MOSCOW, September 21. /TASS/. Russia keeps a balance in relations with the Muslim countries despite the West's attempts to incite inter-religious enmity and Islamophobia, Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin, the head of the Spiritual Board of Russia’s Muslims (DUM) has said.
"Contrary to the attempts to fuel Islamophobia, instigate ‘twitter revolutions’ and stoke the fire of enmity by the countries of the collective West Russia in its domestic and foreign policy seeks to maintain a proper balance in its relations with the 2.5 billion Muslim Ummah," Gainutdin said in a report on the final day of the 8th Congress of the Russian Muslim’s Board.
He added that Russia was originally formed in the bosom of three monotheistic religions and for more than 1,000 years has continued and consolidated the tradition of communion, good-neighborliness and brotherhood of religions. Russia's close ties with the East and with the Islamic world are natural and logical, for they stem from Russia's history itself, and rely on a significant indigenous Muslim population.
"Today's Russia, the only one of the great world powers, enjoys the status of an observer at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. This powerful basis of friendship between Russia and the Muslim world, unparalleled in the West and in the East, makes it possible to actively develop our relations in the future," he explained.
Gainutdin recalled that it had become a tradition to sign memorandums of understanding and cooperation agreements on the sidelines of the International Muslim Forum between the Russian Muslim Board and the leading government bodies for Islamic affairs in foreign countries.