The V All-Russian Forum of Tatar religious figures “National identity and religion” will be held from June 12 to 14, 2014. Organizer of the Forum is the World Congress of Tatars. Forum has invited 900 people, representing the Republic of Tatarstan and 65 regions from the Russian Federation. Plenary meeting scheduled for June 13 in the building of the Tatar State Academic Theatre named after G. Kamal with participation of RT President R.N. Minnikhanov.

The Forum is traditionally concentrated on three breakout sessions:

– “Place and role of religious observance and preservation of national traditions in Tatar family” (NCC “Kazan”, second, 86);

– “Social Service in Islam” (assembly hall of the Academy of Sciences of Tatarstan, Bauman, 20);

– “The role and place of Islam in a secular society (Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication KFU, Tatarstan, 2).

The speakers at the plenary and breakout sessions will be well-known and respected members of the clergy, Tatar intellectuals, scientists, education and culture figures, representatives of the government.

Results of the breakout work will be announced at the plenary session of the Forum. It is planned that by the end of the Forum a joint resolution to be adopted, which display the position of delegates to their concerns.

On the last day of the Forum, June 14, delegates will participate in activities “Izge zhyeny Bulgarians” in a village Bulgar, Spassky Region of Tatarstan.

Background: In September 2010, Kazan hosted the first forum of Tatar religious figures, which had gathered more than 700 people from 40 regions of the Russian Federation. This large-scale event involving reputable imams, muftis, mukhtasibs and other leaders of the Islamic clergy was prepared and conducted by the efforts of the Executive Committee of the World Congress of Tatars and the Office for Religious Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan. Active

support in organizing the event was rendered by leaders of RT RBM, the Council of Muftis of Russia and the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia. The Forum was dictated by the changes taking place in a society: intensification of the religious factor in the life of Russian civil society, need to coordinate the activities of Tatar national and religious organizations, the need to consolidate the Tatar people before the upcoming All-Russian population census.

Participants of the forum of Tatar religious leaders shared the view on the need to unite the efforts to preserve and multiply traditional religious and cultural values, which are an important factor for sustainable development of the Tatar people, strengthen cohesion of the nation.

The second forum, held June 15-18, 2011, focused on interaction between Muslim Tatar public organizations, and the dissemination of traditional Islam as the main factor to counter radical religious movements. The forum was attended by 843 participants from 55 regions of the Russian Federation. The second forum was organized by the Ex. com. of the World Congress of Tatars supported by the Office of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan on Cooperation with Religious Associations. A great response on the forum was made by President R.N. Minnikhanov, who addressed the delegates.

Participants of the forum confirmed that the Tatar society and its further spiritual development is important to preserve the relationship between national and religious traditions that had been developed by many generations. One of the important issues raised in the forum, was a call to religious leaders for a return to the traditional role of the mosque as a center of education of the Tatar people.

The forum stressed the need to strengthen the role of the modern means of communication (TV, radio, newspapers, Internet) to disseminate objective information about Islam. In addition, the initiative was strongly supported by the Republic of Tatarstan leadership to open a new channel “TNV-Planet.” It was stressed the need to organize a new TV channel in a network of regular educational programs about Islam.

The forum participants supported the proposal to strengthen the role of the Russian Islamic Institute (Kazan), as the center of the dissemination of knowledge about traditional Islam, as well as promoting the opening of its branch in the regions densely populated by Muslim population.

The role of the Forum of Tatar religious figures is growing year by year. So, at the III Forum, which took place from June 8 to 10, 2012, it was attended by 945 people from 55 regions of the Russian Federation.

905 of them – men 40 – women. First time, the forum was attended by religious leaders from the Amur, Bryansk, Kaliningrad regions.

The IV Forum was held from May 23 to 25 May, 2013, which was attended by 685 delegates from 65 regions of the Russian Federation, including the Republic of Tatarstan