ummah and unlike the media's highlighting them only on the context of terrorist acts, in reality most of them are peace loving Muslims doing the best they can facing the realities of life. In fact, the percentage of Muslims in Russia as an individual country are far more than the percentage of Muslims in USA, Canada and most countries of Europe. We wanted to focus our spotlight on them in this E-Zine.


MUSLIMS IN NUMBERS:

16 million people in Russia, or approximately 11pc of the population, profess a Muslim faith, though estimates widely vary

$30 million was spent by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science on Islamic education throughout the country

2.5 million Muslims – mostly immigrants – are said to live in Moscow, more than in any European capital except Istanbul

A (Muslim) man and a woman of the Cherkess people of the Caucasus, a Muslim nationality in Russia

The Muslims of Bashkortostan in Russia

September 28, 2009
(rupeenews.com)

These are the Turkish Muslim lands of the Urals. Muslims of these Russian Republics have been forgotten by the rest of the world. The brave people of Bashkortostan stood up against Catherine the Great who had bequeathed her progeny to seek out and extend Russian boundaries to the warm oceans of the Arabian sea. The Great Game of Tsarist Russia and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan were an attempt to realize the will of Catherine the Great.

Ethnically the following major peoples of Russia are traditionally Muslim: the Volga (Kazan) Tatars (7,000,000), the Bashkirs (1,500,000), the Chechenians (1,000,000), the Avarians, a people living in Dhaghestan (600,000), the Lezginians, also one of the Daghestanian peoples (500,000), the Kabardinians (400,000), the Darginians (400,000), the Kumiks (300,000), the Ingushs (250,000), the Karachais (150,000), the Adigians (150,000), the Balkarians (90,000),the Cherkessians (50,000). Islam is also confessed by a part of the Ossetians, about 30,000 persons.

Dagestan: Some Islamic universities have children's educational programmes Photo: Ury Kozyrev

These Muslim lands are under occupation of a brutal Soviet regime since 1914. Today they are ravaged by the Russian empire which actually consists of many republics which belonged to the Ottoman Empire.

The Union of the Young Muslims of Bashkortostan propagates the idea of the restoration of the Bashkirian culture on the basis of Islam. Bashkortostan lies next to Tartaristan. The brave Tartars were part of Halaku Khan Army but later converted to Islam and became the greatest defenders of the religion.

TEN MILLION (MUSLIM) TARTARS, DAGISTANIS, BASHKIRS AND THE CHECHNYANS WERE MASSACRED BY STALIN AND THOSE WHO SURVIVED WERE ALL DEPORTED TO SIBERIA.

Decades after his death these Muslims made it back and tried to begin building their culture and language. After the demise of the Soviet Union, many of these States tried to throw off the yolk of Russian imperialism. Chechniya, Tartaristan and Dagistan payed the ultimate price for their desire to be independent. They were ruthlessly crushed and destroyed.

This is the untold story of Bashkortostan

Bashkortostan: Autonomous republic of the Russian Federation; area 143,600 sq km/55,444 sq mi; population (1990) 3,964,000 (40% Russian, 30% Tatar, 25% Bashkir). The capital is Ufa. The Ural Mountains are in the east and River Kama in the northwest; other rivers are Belaya, Ufa, Dema, and Zilim. Chief industries are oil, natural gas, minerals (gold and iron ore), chemicals, engineering, timber, and paper. The languages Russian and Bashkir are spoken. Annexed by Russia in 1557, Bashkortostan became the first Soviet autonomous republic in 1919. It gained federal republic status within the Russian Federation in 1992.

The Bashkirs are a partly Turkic people who converted to Sunni Islam by the 14th century.

Flags of the Turkish states: The Muslims of these states are forgotten--but these Muslims have not forgotten Islam

Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya's President, dances with a Chechen girl dressed in a national costume in Grozny, Russia, in March 2007. (msnbc.msn.com)

Russia's Muslim South Triples Sharia Bride Price

By Amie Ferris-Rotman
Jul 7, 2010
in.reuters.com

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The price tag on a bride in Russia's Ingushetia province has been tripled by the regional government, in a sign the Muslim North Caucasus region is slipping out of Kremlin control as sharia law eclipses Russia.


