MOSCOW,
April 22, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – In an effort to clear stereotypes
and misconceptions on Islam and Muslims, an international Islamic
conference was to conclude Friday, April 22, in the Russian capital,
with the participation of a host of religious and political figures, who
stressed how the Muslim minority in Russia rejects terrorism and
highlighted Muslim support for government efforts on terror-combat.
“The
conference is of special importance as it underlines support by Russian
Muslims for government efforts to combat terror and highlights the
Islamic principles of tolerance and respect,” head of the Islamic
organization Al-Haq (Right), Kamelgan Klandarov, said Thursday, April
21.
The
Islamic event is meant for highlighting the role of the Russian Muslims
in crushing down fascism and the current role played by the Muslim
minority in Russian society.
The
conference, which kicked off Thursday, is co-organized by the Council of
Muftis of Russia, Al-Haq Islamic Organization, the Russian religious
council for terror-combat and the religious authority for the Caucasian
Muslims.
Head
of the Council of Muftis of Russia delivered the inaugural speech of the
conference.
The
Islamic event is also attended by a cohort of dignitaries from the
former Soviet republics, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Syria as well
as leaders of the Orthodox and Protestant Russian Christians and
representatives of the Jewish and Buddhist communities in Russia.
Russian
President Vladimir Putin’s advisor Aslambek Aslakhanov, Veniamin
Bobov, the Russian official for coordinating relations with the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Russian lawmakers as well
as ambassadors of the Islamic countries and human rights activists also
attended the event.
Allies
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“The conference underlines support by Russian Muslims for government efforts to combat terror,” Klandarov said.
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Russian
Patriarch Alexi II, for his part, hailed the role of the Muslim minority
in Russia, stressing the keenness of the Russian Orthodox Church to
establish strong ties with the Russian Muslims.
“The
Muslim minority is a strong ally of the Russian Orthodox Church,” he
told the Serbian news agency.
He,
however, expressed concern over having the Russian-spoken
Islamic-oriented mass media being controlled by what he termed as
“extremist groups”.
“Such
media devices propagate extremist ideologies among the Muslim youth,
fueling anti-Islam feelings in Russian society,” he said.
The
Russian Patriarch also regretted “the terrorist acts” donning the
cloak of religion, stressing that such “extremist groups” are
supported by foreign parties.
Russian
Muslims have been under increasingly racist and violent attacks that
take different forms from raping and body assaults to attacks on
mosques, especially in the wake of the bloody end to the Beslan school
crisis in September.
On
September 16, a Muslim woman was found in a remote area in the eastern
city of Asbest raped and tortured to death.
Russian
Muslims have repeatedly complained about social persecution and official
ignorance despite their relatively high number.
Leaders
of Russian Muslims repeatedly express resentment at being ignored by the
federal authorities in dealing with Islamic affairs despite the sizeable
minority that makes 23 million Muslims, out of a total population of 144
millions.
