Rustam Minnikhanov congratulates the Russian Islamic Institute on its 20th anniversary

On December 6, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov congratulated students, staff and graduates of the Russian Islamic Institute on its 20th anniversary.

Before the ceremony, Minnikhanov looked around the institute, in particular, visited the classrooms, the library, the Centre of Arabic Calligraphy and Oriental Arts and got acquainted with the exposition of the Museum of History of Tatar Islamic Education.

In his welcoming speech, Minnikhanov stressed that having become the first higher educational Muslim institution in Russia, the Institution holds leading position in the Islamic religious and educational environment. The educational institution received state accreditation in 2007 and it became significant recognition of the high level of staff training in the field of Muslim theology.

He noted that the institute contributes to the formation of a new generation of spiritual leaders and the Muslim intelligentsia, intended to serve the Islamic community of the country. The Institute is also a methodical centre for higher and secondary professional Muslim educational institutions. A special attention of the Institute is paid to the improvement of training of religious leaders and preservation of traditions of domestic theological school and the Tatar language.

A lot of graduates of the institute have already become mufties, many of them are working in mosques throughout the country, in scientific and expert institutions.

Tatarstan President noted that the close cooperation of the Russian Islamic Institute with the Kazan Orthodox Theological Seminary is symbolic. It emphasizes the peaceful interaction of representatives of various nationalities and religions in Tatarstan.

Minnikhanov expressed special appreciation to Rector of the Institute Rafik Mukhametshin, who made a great contribution to the development of the Russian Islamic Institute and the entire system of national Muslim religious education.