On December 2-9, 2019, a delegation of the Spiritual Assembly of Muslims of Russia, headed by Mufti Albir Hazrat Krganov, was on a working visit to the United States. During meetings with representatives of faiths, public organizations and academia, issues of preventing pseudo-religious extremism, combating international terrorism, strengthening inter-religious dialogue and implementing socially significant projects aimed at working with youth and migrants were discussed.
On December 6, in Washington, the SАMR delegation visited the ADAMS Islamic Center and the International Interfaith Peace Corps, where a meeting was held with the head of these organizations, Sheikh Muhammad Majid. Following the meeting, a cooperation agreement was signed. This document is another important step in building a fruitful interaction with fellow believers living abroad.
During his speech on Friday prayers, the Mufti of Moscow, the head of the SAMR, a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, Albir Hazrat Krganov, greeted the parishioners on behalf of Muslims of Russia and said that “Islam is strong with its gentleness and meekness, and excessiveness, rigidity and extremeness can destroy our faith from within, which helps the enemies of Islam to demonize its image. We adhere to and urge others to follow the path of moderation, mutual understanding, cooperation, mutual respect and solidarity. ”
Also these days, at the invitation of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the United States Anatoly Antonov and TASS First Deputy General Director Mikhail Gusman, the delegation took part in the presentation of a documentary film dedicated to Anatoly Fedorovich Dobrynin (1919-2010) - the legendary domestic diplomat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR in the USA.
During a trip to Washington, a meeting was held with a well-known public and religious figure, the Anglican Church priest Mark Farr, and the president of the Institute for Sustainable Dialogue. The parties discussed issues of bilateral cooperation.
On December 7, at the invitation of Muhammad Bashir Arafat, a study visit to the “Fund for Civilizational Exchange and Cooperation” took place. According to various estimates, about 10 million Muslims live in the United States, 2106 mosques, educational institutions are functioning, a halal infrastructure is developing, there are many women with their heads covered in the streets, shops and airports.
One of the leading Islamic educational institutions is Zaytuna College, a private Muslim higher education institution located in Berkeley, California. The college was founded in 2009 by the famous influential Islamic theologians of North America - Hamza Yusuf Hanson, Zayed Shakir and Hatem Bazian. Zaituna arose on the basis of the institute of the same name, which existed in the city of Highward since 1996, and became the country's first accredited training center in the field of Muslim sciences. Zaituna enjoys a reputation as one of the advanced educational institutions specializing simultaneously in Arabic, Islamic jurisprudence, philosophy, American literature, astronomy, rhetoric, constitutional law, Quranic sciences, economics, political science, religious comparative studies, anthropology, formal and material logic, ethics , writing and history. Summer intensive Arabic courses, organized by the college since 2008, are also very popular. Graduates receive a bachelor of arts degree in Islamic law and theology.
American Muslims are interested in the experience of state-confessional relations built in Russia, the model of Islamic education, the issues of preventing pseudo-religious extremism and the fight against international terrorism. For the Russian delegation, the format of the activities of Muslim organizations in the United States is also important. The solidarity of the positions of religious organizations in the modern world will certainly have a positive impact in the life of believers.
