Experts gathered at the Institute of International Relations, History and Oriental Studies.

Rector Ilshat Gafurov in his greeting mentioned that this is already the fifth such meeting. The venue is the recently opened Islamica Resource Center. The Center’s Director Vitaly Naumkin said: “The Middle Eastern region, especially the Arabic world, has entered a turbulent period. Almost everybody in the world is following the events there. Formerly prosperous countries become failed states. That’s very sad. We know how Syria was – a safe, comfortable country for all religions”.

The point is to avert such developments in other countries. One of the core problems here is the distortion of Quranic teachings. Therefore it’s important to conduct Islamic studies using strict scientific methodology. Tatarstan is an exemplary region in this particular regard. Moreover, Bolghar, a historical site not far away from Kazan, is the ancient center of Islam in the Volga region. Dr. Gafurov said about the soon to be opened religious academy in Bolghar: “It’s a very pertinent issue. Creating our own Islamic academy is a challenge and a huge responsibility for the Republic’s government, spiritual leaders and our university”.

Kazan University was one of the first centers of Oriental studies in Russia. Now it’s returning to its former glory. This forum is another proof of that.