An international symposium "Religious life and issues of importance of the Turkic world: An experience of higher religious education in Eurasia" has opened in the city of Eskişehir, Turkey. The event is organized by the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı) of Turkey, UNESCO office and provincial authorities of Eskişehir city. It is attended by representative delegations from Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Greece, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and other countries.

Russian delegation included mufti of Tatarstan Kamil Samigullin as well as principals of Islamic educational institutions from Kazan, Moscow and Nalchik. The attention to the speakers from Russia and CIS countries from the host party may be judged by the fact that the discussion of their affairs began on the first day of symposium, right after the plenary session.

During his speech, head of Moscow Islamic University Damir Hayretdinov thanked the organizers for the invitation, conveyed the greeting words and kind wishes of the Chairman of Russia Muftis Council mufti sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, and expressed his satisfaction with the continued acquaintanceship with professors Dr Benjamin Erul (dean of the divinity department of Ankara University), Dr Mehmet Paçaci (director of the international relations department of the Turkish Ministry of Education) and Dr İrfan Aycan (director of religious education department of the Turkish Ministry of Education), that began last November in Moscow, at 5th International Educational Conference "International Dimension of Islamic Education in Russia. Theory and practice of Islamic education in Russia and abroad".

Damir Hayretdinov told of the life of Muslim minorities in Russian cities outside national republics. Such cities and their Muslim communities are the main source of students for Moscow Islamic University. The educational process is therefore carried out in Russian language rather than languages of Russian national republics, it includes a wide course of world religions and the culture of Russia as well as studies of experience of Muslims in different countries and regions of the world. Of course, it should not come at the price of religious studies proper. That is why MIU hosts centres of Qur'anic hifz (memorization) and hadith studies, and department of Islamic theology led by Russia's only Doctor of Theology, Mr Muhammadbasyr Gasanov. Students show good skills in shariah disciplines, although they still have a lot to learn, since an imam in most Russian cities is the face of the Muslim community, who carries out religious, administrative and representative functions for the Ummah, society as a whole, authorities and religious leaders of other faiths.

RMC press service based on materials of SAMER