WEBVTT 1 00:00:07.999 --> 00:00:26.867 Mr Erdogan, Mr Abbas, members of the clergy, foreign guests, friends, 2 00:00:26.867 --> 00:00:32.650 Let me congratulate you from all my heart on the opening of Moscow’s 3 00:00:32.650 --> 00:00:38.685 rebuilt Cathedral Mosque. This is a big event for all Muslims in Russia. 4 00:00:38.685 --> 00:00:44.468 One of Moscow’s oldest mosques stood on this historical site and has 5 00:00:44.468 --> 00:00:49.916 undergone reconstruction that now makes it the biggest in Europe. 6 00:00:49.916 --> 00:00:57.588 It was given a magnificent modern new look worthy of the capital of our 7 00:00:57.588 --> 00:01:06.168 united, multi-ethnic and multi-confessional country. 8 00:01:06.168 --> 00:01:12.036 This new mosque is worthy of Russia, in which, I want to stress, Islam, 9 00:01:12.036 --> 00:01:17.490 under our country’s law, is one of Russia’s traditional religions, 10 00:01:17.490 --> 00:01:23.275 with millions of our citizens counting themselves among its followers. 11 00:01:23.275 --> 00:01:29.368 I want to thank everyone who took part in the work on this magnificent 12 00:01:29.368 --> 00:01:34.258 building and all of the Muslims in Russia and abroad who 13 00:01:34.258 --> 00:01:36.232 donated to this effort. 14 00:01:36.232 --> 00:01:42.238 We are grateful to the governments of Turkey and Kazakhstan for their 15 00:01:42.238 --> 00:01:46.100 contributions to the mosque’s reconstruction. 16 00:01:46.100 --> 00:01:51.505 I am sure that the mosque will become a major spiritual centre 17 00:01:51.505 --> 00:01:55.281 for Muslims in Moscow and throughout Russia, 18 00:01:55.281 --> 00:02:00.772 providing education and spreading humanistic ideas and the true 19 00:02:00.772 --> 00:02:03.346 and authentic values of Islam. 20 00:02:03.346 --> 00:02:08.924 It will spread knowledge and spirituality and will help to unite 21 00:02:08.924 --> 00:02:13.557 the efforts of Muslims and people of other faiths too 22 00:02:13.557 --> 00:02:21.977 in common worthy causes. 23 00:02:21.977 --> 00:02:28.965 The Koran tells us to try to outdo each other in doing good. 24 00:02:28.965 --> 00:02:34.240 Right from its creation, Russia has always been a multi-ethnic 25 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:36.836 and multi-confessional country. 26 00:02:36.836 --> 00:02:40.604 This mutual enrichment of different cultures, 27 00:02:40.604 --> 00:02:45.209 traditions and religions has always been our country’s 28 00:02:45.209 --> 00:02:48.223 distinguishing feature and strength. 29 00:02:48.223 --> 00:02:51.489 Moscow’s Muslim community, for example, 30 00:02:51.489 --> 00:02:54.168 emerged back in mediaeval times, 31 00:02:54.168 --> 00:02:58.271 and this is reflected in the Tatar roots of many 32 00:02:58.271 --> 00:03:00.783 of the capital’s street names. 33 00:03:00.783 --> 00:03:05.472 The traditions of enlightened Islam developed over many 34 00:03:05.472 --> 00:03:11.501 centuries in Russia. The fact that different peoples and religions live 35 00:03:11.501 --> 00:03:17.194 peacefully together in Russia is in large part thanks to the Muslim 36 00:03:17.194 --> 00:03:23.056 community, which has made a worthy contribution to preserving harmony 37 00:03:23.056 --> 00:03:28.414 in our society and has always strived to build relations within 38 00:03:28.414 --> 00:03:33.857 and between religions based on tolerance for each other’s faiths. 39 00:03:33.857 --> 00:03:40.206 Today, traditional Islam is an integral part of Russia’s spiritual 40 00:03:40.206 --> 00:03:47.029 life. Islam’s humanist values, like the values of our other traditional 41 00:03:47.029 --> 00:03:50.346 religions, teach people compassion, 42 00:03:50.346 --> 00:03:53.758 justice and care for our loved ones. 43 00:03:53.758 --> 00:03:57.264 We place great value on these things. 44 00:03:57.264 --> 00:04:03.424 The number of mosques and Islamic cultural centres has increased 45 00:04:03.424 --> 00:04:07.309 greatly in Russia over the last 20 years. 46 00:04:07.309 --> 00:04:12.711 Amazingly beautiful mosques have been built in Tatarstan, 47 00:04:12.711 --> 00:04:17.449 Bashkortostan, Chechnya and other Russian regions. 