of the All-Russian Muslim meeting Moscow March 24, 2011 In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most
Merciful! The All-Russian Muslim meeting, being the first meeting, a
working and discussion site for Muslims in our country on the nationwide scale
after the October Revolution, is the result of the cooperation of Muslim
religious structures with Russian Muslims, with non-governmental organizations
and associations, with state authorities, organized under the leadership of the
Russian Mufties Council. This meeting is a response of the Muslim community in Russia to a rise
in xenophobia and Islamophobia in our country. It convened in a situation where
Muslims in Russia are increasingly concerned about the spread in Russian society
such views as a destructive role of Islam and Muslims in the fate of
multiethnic Russia, the spread of ideas of extremism and intolerance. The Organizers of the meeting see as one of its major tasks the
consolidation of the Muslim community in the face of contemporary challenges
faced by Russian society. An important objective of the event is to seek
effective models of achieving inter-religious and interethnic peace and accord
in Russia, as well as more active involvement of Russian Muslim community in the
processes of modernization and development. The next task of the meeting is to sharpen the focus of the Russian
public on the issue of de-politicization of religion in our country, on the
basis of Russia's status as a secular, democratic and multi-confessional state.
Particularly relevant this point becomes in the situation when intrusion of
religion into the political sphere in our country and epoch-making events in the
Arab-Muslim world is increasing ever more. The All-Russian Muslim meeting was attended by over 500 delegates from
more than 60 Russian regions. Among them - the heads of Russian Religious Boards
of Muslims, prominent representatives of Muslim clergy, the public, scientists
and artists who have made significant contributions to the development and
strengthening of the country, members of the Expert Council of the RMC. The distinguished guests of the event were heads and
representatives of traditional religions, leaders of relevant ministries and the
Federal Assembly, the representatives of the Presidential Administration and
Government of the Russian Federation, Leaders and representatives of public and
political associations. Unanimously recognizing that starting from the moment of finding
a new democratic state, there have been serious changes in religious policy in
Russia, the Meeting noted that these changes were possible to be made thanks to
the government support of official religious structures of Russian Muslims.
However, during this same period, Russian society faced with many challenges and
problems. The participants of the meeting as a result of the
discussion of the problems that were at the event agenda, admit that the
solutions of these problems need a multifaceted cooperation between the
religious structures of the Russian Muslims, other religious faiths, social,
informational, educational institutions, public authorities of the Russian
Federation. According to the results of the meeting participants of the event made
the following proposals to state authorities, official religious structures,
public organizations and associations: 1. The consolidation of the religious structures of Russian
Muslims 1) To solve all mentioned problems Russian Muslims
need the highest degree of consolidation of the official religious institutions,
religious communities and associations pursuing common values, goals
and objectives; 2) Acquiring this consolidation the Russian Muslims
must be firmly guided by the general for all Muslims, regardless of legal or
methodological school, absolute values, religious principles confirmed in the
primary sources of Islam - the Koran as the Word of Allah and the Sunnah, as a
collection of authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him); 3) Reaching this consolidation Russian Muslims should focus on
the religious, intellectual and social experience of the classics of the Russian
Islamic tradition, long experience of peaceful coexistence of different
nationalities and denominations within the boundaries of one country, observing
the laws of the Russian Federation; 4) In order to achieve this consolidation Russian Muslims should
regularly hold all-Russian meetings, conference, debates, discussions, and
develop remote collaboration using modern means of mass communication; 2. Countering the spread of extremist ideas 1) To preserve civil peace and accord, public
and state security in the Russian Federation Muslims of our country should
improve efficiency in countering extremist and misanthropic ideas and
practices; 2) To solve this problem Russian Muslims should focus
on outreach and educational activities. This involves the creation of
educational materials in accordance with the traditions of Russian
Muslims, review of educational, religious and educational
literature, the creation of media networks as television, websites,
publications, conducting preaching and outreach activities, organization of
teaching the basics of Islamic culture in secular educational
