On a blessed Friday afternoon in the walls of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, the Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation, Chief Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin, and Dr. Yusuf Al-Obeidli, General Director of the Sheikh Zayed Cathedral Mosque Center, in a solemn atmosphere opened the exhibition “Minarets of the Two Capitals”.

The ceremony was attended by Almaz Faizullin, Deputy Head of the Department for Cooperation with Religious Organizations of the Internal Policy Directorate of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, Konstantin Blazhenov, Deputy Head of the Department for National Policy and Interregional Relations of Moscow, Head of the Department for Relations with Religious Organizations, Muhammad Ahmed Al-Jaber, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the UAE to the Russian Federation, Mufti Rushan Abbyasov and Ildar Nurimanov, Deputy Chairmen of the DUM of the Russian Federation, and a Russian actor, Tehran Tehran.

In his speech, the spiritual leader of the Muslims of Russia noted that the long-standing cooperation between our countries once again confirms the consistent policy of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to uphold the ideas of a multipolar world and the development of multi-vector interaction with the Muslim East, which is a reliable strategic partner of our country.

“Today we are witnessing a special event - the opening of the International photo exhibition dedicated to the Sheikh Zayd Cathedral Mosque, a pearl of Islamic architecture and a symbol of spiritual unity of Muslims around the world. This mosque, conceived by the great founder of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed ibn Sultan Al Nahyan, and completed by his grateful descendants, embodies the high ideals of Islamic civilization: beauty, progress, wisdom, openness and striving for peace,” said the Head of the Duma of the Russian Federation.

For his part, Dr. Yusuf Al-Obeidli in his address to the participants stressed:
“It is a great joy and honor for us to hold such a significant event within the walls of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque. Visitors to the mosque will be able to see with their own eyes the beauty and splendor of the Sheikh Zayed Cathedral Mosque, as well as familiarize themselves with the values that are popularized by the leadership of our country. This event, which is a bridge between our countries, is of special importance”.

He added that this joint event is implemented within the framework of strategic cooperation, and the Moscow Cathedral Mosque is known in the Islamic world as one of the important spiritual centers.

In his speech Almaz Faizullin said that the United Arab Emirates is a dynamically developing state, based on spiritual values, demonstrating the image of a bright, open Muslim country, which calls for peace and good neighborliness. Almaz Ravilovich noted that the opening of the exhibition takes place against the backdrop of expanding fruitful relations between Russia and the UAE.

“Russia is a country with a rich culture that has a long history, including Muslim history. Moderation, traditional family values, enlightenment, theological thought - all this is characteristic of Islam in our state. Today Muslims are worthy citizens of their country, who honorably give their duty on the fields of military service” - Almaz Faizullin emphasized.

Concluding his speech, he called the exhibition a significant event in the series of cultural and educational projects of the DUM of the Russian Federation, such as the Moscow International Quran Recitation Contest, which is widely recognized around the world.

In turn, Konstantin Blazhenov noted that the beauty of Moscow is due to the efforts of all its residents - people of different cultures, religions and nationalities, and the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation makes a great contribution to this path. He added that thousands of residents and guests of the capital come to the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, which allows them to get to know each other and their neighbors better and create the atmosphere of inter-religious and inter-ethnic harmony that Moscow has always been known for. He also noted the importance of the exhibition, which is an example of people's diplomacy, and thanked Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin and Dr. Yusuf Al-Obeidli for organizing the event.

Yevgeny Knyazev concluded the series of speeches. He noted that the entire Muslim world is proud of the Sheikh Zayd Mosque, and he was very pleased to get acquainted with the exhibition dedicated to such a majestic mosque. He emphasized the beauty of Moscow Sobornaya Mosque, which is the center of spiritual enlightenment and said that Russia is a multinational country with a large number of temples of traditional religions, which are sources of spirituality and culture.

In continuation of the ceremony, Dr. Yusuf Al-Obeidli personally introduced the participants to the exhibits of the exhibition, after which a historically significant event took place - the exchange of models of the main Muslim temples of Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

The past event confirmed that both mosques fulfill not only a spiritual function, but are also platforms where scientific, charitable, educational and scholarly research is realized.