icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
15 Jul, 2009 13:52

Medvedev stresses Islam’s importance for Russia

Russia's religious life is a multi-confessional one and Islam is a faith with a vast influence. So President Dmitry Medvedev said during a meeting with leaders of Russian Muslim organizations.

The statement was made as Medvedev was paying a visit to the country's central Mosque in Moscow to see ongoing reconstruction work.

After being shown around the historical part of the mosque and a section under construction, Medvedev met with muftis.

Medvedev stressed the importance of Islam in the country's internal affairs.

”Russia is a multi-national and multi-confessional country. Russian Muslims have enough respect and influence. Muslim foundations are making an important contribution to promoting peace in society, providing spiritual and moral education for many people, as well as fighting extremism and xenophobia,” he said before adding:

“There are 182 ethnic groups living in Russia, and 57 of them claim Islam as their main religion. This figure speaks for itself.”

The president also stressed the importance for religious Muslim organizations to have their own system of training imams and teachers, and promised the government would continue to assist in this work.

Podcasts
0:00
26:13
0:00
24:57