Today Damir Muhetdinov, first deputy chairman of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation, received the delegation of university professors fr om the United Kingdom and Germany. The delegation was invited to Russia by the  Spiritual Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation.

The delegation was led by Timothy Jon Winter, also known as Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, head of the Cambridge Muslim college, expert in Islamic theology, one of 50 leading Islamic scholars. Among the delegates were also Leila Demiri (deputy director of the Islamic Theology Centre of the Tubingen University), Samer Rashvani (member of the Islamic Theology Centre of the Tubingen University), Dr Aser Hussein (Famous British preacher and scholar) and others.

A roundtable discussion called “Joint efforts for promoting Islamic education in Russia and Europe” was held in order to share experience with foreign Islamic organizations. The event was attended by professors and students of Islamic educational institutions, including Moscow Islamic university, academics, members of the SBMRF and RMC, as well as visitors of the Moscow Cathedral mosque.

The parties discussed important issues regarding both British and Russian Muslims, such as specific features of Islamic education in the UK, wearing hijab in secular schools and universities, development of multicultural attitude in European societies, teaching the basics of traditional religions in German schools and other problems.

The European scholars will meet the leader of Russian Muslims, mufti sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin. The guests will also take part in the Friday prayer in the Moscow cathedral mosque tomorrow.

During their visit to Russia the professors met the representatives of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. The guests visited the Hermitage museum, the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Saint Petersburg State University.

In Moscow the professors from British and German universities are going to speak in the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (on the topic of the “Humanistic potential of Islam as the main method of preventing religious extremism among the youth”), and are also planning to visit MSU Institute of Asian and African Studies and the Moscow Islamic university, wh ere they will be able to meet professors and students.