Heads of CIS Muslim Spiritual Board to establish Advisory Council and Council of Ulema

As Vestnik Kavkaza previously reported, the 7th Muslim Forum "Russia and the Islamic world: vectors of modernization in the CIS space" is being held today in Moscow. The forum is being attended by religious and public figures, as well as researchers who have gathered to discuss problems common to the entire Muslim community of the former Soviet Union.

The chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia, Ravil Gainutdin, has underlined the existence of serious problems concerning the modernization of the Muslim Spiritual Board, religious centers of Russia as well as of the Commonwealth.


Participants in the meeting urged the establishment of an Advisory Council of the heads of spiritual administrations of Muslims, as well as to create the Ulema Council of the Commonwealth. Ravil Gainutdin said it would facilitate the unity of the Muslim leaders of Commonwealth countries and form a single fatwa, which, of course, would serve as a convergence of positions of religious leaders in developing the necessary responses to various current problems.

The forum is dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Commonwealth of Independent States and to the 15th anniversary of the Council of Muftis of Russia - one of the largest religious centers within the CIS. The forum is being held as part of celebrations of National Unity Day.