Against the backdrop of a bubbling Islamist insurgency, the revival of Islam in the North Caucasus following the break-up of the Soviet Union almost 20 years ago has brought sharia law to the region, revered by both rebels and ordinary citizens alike.


The issue of the 'kalym', a price paid by a groom to the family of the woman he chooses to marry, is the latest example of a broader trend that has troubled the Kremlin.


"The increase of the kalym was decided by the residents themselves," the Kremlin-backed leader of Ingushetia, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, told Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.


At an Ingush conference for Muslim scholars and elders this week, attended by Yevkurov, the money a groom must pay the bride's family for her hand was increased from 12,500 roubles ($401.9) to 40,000 roubles ($1,286), the local government said on official website ingushetia.ru.


"It is time to raise the rates, and with them the responsibility of the groom," a statement on the site said.


Wary of the dangers of separatism after two bloody wars with Chechnya since the mid-1990s, the Kremlin has watched uneasily as central power yields to Islamic tenets in the region.


Polygamy, illegal under Russian law, is encouraged by local authorities in the region. Last month rights workers blamed police for paintball attacks on Chechen women for not wearing headscarves, and Islamist fighters in Ingushetia have gunned down kiosk workers for selling vodka.

During their meeting, Putin looked concerned as he told Yevkurov that the price rise for a bride did not correspond to Russian inflation.


Putin added he was not sure if the practice, widespread in the Caucasus and Central Asia, was Muslim in its nature.


"We have yet to thoroughly examine this," he told Yevkurov.


At this week's Ingush conference, it was also decided to raise ten-fold the price for settling a blood feud, to 1 million roubles ($32,150), with the aim of decreasing the centuries-old practice that is widespread across the North Caucasus.


"Of course, it is better to move away from all this," Putin quipped to Yevkurov after he proudly announced the new price.


One of Russia's most popular newspapers, Moskovsky Komsomolets, splashed the bride price increase on its front page on Wednesday, jocularly headlined "Camel Rate".


"This erodes Russian security. If sharia is higher than the (Russian) constitution, it means that it is alright to kill policemen, soldiers and simply infidels," the paper wrote, referring to the near-daily attacks on law enforcement staged by rebels in the region.


Yevkurov, who narrowly survived a suicide bomb attack on his life last year, is widely seen as a moderate secular leader, unlike Chechen firebrand boss Ramzan Kadyrov.


Kadyrov, a devout Sufi Muslim, has been allowed by the Kremlin to usher in Muslim-inspired rules such as periodic alcohol bans and headscarves in state buildings, in exchange for maintaining a shaky peace in the volatile region

IX Moscow International Quran Reciting Competition
(muslim.ru)

The course of development of the Russian Federation in recent years enabled the country to regain the position of the leading world state and to strengthen its political, cultural and economic potential. Our country has joined as an observer the Organization of Islamic Conference, and this fact shows the country’s course for strengthening ties with the Islamic world.

Numerous guests and participants from Iran, Kuwait, Malaysia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Sultanate Oman, Russia and other countries gathered at the IX Moscow International Quran Reciting Competition. This Competition became the occasion where everybody could see and feel the atmosphere of Islam in Russia.

Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin:

This religious competition is a festive present to all the believers, as the perfect reciting of the Holy Book – the Quran – invokes special, superb feelings in people and familiarizes other people with the message of the Holy Book addressed to all the humankind. Today not only Muslims but also representatives of other religions have the opportunity to get to know the beauty of the Holy Quran being present at the competition and listening to the melody of the Quran.

We are happy to greet all the participants of the competition in Moscow, the capital of Russia with the words “Assalamu Aleikum!”. I am sure that the Moscow International Quran Reciting Competition is to become another bridge between Russia and the rest of the world.

