The President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev met Muslim ummah of Russia

The President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev has held a gathering with the Muslim ummah in the Central Clerical Muslim Dept of Russia in Ufa. The Supreme Mufti Talgat Tadjuddin and Muslim leaders fr om Russian regions were taking part in the meeting with the head of the state. The Plenipotentiary of the President of Russia in Volga federal district Gregory Rapota and the President of Bashkortostan Rustem Khamitov were present too.

Development of Muslim education, consolidation of international harmony and struggle with extremism have become the key topics of the meeting. Dmitry Medvedev has mentioned that the lack of knowledge of the religious basics and culture makes the youth vulnerable before various extremist movements.

“Ignorance is dangerous” - he said - “Religious ignorance is twice dangerous”.

According to Dmitry Medvedev the leadership of the country intends to suppress all attempts of extremism in Russia in the most resolute way. He has reminded that many religious leaders, struggling with extremism, have been recently killed in the North Caucasus.

“These people have suffered for their nation and their belief” - the President of Russia mentioned.

In opinion of Dmitry Medvedev development of Muslim education and culture should become one of the main methods in struggle with extremism and rather good achievements in this direction can be watched in Russia already now Thus, if in the beginning of 90s there were just about 90 mosques and not a single Muslim education institution in the country, now there are about 7 thousand actively working mosques in Russia and more than 90 Muslim education institutions. For the last four years more than 300 mosques have been erected in the country and, as Dmitry Medvedev mentioned, the most active erection of mosques was observed in Bashkortostan, Tatarstan and in some republics of the North Caucasus.

According to the President of Russia the special program for training of pedagogues on history and culture of Islam is working in Russia now. For the first time in the history of the country the state standard for the subject “Islamic ideology” was worked up. The basics of religious ethics and culture are taught at schools of 31 Russian regions and the authority intends to spread this practice on the whole territory of Russia.

Talking about consolidation of inter-confessional and international harmony Dmitry Medvedev has mentioned that preservation of peace and stability is especially important now, when the country stands on the brink of big political events.

“We are multinational and multi-confessional state” - the President of Russia said – But at the same time we have to feel ourselves the citizens of one country and we mustn't loose the skills of joint peaceful coexistence, formed in the course of millenniums”.

Talgat Tadjuddin told Dmitry Medvedev about history of the Central Clerical Muslim Dept of Russia and about the measures of the Russian Muslim ummah for development of Muslim education and for struggle with extremism. The Supreme Mufti has also indicated the importance of establishment of the Russian Islamic University. Thanks to this University Russian youth may receive higher Muslim education in Russia and there is no need for young people now to go studying abroad, wh other Muslim views, often different from the traditional Russian Islam, are rather popular.

Talgat Tadjuddin has also urged all Muslims of the country to demonstrate their public duty at the forthcoming elections, voting for the unity and consolidation of the country.