Russia and the Islamic world

In Moscow a meeting sponsored by the Foreign Ministry with representatives of member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and members of the Orthodox Patriarchate. Cooperation in the defense of traditional values but also other common goals on the geopolitical level under discussion.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - A meeting was held in Moscow at the House of Reception of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between representatives of the strategic research group "Russia and the Islamic world" (GSB), in which members of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow also participated , and those of the countries belonging to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIS). The “continuation of joint efforts to defend traditional values” was discussed, in the context of recent events in Russia's internal and external politics.

New insights into the issues already addressed in 2023 were proposed, to prepare for this year's events and in particular the event scheduled for May 16th on the theme "Russia and the Islamic world: a just and multipolar world order and development in security ”, which will be held in Kazan, Tatarstan during the international economic forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum 2024”. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko and the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov were present, together with the vice-president of the GSB Farit Mukhametšin and the director of the Tatarstan Development Agency, Talija Minullina.

Khusnullin underlined that "for us it is particularly important that Islamic countries, faced with the hostile actions of Western countries, supported Russia's policy aimed at safeguarding traditional moral and religious values." He announced the opening of new perspectives, thanks to the economic collaboration between Russia and the member countries of the OIS, which is developed together precisely on meeting occasions like the current one. Rudenko then observed that "Russia is a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional country, supported by Muslim states in traditional relations, of mutual trust and natural recognition of convergences", indicating a series of common geopolitical objectives and defense of people's rights to self-determination in their development systems, rejecting the "so-called neo-liberal values, which put the moral integrity of peoples and people at risk".

Tatar President Minnikhanov, who began his speech "in the name of Allah", insisted that the expansion of cooperation with Muslim countries is "a priority direction of Russia's foreign policy", constituting an international social platform, recalling the repeated actions of vilification and burning of the Koran in Sweden and Denmark, which provoked reactions of indignation in the Islamic world and in Russia. He is also concerned about the situation in the Middle East, with the bloodshed in the Gaza strip and the frightening number of victims, which constitutes "an enormous humanitarian catastrophe".

As Minullina then recalled, several important meeting opportunities are planned in Kazan this year, including a meeting of UNESCO, a large Halal trade fair, an Islamic fashion show and large celebrations to commemorate the membership of the Islam by the Volga Bulgarians over a thousand years ago and much more, such as the sections dedicated to Islamic and digital art, the creative economy and the film industry.

Farit Mukhametšin then took up the words pronounced by the Patriarch of Moscow Kirill (Gundjaev) in previous meetings, in which the head of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed the conviction that future prospects and the expansion of dialogue between Orthodoxy and Islam can help to "counteract effectively the challenges and temptations of current events", as "true Christians and Muslims possess an enormous potential for spiritual and cultural creativity to defend their right to live in accordance with the divine commandments". This will be the most appropriate way to "build a common front for the survival of human civilization". Also present at the meeting were the leaders and muftis of the Islamic religious administrations of Russia, Tatarstan and other regions.