institutions; 3. Countering Islamophobia 1) Russian Muslims should make every effort to
firmly counter the spread of Islamophobia in our society, fear and distrust
towards Islam and Muslims and fomentation of distrust and hatred between the
Russians of different nationalities and religions, the spread of false
information about Islam; 2) We should call on the Russian media to observe the
canons of journalistic ethics, the principles of objectivity, as well as the
norms of Russian legislation and strict enforcement of the media professional to
observe these norms; 3) Russian Muslims should strongly oppose the
increasing pace of bans of the best examples of Islamic religious literature by
the judicial authorities; 4. Depoliticization of religion 1) Russian Muslims must work together to counter the
attempts of involving religion in the political game, battles and fight for
reaching momentary and dubious goals; 2) Given the impossibility of complete distancing of Russian Muslims
from the political sphere, it is necessary to support the political
participation of sincere believing citizens, while rejecting a direct and
immediate political participation of clergy and individuals with religious
san; 5. The maintenance of interethnic and interfaith peace 1) Russian Muslims should pay more attention to the issue
of building closer and more trusting relations between the Russian
confessions; 2) It is time to the leaders of the Russian confessions to move
from theory to joint work to rescue society from the abyss of materialism,
degradation and mutual hatred; 3) Representatives of the Russian faiths should avoid to oppose
our beliefs and should be guided in relationships on the values and principles
that bring together the believers of different faiths; 6. The modernization of the religious structues of Russian
Muslims 1) To meet all the challenges of the Russian Ummah in
addition to a long historical tradition, trusting relationships with the
authorities Russian Muslims should strive for a full-scale modernization of its
official religious structures; 2) The religious structures need to be more involved in the
work with the younger generation of Muslims, to build effective communication
with the public, information and expert environment; 3) The religious organizations of Russian Muslims should
more widely use in the work modern information, communication, educational,
organizational and other technologies; 7. The Relationships with the Islamic world 1) With the rapid changes that are happening in the
Arab-Muslim world, the revolutionary invasion of the Islamic factor in world
politics, Russian Muslims should interact more with the public authorities of
the Russian Federation in building relations between Russia and the reviving
Islamic world; 2) To achieve these goals, Russian Muslims should work more
actively in the organization of relations with the authorities of foreign
countries, including regular contacts with representatives of the embassies of
Muslim countries; 3) We should maintain contacts with international Islamic
organizations, including the OIC, the Islamic Development Bank, the European
Muslim Union and others; 4) We should enhance relationships with religious and spiritual
agencies of foreign countries, including the Department of Awqaf; 5) Also we should enhance the activity and effectiveness of signing
contracts, sending Russian imams and students to foreign universities, their
certification at the end of the education; 6) We should promote the conclusion of contracts for financial
assistance and subsidies; 7) It is important to increase the efficiency in the organization of
the Hajj and Pilgrimage; 8. The sphere of religious education, teaching and
publishing 1) To more effectively achieve all of the above-mentioned
goals and objectives, Russian Muslims should create educational materials in
accordance with the traditions of Russian Muslims; 2) The Review of educational, religious and outreach
literature should be held; 3) Creation of a network of media: television and radio channels,
Internet sites and printed publications; 4) The actions aimed at Islamic education; 5) The development and update of standards for Muslim schools; 6) Promotion of the organization of teaching the basics of
Islamic culture in secular schools. The participants of the All-Russian Muslim meeting noted that
implementation of these recommendations should help strengthen civil peace and
prevent the growth of violence and confrontation between Russian citizens. The meeting participants also pray that Russia remains the
co-operation, alliance, mutual understanding between all the traditional
religions of Russia, mutually enriching dialogue between the peoples of the
Russian Federation. Russia for its Muslim citizens - not only their homeland, and not
only state where its Muslims citizens present a significant religious minority.
This is a country that historically was, and remains a spiritual territory of
Islam. Russian Muslims have no other homeland there is no other land of our
ancestors! That’s why all the achievements and misfortunes of Russia are our
troubles and our achievements! Only with a joint effort we can succeed and build
a better future for our descendants!