The chairman of Russia Mufties Council mufti sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin

The History of the Moscow Quran Reciting Competition

Quran Reciting Competition in Russia started with the beginning of the third millennium. In the year 2000 the Quran reciting competition was held for the first time in Moscow where the students of madrasas and maktabs of Moscow participated. It was held in the Moscow Cathedral Mosque and the participants competed in nominations for knowledge by heart one or two djuzes from the Holy Quran. In due course the competition gained higher status. Since 2003 it became of regional scale. And in 2005 the Moscow Quran reciting competition became All-Russian and the nomination “knowledge of the whole text of the Holy Quran by heart” was added.

In 2007 adecision was made by Russia Mufties Council to attract more participants from many other regions and countries. Thus the competition became international. The jury of the competition also was international: there were judges from Iran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Russia.

The IX Moscow International Quran Reciting Competition on the eve of Ramadan was held not in the building of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, but in the concert hall Korolevsky of the Television Centre of Russia

Abstracts from the Interviews with the Participants

I learn Quran for the sake of Allah. I studied a lot, both in a group and individually with the private teacher. It is not for the first time that I participate in such a competition. I took part in a Quran Reciting Competition in Saudi Arabia . And I am very happy that I participated in this competition.

Akhmed Zalikhaev. Republic of Dagestan.


I studied in Pakistan, in Moscow and Dushanbe . I had learned Quran for five years at Moscow Islamic University. I liked the competition very much. It is for the first time that I participate in such an event. In sha Allah I will take part in this competition next year. I want to thank the organizers for the invitation.

Umar Fattaev. Moscow


This is a very good country with very kind people. This is praiseworthy competition with strong participants, and it is honour for me to compete with them. For those who only start to learn Quran I advise to pay attention to the rules of tajweed.

Muhammad Ibrahim, Malaysia.



I learnt to read Quran when I was 5 years old. At 12 I became a hafiz. I studied in Turkey . I have very good impression of the competition. It is for the first time that I participate in such a competition. But in Turkey the competitions are held on a higher level. It is not easy to be Quran hafiz, it is a great achievement. I would like such competitions to be held more often.

Hasan Avci. Turkey.



I liked the competition very much. It was a great pleasure for me to participate in it. I hope that in sha Allah next year I will have an opportunity to participate in such competition here in Moscow . People are very good here. I liked to be in Russia very much.

Imad bin Nasser bin Amar. Oman

Halal Expo 2011 will be held under the patronage of the Government of the Moscow City.

The Russian Mufties Council received in their address a letter from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Policy of Moscow, which says that the exhibition of Moscow Halal Expo 2011, held in May 2011, was included in the draft Plan of exhibitions and fairs and congresses in 2011 held under the patronage of the Government of Moscow.

RAEIF DISCUSSED PROSPECTS OF ISLAMIC MORTGAGE IN RUSSIA
RMC News
September 08, 2010

On 7th of September 2010 in the conference hall of Muftis Council of Russia the session of Russian expert association in Islamic financing on a theme "Financing mortgage in the Russian legal framework using Islamic financial tools" has taken place. There were 30 experts - representatives of the legal and tax companies, banks and the financial organizations, Russian high schools and independent experts among those who participated at the session.




The meeting started by the speech of Rushan Abbyasov, Head of the International Relations Department. He spoke about the work which was done during the 2010 year and the plans for the future.

Elena Nakarjakova, the expert of the department of real estate of «Islamic financial house», Alexander Kazakov, director of the department of the structured and syndicated financing and corporate decisions of "Gazprombank", Alexey Kuznetsov partner of company Ernst&Young and Rustam Vahitov, head of group of the international taxation of «Pepeljaev Group» have made speeches on economic, legal and tax aspects of realization of Islamic analogues of a mortgage in Russia.


Experts have converged that entering of amendments abreast acts and Central Bank instructions would allow to facilitate considerably development of an Islamic mortgage in Russia, however even without modification variants of realization of similar contracts are possible, but most likely, will be at least equal at cost to a traditional mortgage, in connection with the big risks, absence of practice and unequal tax conditions on separate kinds of contracts.

The tea drinking and Iftar has taken place after the discussion.




