Moscow is hosting a mass meeting of Muslim religious and public leaders on March 24 for the first time since the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. The All-Russian Muslim Council is entitled “Russia – our common home”.
The council is a response of the Muslim community in Russia to increasing xenophobia and Islamophobia in the country. The council is organized at a time that belief that Islam and Muslims play a destructive role in Russia is spreading.
The organizers of the council are calling for consolidation of the Muslim clergy and public to face new challenges as one of their main goals. They will search for new efficient models of achieving multi-confessional and multi-ethnic peace and harmony in Russia, as well as more involvement in the modernization and development of the country.
Chairman of the Russian Mufti Council Ravil Gaynutdin talked on the politicization of religion and warned against the involvement of religion in policy.
He reminded about the events in the Cyprus, where the Christian leader Makarios III became the President of Cyprus in the 70s, splitting the island into the Turkish and Greek parts.
Georgy Roshin, deputy head of the Sinod section for relations between the Church and society of the Moscow Patriarchy, said that the recent bishop council in February recommended religious figures to avoid taking part in elections.
Shayevich also spoke for open discussions on topical problems with representatives of all religions.
Representatives of other confessions, leaders of political parties, figures of science and culture took part in the meeting.
The event was organized by the Russian Mufti Council. Hundreds of people are taking part.
