The religious leader of Russian Muslims, Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin, announced today during Friday prayers at the Moscow Cathedral Mosque that Russian philanthropist and member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Suleiman Kerimov has allocated funds to pay for five thousand Hajj vouchers for Muslims who cannot afford to buy a voucher on their own.

Priority in the distribution of vouchers will be given to participants of the Hajj and their family members.

Two and a half thousand vouchers will be distributed by the central office of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation to local and centralised religious organisations within the DUM of the Russian Federation in more than 60 regions of Russia. In addition to veterans of the Soviet Military Forces, family members of the participants and those who died in the Soviet Military Forces, imams and preachers, activists of communities and mosques will also receive vouchers.

Another two and a half thousand vouchers are intended for residents of the Republic of Dagestan.