The nearest plan of RAEIF is the meeting with Muhammad Nedal Alchaar, general secretary of the Accounting and audit organization of Islamic financial institutions (AAOIFI) on 21st of September.

HALAL INDUSTRY IN RUSSIA EXPECTS GREAT PROSPECT

July 10, 2010

Moscow Halal Expo: Successful Beginning

Yersterday evening in the IEC Crocus-Expo the First Moscow International Halal Exhibition – Moscow Halal Expo 2010 completed its work.

The organizer of the Exhibition was the Russian Mufties Council. The Exhibition was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia in the partnership with Russia-Arab Business Council, the International Exhibition Center “Crocus EXPO”, the Financial Academy under the Government of the Russian Federation, the Moscow International High School of Business (MIRBIS), the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises of the Republic of Tatarstan, Bank Muamalat Indonesia (English), Al-Baraka Bank (English), the Russian Association of experts in Islamic finance, the Gallery MiussE, Producers’ Center “Rukh”.

(Ramadan) "Uraza Bayram is a special holiday"
September 9, 2010
(muslim.ru)

On the day of celebration the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Eid al Fitr - Uraza Bayram, the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin visited the residence of the Chairman of the Russian Mufties Council Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin in the Moscow Cathedral Mosque. Early in the morning the Russian Mufties Council received a telegram of congratulations of Prime Minister Putin, which was announced in a festive sermon by the Chairman of the Russian Mufties Council.




Personally the Head of the Russian Government repeated good wishes to Russian Muslims and confirmed his confidence that and tomorrow our country “will need rich moral potential of Islam, stronger friendship among nations and peoples will strengthen and interfaith cooperation will develop”.

At the meeting with the Chairman of RMC Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin Vladimir Putin said about today's events in Vladikavkaz:

“The attack in Vladikavkaz claimed again the lives of people. Undoubtedly, those who do it are people without soul and heart. They have literally nothing sacred. Our common duty is to fight with these crimes and these criminals, and we mostly count on the Muslim population of Russia who will make a decisive contribution to this struggle.”

The Russian Mufties Council expressed its attitude to the events in a today statement.

We offer our readers a transcript of the part of the conversation in the residence of the spiritual leader of Russian Muslims.

Vladimir Putin: Dear Mufti, first of all, I want to congratulate You and all Russian Muslims on the holiday of Uraza Bayram. Last night I met with the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill. He, knowing about my current plans, asked me to congratulate You and wish all the best on his behalf again.

Mufti R. Gainutdin: Special pleasure.

V. Putin: Uraza Bayram is a special holiday. Not only because you can eat after Ramadan, but primarily because it leads to the improvement of a man who has passed certain tests, withstood these tests. No wonder that this day Allah gave Prophet Muhammad the first verses of the Koran. Uraza Bayram is a special holiday because this day people help each other, remember the problems of each other and give help to those who need it. I noticed that this day people ask each other forgiveness. This is a special holiday. It is a bright holiday, a holiday of friendship, solidarity and support of each other, a feast of the world.

In this regard it is especially sad to say that there are still people who even in this bright holiday commit such heinous crimes, which occurred today in Vladikavkaz. As a result of the attack people were killed again. Undoubtedly, those who do it are people without soul and heart. They have literally nothing sacred. Our common duty is to fight with these crimes and these criminals, and we mostly count on the Muslim population of Russia who will make a decisive contribution to this struggle. I know how Muslims treat such extremists. We feel their support, especially in the North Caucasus region, we see it. We are grateful for this support and hope that together we will overcome all these difficulties.

Mufti R. Gainutdin: Inshallah. Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich! On behalf of our Muslims, Russians, I would like to express to you our sinceregratitude for your congratulations we received. Today I had the opportunity to convey it to all Muslims of Russia and congratulate them on holiday of Uraza Bayram.

Those words, which were expressed in your letter, your message of congratulations, they really correspond to that we have interethnic and interreligious peace in Russia. And Muslims have contributed to the development of spirituality and morality in our country and in the future will also contribute to the preservation of peace throughout the country.

