Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 23/10/2013
Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan of the Russian Federation, 22 October 2013 Your Eminence Grand Mufti Talgat Safa Tadzhuddin, Your Eminences, At the outset, allow me to say that I deem it a matter of great honor and privilege to be invited to participate in the celebrations of the 225th Anniversary of Founding the Central Muslim Spiritual Board of Russia in this magnificent city of Ufa, the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The memories of my last visit to this historical city three years ago, in 2010, are still very fresh in my mind. The cultural richness and Islamic heritage of Ufa that has been nurtured over the centuries, is truly overwhelming. In this context, I would like to pay a special tribute to Grand Mufti Tadzhuddin and to the Central Muslim Spiritual Board of Russia in particular for upholding and further enriching Islamic culture that abounds Bashkortostan and making it one of the largest cultural centers in the Russian Federation. My present visit coincides with a time when Muslims of the world have just celebrated their second holiest festival of Eid-ul-Adha (Kurban Bayram). Please allow me to convey to all the Muslims of Bashkortostan and across the Russian Federation, my heartiest greetings and felicitations. I would also like to congratulate the Muslims of Russia who have performed Hajj this year. Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen, Islam is the second largest religion in the Russian Federation and therefore enjoys a special status in the society. It is only befitting that the topic of today’s deliberation is on “Islam and the state of Russia”. Islam came to this part of the world that comprises present day Russia, centuries ago. Over this period, the Islamic culture flourished and enriched the lives of the people of this country irrespective of their faith, as President Putin has just alluded to in his speech. What is significant is that, despite many trying times and challenges the Muslims of this country passionately held on to their faith and culture for which they have earned the admiration of the whole world. It may please you to know that I came to Moscow early this month on a bilateral visit at the invitation of the Russian Government. A hallmark of my visit was the signing of the Cooperation Framework Agreement between the OIC General Secretariat and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on 1 October 2013. The signing of the Agreement marked a new era of cooperation between the OIC and Russia. The Cooperation Framework Agreement aims at institutionalizing the ongoing fruitful cooperation between the OIC and the Russian Federation in various fields including political, socio-economic and science/technology, and culture. At this point, I would like to underline three decades of common activities between IRCICA and academic institutions particularly in Bashkortostan and Tatarstan which have been remarkable success for cooperation between Russia and the Muslim world, highlighting rich and strong roots of Islam and the harmonious relations between Islam and Christianity. I commend the work carried out by IRCICA and call for further cooperation with the academic institutions in Russia. Meanwhile, the OIC-Russia agreement also allows for regular consultations between the OIC General Secretariat and the Russian Foreign Ministry. I would like to bring to your kind attention the remarks of President Putin at the 10th Islamic Summit in October 2003 held in Putrajaya/Malaysia that development of Russia’s relations with the OIC was and I quote : “not a gesture but a far sighted and strategic decision” unquote. This approach is vindicated by the signing of the bilateral Cooperation Framework Agreement. On the occasion of the signing of this agreement, it was a nice surprise that I was awarded with the “Russian Foreign Ministry’s Medal for the Contribution to the International Cooperation” by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. I believe that this kind gesture was not only an honor done to me as the Secretary General of OIC but that it was also a reiteration of the Russian Federation’s respect for Islam. Your Eminences, Ladies and Gentlemen, Islam stands out as a faith based on the principles of peace, tolerance, compassion, moderation and modernization. I am pleased to see that Muslims in Russia live in peace and harmony together with the citizens of other faiths. I am also impressed by the initiatives taken by the government to facilitate the Russian Muslims to get proper education on Islamic teachings in madrassas and access to other opportunities needed for their development and participation in society. The OIC is committed to interfaith and inter-religious harmony. It also has a well-established position against terrorism. At this point, I reiterate our strong condemnation of yesterday’s terrorist attack in Volvograd. We offer our sincere condolences to families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded. Here, I would like to underline the OIC’s clear position on disassociating the terrorist activities with Islam. Those who carry out terrorist activities do not have the right or authority to act and speak on behalf of Islam. Terrorist activities should not be associated with a specific religion. Distinguished Participants, I would like to conclude by saying that it is indeed a rare instance for any institution or organization to celebrate the 225th anniversary of its founding. The Central Muslim Spiritual Board of Russia and its President my dear old friend Grand Mufti Tadzhuddin must rightly feel proud for this exceptional achievement. It is my firm conviction that the Board will continue to work relentlessly in the preservation of the glorious Islamic heritage of Bashkortostan and the Muslim world in the days ahead. I thank you for your attention.
