On 23 September 2015, by the mercy of the Almighty, the new building of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque was opened after reconstruction. This was a historic day not just for the Muslim community of the RF but also for the whole country; it was a milestone on the path of the nation’s development. It was a sort of “Muslim” Day of Russia.

The opening of the mosque unambiguously demonstrates the progress of Russian Muslims, and also signifies an important breakthrough in Moscow’s dialogue with the Islamic world. Figuratively speaking, the minarets of the mosque mark out new boundaries and perspectives. It is an event of spiritual, cultural, intellectual, political and international significance.

The mosque was opened by the head of the Russian state, Vladimir Putin, together with the head of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation, mufti sheikh Ravil Gainutdin. This is the first time this has happened in the centuries-long history of Russia.

In his speech at the opening ceremony the spiritual leader of Russia’s Muslims and head of Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation, Ravil Gainutdin, reminded those gathered of Vladimir Putin’s unprecedented words that Russia is “also a Muslim country”. Nothing like this was ever said by tsars, emperors or general secretaries of the Communist Party.

Mufti Gainutdin in the presence of several heads of state and many high-ranking guests emphasized that “Russia is the heir and successor of the glorious traditions of all the peoples and religions of the Eurasian space”. “We can in all truth say that we are the successors not only of the USSR, the Russian empire, Muscovy and Kievan Rus, but also of Volga Bulgaria, the Golden Horde, as well as the states of the Caucasus that were founded long ago by the companions of the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),” the head of DUM RF remarked.

Confirming these words, Putin spoke of the multinational and multireligious character of Russia. The President called this a fundamental feature of its nationhood and overall national identity, and recalled the Tatar names of the ancient streets of Moscow.

The personal participation of the President of this great nation in the celebration and his speech demonstrated the huge respect and the real and active recognition of Islam as an inseparable component of Russian civilization. This put paid to the fantasies of different types of demagogues and extremists who talk of the impossibility of socialization and normal practice of their religion by Muslims in Russia.

Moreover, Putin stressed that contemporary terrorism has nothing in common with our great religion, and called upon Muslims to realize its moral, humanitarian and spiritual potential in the name of peace and the strengthening of the sovereignty of the Russian state. The President also unambiguously expressed his support for the further development in Russia of Islamic education and scholarship, and he also emphasized the need to strengthen traditional Muslim theology as a means of solving extremist tendencies.

In essence, his speech was a prologue to the historic address delivered at the General Assembly of the UN on 28 September. Much of what he said in New York was presented and approved during his address at the solemn opening of the new building of the Moscow Cathedral mosque. The guests from the Islamic world who had gathered for the holiday expressed their full support for Putin and gave him confidence to address the UN later. One can say that the President of the RF speaks not just for his country but also for the hundreds of millions of Muslims of the world.

The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who made a great deal of personal effort towards making the 23 September festival come to pass, in his speech gave a high estimation of the level of development of interreligious and interethnic relations  in Russia and the beneficial influence of the Muslim community of Russia on the internal life of our country as well as on the process of our country’s rapprochement with the Islamic world.

“Long historical ties with our Muslim brothers in Russia and our mutual love have made an enormous contribution to the development of friendship between Turkey and Russia and they are leading to a strengthening of this relationship. Russia offers a clear example of the experience of neighborly relations and peaceful coexistence between people of different religions and ethnicities. And today we have once again become witnesses to how Moscow has gathered together all these various peoples, is uniting them around common spiritual values,  and  is creating a single living space, thus showing everyone a wonderful example for the future,” said the President of Turkey.

The aspiration  of the entire Muslim world to deepen the strategic dialogue with Russia was also demonstrated by the speech of Mahmud Abbas, the President of Palestine. Moreover, he said that the 23 September in Moscow was an event that has huge human and humanitarian significance. 

In the words of the Palestinian leader, the opening of the new mosque has great meaning both for the population of Russia in all its religious, spiritual and national diversity, as well as for humanity as a whole. “This is a clear and noble message that confirms the role and greatness of Russia and expresses its desire for open inter-civilizational and interreligious spiritual dialogue on the basis of respect for the faith and beliefs of different people and social groups, for their mutual agreement and harmony,” he said. Mahmud Abbas also noted that the Moscow celebrations quite clearly express “sympathy and respect for the Arab-Muslim world, its peoples and their noble faith.”

Thus the opening of the mosque joined the list of events that are defining the Russian civilizational code and its progress on the world stage. This code was and is Eurasian and Orthodox-Muslim. Moscow is striving towards the formation of a more just world order, founded on the principles of international law and the traditional Abrahamic moral values. All this is confirmed and developed not only by the conceptual promise of the ceremony but even by the unique and original architecture of Russia’s main mosque.

Overall, the ceremony itself was conducted at a high international level, as was noted by many of its participants. Not a single detail of the festivities were overlooked. It was a great success and a testimony to the grace of the Almighty towards the joint work of many generations of Russian Muslims.

We look forward to seeing everyone in the new amazing house of Allah in the Russian capital! May the All-Merciful Creator grant your prayers!