Meeting with OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov
On 30th June, 2021, Ildar Nurimanov, Deputy Chairman and Chief of Staff of the Religious Directorate of Muslims of the Russian Federation, received a delegation of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe headed by the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov. The delegation also included the head of the section, Legal Adviser Irina Vlasyuk and Political Adviser Anton Thomsen, as well as a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation - Second Secretary of the Department for Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights Ekaterina Glazova.
Greeting the guests on behalf of the religious leader of the Muslims of Russia, Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, Ildar Nurimanov introduced the history of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, the activities of the RBM RF, which covers all subjects and federal districts of the Russian Federation, told about the large-scale reconstruction of the main temple and its opening in 2015 with the participation of the presidents of Russia, Turkey, Palestine and numerous foreign guests.
Ildar Nurimanov presented to the guests holding responsible diplomatic posts the activities of the Muslim International Forum as an intellectual and public platform for making intercultural, interreligious, state-religious dialogue and interaction. He informed about the annual meetings of the forum held in the European capitals of Moscow, London, Paris, Berlin, Helsinki, and about the upcoming XVII meeting of the MIF (Muslim International Forum) in Rome in December 2021.
"At these conferences, we tell our colleagues from Western Europe what Russian Islam is, what achievements Russian Muslims have in our time, and how we can support our colleagues in Western Europe so that they can overcome the problems they are experiencing in their communities," Chief of Staff of the RBM RF said and invited the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities to take part in the meeting.
In addition, Ildar Nurimanov spoke about the bodies operating in Russia for the development of state-religious and public, interreligious cooperation. These are, among others, the Council for Interaction with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation, the Commission on Religious Associations under the Government of the Russian Federation, the Interreligious Council of Russia and others.
The guests were also presented and gifted publications issued by the Medina Publishing House: the book of Mufti Gaynutdin "Islam: Russian religion, worship, morality, law", a semantic translation with comments of the Holy Koran by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, the album "Tatar Rus" by Damir Khayretdinov, the book "Moscow Cathedral Mosque", the Russian translation of the encyclical of Pope Francis "On Brotherhood and Social Friendship", periodicals of the Muslim International Forum, etc.
For his part, Kairat Abdrakhmanov said that he was visiting the Moscow Cathedral Mosque for the first time and was impressed by what he saw. Currently, according to him, the most important thing is to maintain an inter – confessional and inter-civilizational dialogue, and religion plays a constructive role in establishing a dialogue with all communities. "Being a Muslim, I stand for Islam to show an example of tolerance, tolerance and a unifying principle," he said and thanked Mufti Gainutdin and in his person all the employees of the Duma of the Russian Federation for their active participation in the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which is held annually in Kazakhstan.
It is worth noting that the goals of the tasks that the OSCE and the RBM RF face in making an interreligious and interfaith dialogue between representatives of different faiths and confessions largely coincide. Thus, Ildar Nurimanov said that the first deputy chairman of the Reigious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation,Executive Secretary of the Muslim International Forum Damir Mukhetdinov is paying a visit to the Balkan Peninsula as part of a delegation of European Muslims. "With the blessing of Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, the fraternal tour of the Balkans will open a new page of interaction between Balkan and Russian Muslims," he said. In response, Kairat Abdrakhmanov noted that he himself also recently visited these countries, met with representatives of both Christians and Muslims and found a high degree of mutual understanding and tolerant relations between them.
After the meeting, an excursion to the Moscow Cathedral Mosque was organized for the guests in order to get acquainted with the daily life of Russian Muslims, the history and interiors of the main mosque of Russia. The tour was conducted by Ildar Nurimanov.
Greeting the guests on behalf of the religious leader of the Muslims of Russia, Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, Ildar Nurimanov introduced the history of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, the activities of the RBM RF, which covers all subjects and federal districts of the Russian Federation, told about the large-scale reconstruction of the main temple and its opening in 2015 with the participation of the presidents of Russia, Turkey, Palestine and numerous foreign guests.
Ildar Nurimanov presented to the guests holding responsible diplomatic posts the activities of the Muslim International Forum as an intellectual and public platform for making intercultural, interreligious, state-religious dialogue and interaction. He informed about the annual meetings of the forum held in the European capitals of Moscow, London, Paris, Berlin, Helsinki, and about the upcoming XVII meeting of the MIF (Muslim International Forum) in Rome in December 2021.
"At these conferences, we tell our colleagues from Western Europe what Russian Islam is, what achievements Russian Muslims have in our time, and how we can support our colleagues in Western Europe so that they can overcome the problems they are experiencing in their communities," Chief of Staff of the RBM RF said and invited the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities to take part in the meeting.
In addition, Ildar Nurimanov spoke about the bodies operating in Russia for the development of state-religious and public, interreligious cooperation. These are, among others, the Council for Interaction with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation, the Commission on Religious Associations under the Government of the Russian Federation, the Interreligious Council of Russia and others.
The guests were also presented and gifted publications issued by the Medina Publishing House: the book of Mufti Gaynutdin "Islam: Russian religion, worship, morality, law", a semantic translation with comments of the Holy Koran by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, the album "Tatar Rus" by Damir Khayretdinov, the book "Moscow Cathedral Mosque", the Russian translation of the encyclical of Pope Francis "On Brotherhood and Social Friendship", periodicals of the Muslim International Forum, etc.
For his part, Kairat Abdrakhmanov said that he was visiting the Moscow Cathedral Mosque for the first time and was impressed by what he saw. Currently, according to him, the most important thing is to maintain an inter – confessional and inter-civilizational dialogue, and religion plays a constructive role in establishing a dialogue with all communities. "Being a Muslim, I stand for Islam to show an example of tolerance, tolerance and a unifying principle," he said and thanked Mufti Gainutdin and in his person all the employees of the Duma of the Russian Federation for their active participation in the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which is held annually in Kazakhstan.
It is worth noting that the goals of the tasks that the OSCE and the RBM RF face in making an interreligious and interfaith dialogue between representatives of different faiths and confessions largely coincide. Thus, Ildar Nurimanov said that the first deputy chairman of the Reigious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation,Executive Secretary of the Muslim International Forum Damir Mukhetdinov is paying a visit to the Balkan Peninsula as part of a delegation of European Muslims. "With the blessing of Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, the fraternal tour of the Balkans will open a new page of interaction between Balkan and Russian Muslims," he said. In response, Kairat Abdrakhmanov noted that he himself also recently visited these countries, met with representatives of both Christians and Muslims and found a high degree of mutual understanding and tolerant relations between them.
After the meeting, an excursion to the Moscow Cathedral Mosque was organized for the guests in order to get acquainted with the daily life of Russian Muslims, the history and interiors of the main mosque of Russia. The tour was conducted by Ildar Nurimanov.