The 11th All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference “Shigabuddin Mardjani Readings,” dedicated to the development of civic consciousness and patriotism in Tatar theological thought, took place in Kazan. This year, the readings are timed to coincide with the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia. Participants in the forum included Muslim spiritual leaders, orientalists, historians, Islamic scholars, theologians, and ethnologists.

Vasil Shaykhraziev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan and Chairman of the National Council of the World Congress of the Tatars, took part in the conference’s plenary session. He announced that on May 8, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to hold events in 2036 marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of Gabdulla Tukay.

Speaking about the patriotism of the Tatar people, Vasil Shaykhraziev quoted Tukay’s lines: “Like lions, we are brave in the alarms of war. Like horses, we labor in peaceful days.” He also recalled the poet’s words: “We have long become akin to the Russian people. In all trials, we stand together.”

Vasil Shaykhraziev noted the role of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation and Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin as among the most authoritative representatives of the Russian ummah and thanked the organizers for holding the Mardjani Readings in Kazan on an ongoing basis.

Source: IA Tatar-inform