A delegation of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation and the Russian Muftis Council visited the United States and had a meeting with the leaders of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the largest Muslim public organization in the US.

Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, head of the Russian delegation, informed the ISNA director, Dr. Sayyid Syeed, and his colleagues about public, educational, cultural, scientific activities of Russian Muslims, especially about the projects aimed at preventing extremism. He noted that the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation made a point of training staff at the Moscow Islamic Institute, including postgraduate and doctoral studies at academic centers for Islamic studies, in order to raise a new generation of Muslim intellectuals. For this purpose, the organization cooperates with leading academic specialists and institutions in the field of Arabic and Islamic studies.

The religious leader of Russian Muslims paid special attention to the forthcoming 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by Volga Bulgaria, which will be in 2022. It was for the first time that one of the state formations in Russia declared Islam as its official religion. It is considered a major milestone in the history of Islam in Russia and the world. Mufti Gaynutdin invited his American counterparts to attend the festivities and also to develop cooperation, including participation in the International Muslim Forum (IMF).

Mr. Syeed expressed his readiness to strengthen mutually beneficial relations. The ISNA chairman approved the idea of the IMF being an ideological platform aimed at developing the dialogue between the civil societies of different countries based on the principles of coexistence, mutual respect for cultural and religious differences and  universal moral principles. The parties also discussed the possibility of holding an annual IMF session in the United States.

Dr Sayyid Syeed noted that the opening of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque in 2015 was the evidence of the positive changes in Russian society and that the Muslim community of Russia was developing and growing together with the whole society.