Damir Mukhetdinov: ‘Decision on joining the Council of Muftis doesn’t depend on mufti of Tatarstan…’

Turkish gambit

Hazrat Damir, in recent times the relationships between Russia and Turkey noticeably have worsened. Moreover, many spiritual administrations collaborated with the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Turkey (Diyanet) and with its head Mehmet Görmez. Will the Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Russia to collaborate with the Turkey party further on?

Undoubtedly, there are some worries. In the past, there were wars between Russia and Turkey, the Ottoman Empire, but the relationships between peoples never ceased. The relationships could stop for some time, alienate, go into hiding, have another character, but fraternal relationships that have been building for thousands of years were based on religion and consanguinity. Moreover, Russians liked Turkey in recent years as a place for business, holiday and education. This is why despite cold relationships between Russia and the authority of the Turkish Republic, people's diplomacy, especially Muslim scholars, on the contrary, should continue their work. They should search for new sites for collaboration and work to make our peoples and governments get closer. For this reason, I don't see any tragedy in this situation.

Spiritual directorates collaborated with the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Turkey (Diyanet) especially with its head Mehmet Görmez. Mufti Ravil Gainutdin and professor Mehmet Görmez in the photo (dumrf.ru)

If we are speaking about those organizations that follow radical extremist views or when we are informed that some militants are offered rehabilitation, treatment and financial support on the territory of Turkey, it cannot help but afraid Russian Muslims and our country. If not, it might backfire. So, all palette of relationships in this issue is to be taken into account carefully without cutting our relationships in future.

Fate of the Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Tatarstan and Tadzhuddin's new unexpected statement

The Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Tatarstan was a part of the Russian Council of Muftis in the past. Does the Council have any intentions to return the Directorate and take it under its wing?

In 1996, when the Russian Council of Muftis was created, the initiative came from regions – Bashkortostan (Nurmukhamet Nigmatullin), Tatarstan (Gusman Iskhakov), the Asian part of Russia (Nafigulla Ashirov), Ravil Gainutdin and others. They offered to create a body that would coordinate their work, defend their rights in the face of governmental bodies and favour the admission of Russian Muslim as a region abroad.

During many years, we saw different reactions of functionaries: attempts to create parallel organizations against the Muslim Spiritual Directorate and the Russian Council of Muftis. There were attempts to exclude some spiritual structures from our composition. But time shows that these plans and tendencies were not successful. Many people who headed these plans and projects don't work in the system of the Presidential administration, the government of the Russian Federation and other bodies. Many imams, who took short-sighted steps and made unreasonable decisions declaring the secession or creating parallel organizations, were sorry. What is more, some religious communities expressed their willingness to return to the composition of the Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Russia and the Russian Council of Muftis. Indubitably, we responded. There are such processes.

What management did they want?

For instance, the United Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Penza Oblast. In Yekaterinburg, it is at the stage of preparation. I won't enumerate other bodies now.

'We said neither 'against' nor 'for'. We said that it was necessary to follow legal procedures that would confirm Tadzhuddin's words or disprove them.' Photo: Maksim Platonov

What about the Muftiate of Tatarstan?

The decisions probably don't depend on the mufti of Tatarstan Hazrat Kamil Samigullin in full measure. There is maybe a position of the republican power because the era, when the Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Tatarstan was a part of the Russian Council of Muftis, the period was associated with the first President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev. A new head of the region and the succession just coincided. Despite all these facts, we have very constructive relationships with the Muslim Spiritual Directorate after all moments that took place. Nowadays they are more constructive. We organize events, participate together at forums, conferences in Moscow and Kazan. The plotted vector is in the air that is discussed by ordinary imams and Muslims means that Muslims are to be united, be together and headed by one spiritual leader.

Recently Talgat Tadzhuddin stated that the Central Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Russia was going to join the Russian Council of Muftis. We answered that this process was to be executed properly on paper. The reason is that there is a congress of the organization that is to make the corresponding decision. We said neither 'against' nor 'for'. We said that it was necessary to follow legal procedures that would confirm Tadzhuddin's words or disprove them.

In general, there is a feeling of unity among the spirituality and secular society in the country. And we are moving towards this direction.

'In Near East, Iran doesn't fight with the Sunnis, and the Sunnis don't fight with the Shias'

The other day there was a historical dialogue between Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and Bishop of Rome. Is a dialogue of this kind possible between the Sunnis and the Shias?

Dialogue between the Sunnis and the Shias has never ceased. If somebody managed to change something in some regions only last year, it doesn't mean that there is no dialogue between them on a global or regional scale. For instance, Al-Mustafa International University, which is situated in Qom (Iran) is a traditional co-organizer of the events in Moscow or other cities. It represents Shias. First persons, Ayatollahs participate in conferences.

'Al-Mustafa International University, which is situated in Qom (Iran) is a traditional co-organizer of the events in Moscow or other cities. It represents Shia.' Photo: islamreview.ru

Russia could serve as god example. In Near East, Iran doesn't fight with the Sunnis, and the Sunnis don't fight with the Shias. We are speaking about a political influence in the region. But the challenge of this political influence was not built for 10-20 years but for thousands of years. These tendencies had existed before the Prophet. It is a historical competition of the Turkish world, which could be represented by the Ottoman Empire and its successor Turkey, the Persian world and the Arab world. This is why we can see how the Sunnis get on well with each other. It is our common problem that our all religious scholars should understand. If there is not any development, plea for peace and dialogue, the whole world will be awash with blood and turned into a war lodgment.