R. Minnikhanov: For 20 years, RII has become the leader of Islamic education in Russia

December 06, 2018

The Russian Islamic Institute (RII) is leading among Islamic institutions  in the country. The university was able to complete the tasks assigned to it during creation. This opinion has been  voiced by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov at the anniversary events on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the RIU.

He marked  that the school had been  created to prepare highly qualified specialists in the field of Islamic theology, history and culture.

“Today we can say with confidence that the institute as a whole has coped with this task, has successfully passed the stage of formation and has become one of the leading domestic Muslim educational institutions,” said Rustam Minnikhanov.

He added that the Muslim world is experiencing difficult times today. We are talking about the regions covered by chaos because of the actions by extremists, hiding behind Islam. At the same time, Islamophobic sentiments are growing in Western countries, the head of the republic noted.

“To successfully counter these challenges, first of all, we need to develop science and culture, as well as our own theological school,” explained the President of the Republic of Tatarstan.

In conclusion, he awarded the Order for Merit for the Republic of Tatarstan  to the RIU Rector, Rafik Mukhametshin. At the same time, Minnikhanov emphasized that successful work in the religious sphere is impossible without coordination with the federal center. He gave the floor to Yevgeny Eremin, head of the Department for Relations with Religious Organizations of the Office of Internal Policy of the Presidential Administration. The federal guest highly appreciated the efforts of Tatarstan to revive and develop the system of Islamic education.