On visiting the North Caucasus, I meet with Muslims and hear from them the words of pride to be first who rose up against the extremists and terrorists. If Muslims had not started the fight with extremists and terrorists it would be hard to our federal forces to be on the territory of the Chechen Republic. Therefore, my brothers, Chechens, and Dagestan, Ingush, and say: "We have preserved the unity and integrity from the south, we did not let our country to be dismembered from the south”. And I assure you, we all - the Muslim clergy and ordinary believers are for Russia to be a single, coherent, strong and respected country in the world. And in the future we will also continue combat religious extremists, terrorists.

Today you said that, unfortunately, even in our holiday inhuman monsters commit such crimes. Today, we express our deep condolences to all those who lost their loved ones. In my holiday sermon I said that the Prophet Muhammad, referring to Muslims, said: "If anyone sheds the blood, kills an innocent person it is regarded as the destruction of the Kaaba itself." So great this sin is against our Creator!

I reminded today to my brothers and sisters, that we must preserve peace, must deal with the evils that exist. Do not spill blood and kill innocent people.

I think the faithful heard. And those who do not come to churches and do not attend mosques - they do not get in the way of instruction and they are enemies of our religion, enemies of our society. Therefore, I, expressing the gratitude to you for your greetings of Muslims, strongly condemned the terrorists who are even on a holiday does not stop, can not without bloodshed and without the propagation of hatred between our citizens.

I am sure our Russian society is mature. And our Muslims, our citizens, the Russians will not allow the spread of this phenomenon on the territory of our country. We will wage a serious fight with extremists and terrorists.

V. Putin: Dear Mufti, thank you very much for your words of condolence and for this courageous position. I know how many Muslim clerics have suffered at the hands of terrorists, clearly and openly stating their position on the rejection of terrorism and extremism. Indeed, in the Russian Federation - and it is rich in its diversity: it is multi-denominational, multi-ethnic country that is its strength - Muslims live throughout the country. In traditional Muslim areas, where Muslims live predominantly, only half the Muslims live, well, slightly more than half.

R. Gainutdin: Yes.

V. Putin: Over 40% of Muslims live in other regions of the Russian Federation. And the crimes committed in the same way that occurred today in Vladikavkaz, aimed at spreading discord between our citizens. And we do not have the right to allow this.

Of course, first and foremost a crucial role in this fight belongs the Muslims themselves. We thank You for this position. And, of course, we will work hard together, hand in hand to eradicate these phenomena completely.

During the meeting, Ravil Gainutdin informed the Prime Minister about preparations for the May 2011 Moscow European Muslim Summit and about interest in the centuries-old experience of peaceful and neighborly living in Russia people professing different religions. V. Putin promised to inform about such a significant event of the President of Russia D. Medvedev.

Prime Minister promised to support the construction of Muslim shrines in Russia, including Moscow and the Olympic capital - Sochi, where a temporary mosque should be constructed at the time of the 2014 Olympics and a worthy shrine for Muslims living in the city. The

Chairman of the Russian Mufties Council on behalf of Russian Muslims expressed thanks for the attention and support from the leadership of the country.

Islam in Russia Can Serve As An Example For The World Umma

- Dear Ravil hazrat! Yesterday came to an end the work of the second session of the “ Russia – Islamic World” Strategic Vision Group. The meeting took place in the capital of Tatarstan. What factor was the major one in the work of the Group?

- The Strategic Vision Group is a consultative body aimed at broadening the cooperation between Russia and Islamic states.

Kazan city was chosen not by mere coincidence. Citizens of Tatarstan are represented by various nationalities and religions. Through centuries people of Tatarstan through their way of life, positive and constructive activities strengthened Islamic state and interreligious relations. And this to a great extent is due to the wisdom and insight of multinational people of the Republic of Tatarstan and its government.

The topic of our discussion “ Russia – Islamic world” was rather timely. Truly, life of modern multiethnic and multiconfessional society, including Russian Muslims, is many-sided and diverse; it’s full of uneasiness and hopes, difficulties and contradictions. Let alone alarming events on the world scene, among which are Israel – Lebanon and Palestine – Israel war conflicts that lead to deaths of innocent civil people.

