The speech of the chairman of Russia Mufties Council mufti sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin

Moscow , July 03, 2008.

 Bismillahi rrahmaani rrahiim!

Brothers and sisters! Ladies and gentlemen!

Heartedly I greet you with the brotherly greeting: Assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu! Peace be upon you, the Mercy of Allah and His blessings!

Nowadays actions and events condemning terror take part all around the world. There were several conferences with the motto “Islam against terrorism”. The participants of these conferences are unanimous is their position, they declare that  already the words “Islamic extremists” and “Islamic terrorism” are themselves slander. And today at this conference we are not about to prove anybody the truth that Islam is the religion of peace, kindness, justice and respectful relations among people.

Allah the Almighty said:

“Enter the world together!” and with these words He appeals to us, the adherents of different religions, various people, nations and civilizations to conduct dialogue and cooperation, not to be at enmity, and to live in peace and consent.

According to a modern definition terrorism is illegal battle with a political enemy by the means of horrification, violence, murders, including murders of innocent people who do not take part in this battle.

Russia Mufties Council in a number of its declaration condemned terrorism and extremism in every its development; approved fatwa “About impermissibility of false interpretation of the Quran and usage of Islamic symbols in the extremist actions” and “About impermissibility of approval of terrorism and extremism by the norms of the Holy Quran and Sunnah”

In 2003 an Expert council was created by Russia Mufties Council in order to evaluate Muslim literature with the objective to prevent the spread of pseudo Islamic ideas. In 2004 we created “United Council of Religious boards of Muslims on combating extremism and terrorism”. According to its provisions each Religious board of Muslims conducts serious work in this direction.

In the Holy Quran murder of one innocent person equals to the murder of all the humankind.

“The one who kills a soul not for a soul and now for a crime he is like the killer of all the humankind” (Quran, 5:32).

It is of common knowledge: neither Islam nor Christianity or Judaism call for violence and terror.

In today’s complicated world the main victims of the terrorism are Muslims. The first people to suffer the blow of international terrorists were the citizen of our country in Chachnya and Dagestan . Peaceful Muslims from many countries suffer from terrorism.

We see the tragedy of peaceful citizen ofIraq, Palestine and Afghanistan.

For us as Muslims the perseverance of peace, upbringing of peacefulness are first of all connected with the formation of personality of a Muslim. Islam has always been directed at security provision for the believers.

And on this way we as Muslims see our main task in enlightment activity. We consider necessary the modern comprehension of Islamic teaching that doesn’t contradict to the basis of our religion but offer form of Muslim’s conduct in the modern society in the epoch of globalization, transform of true knowledge of Islam to the Muslims themselves and to all our contemporaries especially to those who has a wrong perception of Islam and Muslims.

According to the words of our Prophet (s.a.s.) “Islam is the religion of the middle and does not allow extremes.”

Today Muslims unite efforts in order to disseminate into the society the ideas of “Al-wasatya” – the moderation in Islam and the model “Islam Khadari” – civilizational understanding of Islam reflecting the importance both of the political and economic progress and social harmony. These ideas are in the basis of our religion as the way of life and are ordered in the Holy Quran. We consider that this way is able to give the results in the deed of enlightment and dissemination of true values of Islam.

Modern Muslim enlightment is aimed at struggle against distortion of Islam by all possible and legitimate means, including the use of all achievements of the modern civilization.

Unfortunately not only today but in all times these were people who used the religious symbols to achieve their private selfish goals that were sometimes illegal and extremist. This is about the history of all the humankind, representatives of all the religions. The forces that tear the “Islamic map”, especially after September 11, try to use the lag ib the social and economic development of some of the Muslim regions in the world and in our country in particular.

It has become bad practice to use any means in creating false image of Islam and disseminate Islamophobia. Islamophobia is in essence the way to create hatred towards Islam within non-Islamic people through disseminating lies about the allegedly threat from Islam to other religions and traditions. Islamophobia is the way to divide nations living in one state and the way of enmity between countries and nations.

Another obligatory condition on the way of combating terrorism and extremism we see in increasing responsibility of public people and mass media for words pronounced and published.

In connection to this I would like to note that we, the Muslims of Russia are grateful for responsible policy of the authorities of our country aimed at preservation of peace and stability, to disseminate respectful attitude between peoples and religions, for non-admission national and religious difference.  

It is significant that in out country we succeeded in avoiding dissemination of religious difference during the “caricature scandal”, and the scandals after the creation of the film “Fitna” and after the staging in Germany by the novel of Salman Rudshi “Satan verses”. In our country both politicians and mass media didn’t repeat the faults of the world mass media that led to the insult of the feelings of the believers.

International Islamic conference that took place recently in Mecca also called for a dialogue in order to create the atmosphere of trust and cooperation between religions and civilizations.

On the same topic spoke the president of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev on the meeting of Episcopal Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in June 2008: “Our common heritage unites not only the Russian people but also the numerous nations united with the common historical fate and spiritual and cultural space”

Russia is proud of the fact that our believers have always been tolerant, there has been peace in the country, Muslim and Orthodox nations have coexisted for centuries. Muslims have always been true patriots of the Motherland. Extremist idea in all times have been alien to the Russian Muslims.  

A special meeting April this year of the ministers of foreign affairs of the Organization of Islamic Conference on the matters of confronting terrorism in its “Kuala Lumpur declaration” expressed warning to the whole world society of non-admission the connection between religious and ethnic aspects and combating terrorism.

It is said in the Holy Quran:

“And cooperate in good and piousness and do not cooperate in evil and enmity”.

I pray to Allah the Almighty to lead us the way of those whom He endowed with His blessings and Mercy and those who didn’t draw on themselves the anger of Allah and those who didn’t enter the way of delusion.

Was-salamu aleikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!