Penza, 28 May 2012. PenzaNews. The Religious Forum entitled “Traditions of Islam in the Russian Federation and the Penza region” took place in Zasechny village of the Penza region last Sunday, 27 May. As mufti of the Single Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of the region Abdurrauf Zabirov told news agency PenzaNews, a meeting of this kind was held in the village for the first time with no such events aimed at summarizing traditional Islamic practices taking place at the federal and regional levels in the past.

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The meeting was attended by mufti of the Single Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of the region
Abdurrauf Zabirov, chief specialist and expert of the Department for domestic policy and relations with religious associations of the Government of the Penza region Oksana Melnikova, as well as representatives of the administrations of the Penza region and Zasechny village, federal law enforcement agencies and religious communities. In addition, a delegation from Saransk headed by mufti of the Central Spiritual Directorate of Mordovia and member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation Fagim Shafiev visited the region where it was welcomed as honorable guests.

“The aim of our interaction is to summarize the experience of traditional Islam and discuss the issues of social services provided by religious organizations, spiritual and moral instruction of youth as well as relationships between state institutions and religious associations. A tree without roots cannot but wither: we need to understand that we have good traditions which we have to preserve and amplify by teaching our fellow citizens how to build peace in our common home,” Abdurrauf Zabirov noted.

He said that the first priority faced by many confessions including the Russian Muslim ummah is to prevent disagreements within the community.

“We know about the events happening in the Middle East and the artificial conflicts including those in the Caucasus region — in Ossetia and Chechnya. We must protect our communities from the damaging influence of destructive sects, from various political circles aiming to destroy the unity of peoples of the multinational Russian land for we are all children of the common motherland,” mufti of the Single Spiritual Directorate of the Penza region said.

Chief specialist and expert of the Department for domestic policy and relations with religious associations of the Government of the Penza region Oksana Melnikova confirmed the historical significance of the forum in Zasechny.

“The traditions of Islam are based on eternal values. You won’t find a single abandoned elderly person or child, there are very few drug addicts in their environment, and much is done to prevent alcoholism,” Oksana Melnikova noted.

As Fagim Shafiev noted, the authorities should support the benevolent initiatives of both Orthodox Christian and Muslim clergy.

“It is unacceptable to attach the labels of extremism and terrorism to Islam. Yes, there are people who hide behind Islamic values while calling for their own political visions but we need to prevent our society from being drawn to the non-traditional strands [of Islam],” Fagim Shafiev said, also noting the socially beneficial public activities of Imam-Muhasib of the Penza region Anvar Yafarov.

At the close of the Forum an official ceremony to award certificates of honor to people who had made significant contributions to the development of Islam in the Penza region as well as to give valuable presents to young graduates of the rural maktab was held.