Among the topics discussed on the session were complicated and diverse processes of economic and social reforms that take place in our country, formation of multipolar democratic Russian society, its spiritual and moral revival. All these processes are diversely evaluated both by world society and our compatriots, including Russian Muslims.

The collapse of the “country of developed socialism” lead to development of serious battle on the world arena for the ideas of what the future world should be. Nowadays a lot of words are being said about the confrontation of civilizations, many try to counter Islamic civilization with the Christian one. In fact, there is no religious confrontation between traditional monotheistic religions: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.

This was unanimously and vociferously declared by leaders, heads and representatives of world religions on the Summit of Religious Leaders that passed in Moscow in July 2006. They also affirmed the Appeal to the Heads of the States and the World Society that sounded “to dialogue and cooperation, no to interreligious confrontation!”

Islam is without prejudice to any human rights and freedoms, but discrimination is often assigned to Islam by antislamists. Islam, on the contrary, opposes only moral and spiritual corruption of a person, it cares about natural decrease of population, death from alcoholism and drugs, AIDS and other evil sides of “free” world: immorality and all-permissiveness.

- What was declared on this significant event on the part of Russian Muslims? What did you stress on?

- We, Muslims of Russia are against xenophobia, extremism, terrorism and attempts to justify them religiously, these phenomena are alien to our religion, and we oppose antagonism based on politics, nationality and religion that introduces enmity among confessions and peoples. Islam does not divide nations to better and worse. Our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and mercy) proclaimed: “Oh people! Isn’t your Lord single? Don’t you have the only father? Has an Arab advantage over non-Arab? Or has non-Arab advantage over an Arab? Or the black-skinned over white-skinned or vice versa? The advantage is only in fear of God and devotion.”

It is of common knowledge that Islam gave the world the teaching of equality and brotherhood of all people and nations, the teaching of the human right to choose religion freely, teaching of an agreement as the best form of peace coexistence of people and nations of different religions and believes, based on preservation of identity of cultures and traditions of all people on Earth based on he principles of equal rights, mutual respect and cooperation. For the overwhelming majority of Muslims all around the world the priority way is the way of multipolar world, the way of unity of the world society through mutual enrichment of confessional and national cultures. The Holy Quran cites: “Oh people! We crested you as men and women and made you nations and tribes for you to cognize each other. Truly the most noble of you to Allah is the most pietistic. Allah, truly, is Knowing and Conversant” (49:13).

Great amount of work is being done in Russia muties Council aimed at strengthening of stability in our Russia , building civil society. Was the position of RMC conveyed to the participants of the session of the “ Russia – Islamic World” Strategic vision Group?

Yes, it was. Moreover, it was particularly stressed that as one of the ways of opposing radicalism RMC considers rising the level of religious education and training Muslim clergymen, introducing into Muslim ethnic cultural environment modern bases of religious and moral culture. Spread through educational enterprises, mass media, and message of spiritual leaders religious traditions of historical Islamic theological thought of Russia, the works of great Tatar enlighteners at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries – Mardjani, Bigiev, Kamaleddin, Gasprinskiy and other ideologists of djadidizm, who appealed for peace and love, tolerance and mutual respect. And it is worthy of note, that the same thesis was stated by professor doctor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu during his latter visit to our country and to Russia muftis Council.

“Russian Muslims are not in need of import of other ideologies, Russian Islam develops in conditions of high educational level of the citizens of the country as a whole including Muslims, it has true, moderate character and can to a great extent be a model for the world ummah.”, he said.

- How does Russia mufties Council cooperate with the state authorities in the country’s unanimity affair? In what way does RMC build its international activities?

