Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, chairman of the RMC, held a meeting with the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaymeen at the Moscow Cathedral Mosque.

Ramazan Abdulatipov, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OIC, Rushan Abbyasov, First Deputy Chairman of the RMC, Damir Gizatullin, First Deputy Chairman of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation, First Deputy Chairman of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation Damir Mukhetdinov, members of the OIC delegation, staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, RMC and RBMRF.

Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin welcomed the guests and noted that the place for conducting the meetings was chosen for a good reason. "The Moscow Cathedral Mosque is over 115 years old, but it got a new lease of life after its reconstruction. On September 23, 2015, the mosque opened its doors in the presence of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the Turkish President Recep Erdogan.”

"The Russian Ummah is unhappy about all that tension, conflicts and wars in the Islamic world. We hope that the opposing sides can resolve conflicts peacefully with the help of the international community. Russia is a unique country where people with different ethnic and religious background coexist peacefully”, addedMufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin.

Mr. Al-Othaimeen noted that "the geographical position of Russia, its proximity to the Islamic world and the large Muslim population are the factors that facilitate cooperation between Russia and Muslim countries."

During the meeting, the Chairman of the RMC and mentioned the history of relations between the organizations, including those with the former Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) E. Ihsanoglu.

Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin spoke about the projects and programs of the RMC held in cooperation with with a number of government agencies and Islamic organizations of OIC member countries, such as the Qur’an Reciting competitions, the international forum “Public dialogue: Russia-Arab World ”, the conference“ Spiritual Silk Road ”, the International photo exhibition“ Islamic Traditions in Russia ”.

In turn, Mr. Othaimeen noted that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation was the second largest international political organization after the UN. He emphasized that due to coordination and meetings at the highest levels within the framework of the OIC, it can be considered as one of the most powerful organizations in the international arena.

The parties stressed that they shared similar views on all important aspects of the international agenda, such as rejection of all forms of terror and violence. They agreed that it was inappropriate to accuse Islam because of the actions of some people, just like Christianity and Judaism should not be associated with violence and terror because of the actions of some followers of these religions.

The meeting also included a discussion of the importance and possibilities of cooperation related to the protection of the rights of believers and freedom of conscience. Mr. Al Othaimeen said, “a Muslim, whether he is a citizen or a migrant, must respect and abide by the laws of the country of residence, and respect and understanding the traditions and culture of the society”.

At the end of the meeting, the parties exchanged souvenirs and agreed on further fruitful cooperation.