Minister of Awqaf (Religious Endowments) Osama Al-Azhari praised the Russian Federation’s official attention to its Muslim population and institutions, stressing the broad prospects for co-operation between Egypt and Russia in religious training and scholarly publications.
Speaking during a meeting with Moscow Mufti Ildar Alauddinov on the sidelines of the 11th International Conference of the Egyptian Dar al-Ifta in Cairo, Al-Azhari expressed appreciation for the Russian state’s high-level care for Muslims and its efforts to establish mosques and scientific centres, including the Moscow Mosque and the Bulgarian Academy.
The conference is held under the theme “Family Challenges in Light of Major Transformations: A Fatwa Approach to Protecting the Family, Envisioning its Future, and Preserving Identity”.
The minister further affirmed the ministry’s full readiness to send lecturers to Moscow to meet religious needs, promote enlightened religious thought and contribute to efforts to combat extremism.
He also welcomed Russian students to Egypt to develop their intellectual abilities and religious and scholarly capabilities.
Al-Azhari noted that a new Russian translation of his book “Al-Haqq Al-Mubin” (The Clear Truth) is nearing publication following its completion in Russia.
He also highlighted the Russian translation of “Al-Shama’il Al-Muhammadiyya” (The Prophetic Characteristics), one of 20 books presented to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during this year’s Mawlid Al-Nabawi celebration.
He stressed the wide scope for co-operation in scholarly publications and their translation into Russian.
For his part, Alauddinov conveyed the greetings of Sheikh Rawi Ainuddin, Chairman of the Religious Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation and Grand Mufti of Russia, and expressed interest in intensifying co-operation in training and scholarly publications.
He also invited Al-Azhari to attend an upcoming international conference.
The Moscow Mufti said Egypt, through Al-Azhar, represents a key reference for enlightened religious thought, understanding contemporary realities and taking people’s circumstances into account.
He stressed that Russia relies on Al-Azhar’s approach in confronting extremism and terrorism, which threaten national stability and future generations.