48 00:04:17.449 --> 00:04:22.335 In 2003, our country became a permanent observer in the Organisation 49 00:04:22.335 --> 00:04:26.228 of the Islamic Conference. 50 00:04:26.228 --> 00:04:30.139 Thousands of pilgrims from Russia make the hajj, 51 00:04:30.139 --> 00:04:34.947 and the number of madrasas and schools attached to mosques 52 00:04:34.947 --> 00:04:37.147 has also increased greatly. 53 00:04:37.147 --> 00:04:42.850 It is important to educate Muslim youth in traditional Islamic values 54 00:04:42.850 --> 00:04:48.310 and prevent attempts to impose on us world outlooks that are alien 55 00:04:48.310 --> 00:04:52.221 to us and have nothing to do with genuine Islam. 56 00:04:52.221 --> 00:04:57.762 Let me say that the authorities will continue to assist in reviving 57 00:04:57.762 --> 00:05:03.547 Russia’s system of Islamic theological schools and religious education. 58 00:05:03.547 --> 00:05:09.169 As you know, I supported the Tatarstan authorities and the principal 59 00:05:09.169 --> 00:05:15.036 Muslim spiritual bodies on the issue of establishing the Bulgar Islamic 60 00:05:15.036 --> 00:05:19.762 Academy, thus reviving this ancient Russian Muslim centre 61 00:05:19.762 --> 00:05:21.799 of religion and learning. 62 00:05:21.799 --> 00:05:27.422 Of course, we must continue expanding the network of Muslim cultural 63 00:05:27.422 --> 00:05:29.377 and educational centres. 64 00:05:29.377 --> 00:05:35.000 Their aim is to bring Muslims together, impart to them the spiritual, 65 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:40.215 cultural and moral code inherent to traditional Islam in Russia, 66 00:05:40.215 --> 00:05:45.592 help to resolve common problems, and take part in youth education. 67 00:05:45.592 --> 00:05:51.378 I note the big role that Muslims and above all their spiritual leaders 68 00:05:51.378 --> 00:05:56.022 play in strengthening interethnic and interfaith harmony. 69 00:05:56.022 --> 00:06:01.237 Their rejection and condemnation of all forms of fundamentalism 70 00:06:01.237 --> 00:06:06.697 and radicalism have made a major contribution to the fight against 71 00:06:06.697 --> 00:06:09.630 nationalism and religious extremism. 72 00:06:09.630 --> 00:06:13.704 Work in this area is all the more important today, 73 00:06:13.704 --> 00:06:17.941 when we see attempts to cynically exploit religious 74 00:06:17.941 --> 00:06:20.223 feelings for political aims. 75 00:06:20.223 --> 00:06:23.808 We see what is happening in the Middle East 76 00:06:23.808 --> 00:06:27.067 (this has been mentioned here today too) 77 00:06:27.067 --> 00:06:32.690 , where terrorists from the so-called Islamic State are compromising 78 00:06:32.690 --> 00:06:37.416 a great world religion, compromising Islam, sowing hatred, 79 00:06:37.416 --> 00:06:40.105 killing people, including clergy, 80 00:06:40.105 --> 00:06:44.586 and barbarically destroying monuments of world culture. 81 00:06:44.586 --> 00:06:49.845 Their ideology is built on lies and blatant distortions of Islam. 82 00:06:49.845 --> 00:06:55.660 They are trying to recruit followers here in Russia too. 83 00:06:55.660 --> 00:07:02.617 Russia’s Muslim leaders are bravely and fearlessly using their own 84 00:07:02.617 --> 00:07:07.394 influence to resist this extremist propaganda. 85 00:07:07.394 --> 00:07:14.766 I want to express my tremendous respect for these people who carry out 86 00:07:14.766 --> 00:07:19.646 their work heroically and have suffered losses. 87 00:07:19.646 --> 00:07:26.292 I have no doubt that they will continue to educate the faithful 88 00:07:26.292 --> 00:07:31.484 in the spirit of humanism, compassion and justice. 89 00:07:31.484 --> 00:07:38.649 Friends, this new mosque is opening as the Muslim community is about 90 00:07:38.649 --> 00:07:43.218 to celebrate the big holiday of Eid al-Adha. 91 00:07:43.218 --> 00:07:50.175 Let me congratulate all of Russia’s Muslims on this joyful holiday 92 00:07:50.175 --> 00:07:52.754 and wish you all goodness, happiness and prosperity. 93 00:07:52.754 --> 00:07:57.380 I congratulate you on the mosque’s opening.