The President of Russia has
used his speech at the opening of the rebuilt Grand Mosque in Moscow
today to attack Islamist terror groups that "cynically exploit religious
feeling for political ends".
At the opening of the 19,000 square metre mosque that can hold 10,000
worshippers and will serve a Russian Muslim population of 20 million,
Vladimir Putin said: "We see what is happening in the Middle East where
terrorists from the so-called Islamic State group are compromising a
great world religion, compromising Islam, in order to sow hate."
Reuters
Russian
President Vladimir Putin (L) and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (2nd
R) listen to Chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia Ravil Gainutdin
(R) during a tour around the Moscow Grand Mosque after the opening
ceremony.
Putin added: "This mosque will become an extremely
important spiritual centre for Muslims in Moscow and the whole of
Russia. It will be a source for education, spreading humanist ideas and
the true values of Islam." The mosque opened on the eve of the Muslim
religious festival Eid al-Adha.
Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Palestinian president Mahmud
Abbas were among guests of honour at the opening of the mosque, a
spectacular $170 million building with a turquoise dome that has taken
ten years to complete.
The speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, Sergey Naryshkin,
described it as a milestone event for the whole Muslim world, according
to Russian newsagency TASS .
He said: "Let the majestic look of the Moscow Grand Mosque become a
symbol of the important role that Islam has always played in Russia's
history and our future joint achievements in the development of the
motherland."
The previous mosque, built in 1904, was demolished in 2005 to make
way for the new one. According to Ravil Gaynutdin, chair of the Russian
Council of Muftis, it is the largest mosque in Europe.
About two million of Russia's Muslims live in Moscow, which now has six mosques. Recent research found that the number of Muslims in the world will nearly equal the number of Christians by 2050.
Moscow has been working behind the scenes to persuade Western leaders
to support Syria's President Assad in a coalition against ISIS.
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