As part of the celebrations for the traditional Tatar holiday of Sabantuy in Kazan, Rais (Head) of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov met with Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders. One of the key topics discussed during the meeting was the development of Islamic education in Russia.

The meeting was also attended by Farkhat Khusnutdinov, Rector of the Bolgar Islamic Academy, and Kamil khazrat Samigullin, Mufti of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Rais Minnikhanov welcomed the esteemed guest and emphasized that Tatarstan places great importance on the advancement of a multi-level system of Islamic education, which includes madrasas, Islamic institutes, and the Bolgar Islamic Academy. He noted that thanks to the support of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, favorable conditions have been created for the development of Islamic institutions and the training of qualified specialists for the Muslim community.

The Rais expressed his hope for future cooperation with the Muslim Council of Elders in the fields of education and science.

In response, Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam thanked Rais Minnikhanov for the warm welcome and expressed his admiration for what he had witnessed in Kazan — especially the attention paid to preserving and promoting Islamic culture and education in the region.

Background:

The Muslim Council of Elders is an independent international organization that brings together leading Muslim scholars, experts, and public figures committed to strengthening peace, fostering interreligious and intercultural dialogue, and promoting the values of tolerance, justice, and peaceful coexistence.

The Council was established on July 19, 2014, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is chaired by Sheikh Professor Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University (Cairo, Egypt).