- Russia muftis Council shares the efforts of our country’s authorities, the activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in their striving to a colder integration of Russian Muslims into world Muslim society. Yet we also have to acknowledge that the possibilities and potential of Russian Muslims, their spiritual centers are not sufficiently used in the relations with Muslim countries. Yet, the RMC’s activities within the framework of “national diplomacy”, our summit meetings with state, social and religious leaders of Islamic world, that took part in RMC residence, such as meetings with:

- Palestine leaders of politic movements “Hamas” who visited our country by invitation of President Vladimir Putin;

- Mahmud Abbas, head of Palestine Administration;

- Bulent Arynchem, chairman of Parliament of Turkey;

- Saad Hariri, head of majority fraction of Lebanon Parliament;

- Abdalla ben Khaled Al Khalif, deputy Prime-minister of Bahrain , Islam and wakf Minister;

- Ayatolla Muhammad Ali Tashiri, general secretary of World Organization of convergence of mazhabs;

- Abdullah Gyul, vice- Prime-Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey;

- Abdullah Al’-Maatuk, Islam affairs and wakf Minister of Kuwait;

- prince Salman ben Abdel Aziz Al Saud, head of Council of royal family of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, governor of Riyadh province;

And with many other, all of them speak for themselves and prove the effectiveness of such “people’s diplomacy” in the development of cooperation of Russia and Islamic world.

These meetings, communication and talks gave notable results and contribute to further strengthening of policy and authority of our country’s course aimed at convergence with Islamic world, at good neighborhood, mutually beneficial partnership to the benefit of peace and cooperation.

It’s not a secret that both in Russian Empire and in the Soviet Union the role of the informal organizations and the “people’s diplomacy” in the strengthening the influence of Russia in a particular region was highly esteemed. We are sure that the existing historical experience in Russia should be developed on the basis of modern geopolitical realties with use of social activity and patriotism of Russia Muslims.

- Ravil hazrat, as the head of Russia muftis Council how do you evaluate the results of the second session of the “ Russia – Islamic World” Strategic Vision Group?

- the session was on a high level. RMC looks in future with confidence and optimism, we are inspired by the strategic course of our country, declared by the President: “ Russia as a unique Eurasian state has always played special role in the building of relations between the East and the West. And I’m sure that our interaction within OIC today can well become a most important element of fair and secure peace. It can provide for the ground for non-conflict decision of many international and regional problems”

that “today our country’s cooperation with Muslim states is developing symbolically, embraces economic, humanitarian and cultural spheres. Based on the principles of respect and openness, such partnership works for the benefit pf stability and security in the world, serves as an example for religious dialogue” said the president of the Russian Federation in his opening speech of during the opening ceremony of our session.

During the centuries Russia , populated by millions of people “relating themselves to traditions adherers, is closely connected to Islamic world by numerous ties” reminded the head of the state.

”The session will open new possibilities for establishing fruitful contacts of social, business and religious associations and, of course, will contribute to strengthening of our common position of rejection of extremism and interethnic and international discord”, - noted the president.

And nowadays all we, state and public figures, religious leaders and all common citizens of our country bear great responsibility for the strengthening of unity and solidarity of peoples of our country independently of national and religious identity, in the name of Peace and Justice as it is said in the Holy Quran: “And this is my straight way; so follow it and don’t follow other ways for them not to set you apart from His way. This has he devised to you – may be you will be god-fearing! ” (6:154,153)

Russian Muslims Call for Ban on Valentine’s Day

khaleejtimes.com
(AFP)

11 February 2010

MOSCOW - Muslim leaders in Russia have called for believers to boycott Saint Valentine’s Day, saying it “preaches universal permissiveness, amorality and nihilism.”

A council of Muslim leaders in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region released a statement Wednesday calling for a “ban” on celebrating Valentine’s Day, which is growing in popularity in Russia although it is not an official holiday.

“We call on all believers and sensible people to say no to celebrating this day, since it contradicts not only the norms of Islam, but also recognised human morality,” the statement said.

The Muslim leaders also appealed to head teachers at the region’s schools to cancel celebrations for “moral and ethical reasons.”

Little known a decade ago, Valentine’s Day is now big business in Russia, with stores selling heart-shaped trinkets and cards and restaurants laying on special menus.

THE END