May 26, 2014, in preparation for the V All-Russian Forum of Tatar religious figures “National identity and Islam” in Kazan a round table discussion on the concept of “Islam and the Tatar world” was held. It was attended by Chairman of the Volga Religious Board of Muslims Muqaddas Bibarsov, chairman of the Khanty- Mansiysk Autonomous District of RBM Takhir Samatov , Chief of Staff of the RBM Chuvash Republic Mansur Haibullov , chairman of the regional RBM of the Samara oblast Talib Yarullin , the first deputy chairman of the RBM Rustam Batra, head of the noble Quran and the Holy Sunnah Farid Salman , first deputy chairman of the Executive Committee of the WCT Rinat Valiullin and others.

Roundtable was conducted by Chairman of the Executive Committee of the WCT on work with religious organizations, rector of the Russian Islamic Institute Rafik Mukhametshin. As known, the concept of “Islam and the Tatar world “, developed jointly with the Religious Administration of Muslims of Tatarstan, the Russian Islamic Institute and the Board of the World Congress of Tatars was adopted at the IV All-Russian Forum of Tatar religious figures in May last year. Participants unanimously , demonstrating opinions of Muslim their regions have come to believe that the document requires more

effective measures for practical realization of its main provisions. They supported the idea of creating a permanent working body of the Forum, a kind of a consultative council. Leaders of centralized religious organizations (SMR, CRBM, RT RBM ) have already offered their representatives to this body. Roundtable participants noted that only a permanent job with specific sections of the concept gives positive results. In this regard , the roundtable participants discussed the need to establish the Academy of Islamic Studies, which would serve as the center of a unified theological opinions ( fatwas ) on topical issues of concern to Muslims in Russia: family and marriage relations , promoting patriotism and the formation of national identity , the scope of trade economic relations , etc. Participants in the round table discussions focused on issues of mixed nikakh and reading vagaz ( sermons ) in the Tatar language , providing a more convenient way to pay bank charges, etc. For these and other issues related to practical implementation of the concept , it will be reported to participants in the forthcoming June 14, 2014 V All-Russian Forum of Tatar religious figures.