At Bolgar Islamic academy, the training program “challenges of modernity and Islamic spiritual and moral values” for employees of religious organizations in Russia was completed. The program was attended by staff of the academy, the center for Islamic studies of the academy of sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan, and practitioners. The program was implemented with the assistance of the foundation for the support of Islamic culture, science and education.

Among the listeners were heads and deputy heads of Muslim spiritual administrations, imams of mosques in 14 regions of Russia. in the last days of the training, the participants of the advanced training program were met by Ildar khazrat Bayazitov, chairman of the council of the nationwide charitable foundation “Yardam-Pomoshch”, and were given lectures by Natalia Rekhtina, senior lecturer at the department of psychology, pedagogy and legal studies of the Novosibirsk state university of economics and management, and saif al-asri and vladislav sherstoboev, teachers of the academy. The successful experience of the autonomous non-profit organization “center for social rehabilitation and adaptation” was also presented.

At the end of the training, Rustem Gilmutdinov, vice-rector for educational activities of the academy, presented the participants with certificates of advanced training. He emphasized that the topic of the program will always be relevant.

“These challenges do not go away with the passage of time, but only become more acute. No matter how often and much we speak from minbars and tribunes about the beauty of true Islam, if we do not show it by example, there will be no result. In fact, the Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) tell us to pay attention to ourselves first of all,” the vice-rector addressed the imams.

According to Rustem Gilmutdinov, today the Muslim community is urged from all sides to integrate into the surrounding society. Muslims take this call too literally and do not integrate, but literally dissolve, which makes it hard to distinguish a Muslim from another person.

“What can we as Muslims give to the world technologically, educationally, economically? We are being forced to go deeper into ourselves in search of an answer to this question. But does the world need me to bring new things to it when it is on the brink? All over the internet we see reports of clashes, wars, the deaths of children, women and the elderly. Here we can show the world what Islam really is,” the vice-rector for educational activities admonished the trainees.

Islyam Hazrat Davydov, chairman of the regional spiritual board of Muslims of Penza region, part of the central spiritual board of Muslims of Russia, made a reply on behalf of the participants. He recalled Izge Bolgar zhyena in the distant 2002, when the mosque and the academy were still only a dream.

“And today we have the opportunity to receive knowledge in an amazing institution – the Bolgar Islamic academy. Nearby stands the white mosque. We are proud of all this,” Khazrat noted, also thanking the leadership of the Republic of Tatarstan and the academy for their contribution to the development of Islamic education.

The closing ceremony of the advanced training program “Challenges of Modernity and Islamic Spiritual and Moral Values” ended with a memorial photo.