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The Kremlin allocates 32 million dollars for Islamic education
by Nina Achmatova
President Medvedev says it is "important" to train experts in Muslim history and culture and integrate Islamic educational system with the state. In Russia, 96 Islamic educational institutions and 7 universities.
Moscow (AsiaNews) - More than 32 million dollars (one billion rubles) is the amount allocated for the next two years by the Russian state for the training of experts in Islamic history and culture. President Dmitry Medvedev has put a price on Moscow’s interest in preparing a class of professionals capable of transmitting the right values of Islam.
For the head of the Kremlin, who was speaking at a meeting with Muslim religious leaders in Ufa, the improvement of the quality of education of specialists in Islam, the full integration of Islamic theological institutions in Russia’s education system "is an important mission."
Russia has adopted for the first time in history a state standard for the higher education of "Islamic theology" and - according to Medvedev - this gives the opportunity for Russians to open large educational institutions and departments even to prepare Muslim clerics.
"We are interested in having an effective Islamic education in Russia - said the president - and what is even more important to us is that the authority of our Muslim religious leaders is strong not only in Russia but also in the rest of the world." "Only in this way - he explained – can we have the right frame of mind within the Muslim community."
The Head of State then recalled the growth of the Islamic community in the territory of the Federation: "In the early 90s there were about 90 mosques and no education institutions ... Now we have about 7 thousand mosques, of which 320 were built in the last four years, and prayer houses, 96 schools and 7 universities. " (N.A.)