The opening of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque on September 23 after its reconstruction will be a historic event, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Muftis Council, Rushan Abbyasov, told a press conference at the international multimedia press center of Russia Today.
"Just a week later, we will open the doors of the complex. It is a very joyful occasion, not only for Muslims in Moscow, but for the entire Muslim Ummah, which takes place on the eve of Eid al-Adha," the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza cited him as saying.
It is difficult to overestimate the value of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque. "The Moscow mosque has played an important role all the time. The government made the right decision to save it. It was visited by many leaders of the Islamic world: the Presidents of Iraq, Iran, Malaysia, Libya, Egypt and others," Abbyasov noted.
"We plan to open it in 2016. But 2015 is the year of the 70th anniversary of the Victory, and the opening will be devoted to this date. The mosque has played a big role in the victory," he added.
The opening of the mosque is an event that marks the spiritual revival of Russia, Abbyasov stressed. "Today Muslims will be given the main temple, it will show the West once again that representatives of different religions can live peacefully in one country. Today we see a spiritual revival, and the opening of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque is a clear indication," the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Muftis Council said.
The equipment of the mosque meets all modern requirements, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Muftis Council stressed. "The building will have exhibition galleries and a conference room. The mosque has six levels and a special entrance for women. The whole complex is 19 thousand square meters, so more than 10 thousand people will be able to pray at the same time," he noted.
"The main philanthropist is Suleiman Kerimov. Many parishioners also donated for the construction of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque. Turkey has made an important contribution to the construction of the mosque, as well as our brothers from Kazakhstan. The head of the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gave $25 thousand on behalf of the children of Palestine," Abbyasov said.
"The construction of the mosque cost around $170 million. We are grateful to the philanthropists and pleased that, despite all the difficulties, the construction of the mosque is completed," the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Muftis Council added.
"We expect a large number of guests. And earlier our mosque was visited by the leaders of our state: Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin," Abbyasov said.
Rushan Abbyasov told Vestnik Kavkaza that the opening ceremony will also be attended by representatives of Azerbaijan – President Ilham Aliyev and Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade.
"During the opening of the mosque, when many people will hear sermons, we will be able to convey the true essence of our religion, Islam, not something that, unfortunately, in recent years was imposed on our society – the ideas of radicalism, extremism and terrorism. We are always talking about peacekeeping, that our religion has come in peace and harmony, as the Holy Quran calls for," he stressed.
Moreover, talking about the peaceful essence of Islam, religious leaders actually come to the fight against international terrorism.
"Only through education we are trying to convey the important thought of Islam, which calls us to live in a good neighborhood with representatives of different nations, different nationalities and faiths. Our example is the Honourable Prophet Mohammed, who showed how to live with representatives of different religions in modern conditions," he concluded.
