Kazan hosted the Republican scientific conference “Gabdennasyr Kursavi: theological heritage and Tatar education” dedicated to the coming 240-th anniversary of Kursavi.
The conference was attended by the Deputy Minister of Culture of Tatarstan Guzel Nigmatullina, the deputy head of executive committee of Arsk region Ilnur Kutdusov, scientists Marcel Akhmetzyanov, Rafail Shaydullin, Aydar Habutdinov, Alfred Bustan Rashid Gallo, Ramil Adygamov, Said Damir Shagaviev, Reseda Safiullina, Niaz Sabirov Daniyar Gilmutdinov, first deputy mufti of Tatarstan Rustam Batra, imam of the mosque of the village hatyib srednyaya Korsa Vadut Vafin and many others.
During the forum the following theoretical and practical issues were debated: the place of Gabdennasyr Kursavi in Muslim theology; Kursavi’s contribution to Islamic reformism and Tatar social thought; Kursavi progressive ideas in the context of improvement of the Russia Muslim community; religious and educational activities of Kursavi in TranKazan . A separate item of discussion was the issue of popularizing creative heritage by Gabdennasyr Kursavi and preparing celebrations to mark the 240th anniversary of his birth in 2016.
The conference participants unanimously came to the conclusion that it is necessary to exert maximum efforts for the publication and promotion of religious-theological and social-philosophical works by Gabdennasyr Kursavi as one of the most important representatives of the Turkic-Muslim theological schools, having the value for the entire Muslim community. In this regard, the participants appealed to the leadership of the Republic of Tatarstan and personally to R.N. Minnikhanov and I. Sh. Khalikov with a request to provide financial support for organization of these important events for promoting the heritage by Gabdennasyr Kursavi:
- Under the support of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan to carry out reconstruction of the madrassa building in native village of Gabdennasyr Kursavi at Verkhny Korsa (Arsk region), where he taught;
- With the support of the administration of Arsk region, Kazan (Volga) Federal University, the Academy of Sciences of the
- Republic of Tatarstan, the Religious Board of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan to organize and hold in a village Verkhnyaya Korsa “Kursavi readings “;
- Establish an award named after Gabdennasyr Kursavi for scholars involved in the Tatar Muslim theological and social thought.
- Consult with a proposal to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tatarstan on naming G.Kursavi to Korsinsky school of the Arsk region.
The conference has been organized by the Institute of the Tatar Encyclopaedia and Regional Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan with the support of the charity fund “Yardem.”
Gabdennasyr Kursavi (full name – Abunnasyr Gabdennasyr ibn Ibrahim ibn Yarmuhammed Ishtiryak ibn al-Kursavi) – Tatar theologian, thinker and educator. Born in 1776 in a village of Korsa (the territory of modern Tatarstan Arsk region), the son of a merchant. He died in 1812. In a village of Verkhny Korsa a historic mosque has been preserved where the imam Kursavi himself served.
