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January 30, 2007
Russia: Chief Mufti Threatens ``Conflict'' If Russian Orthodox Culture Course Is Taught in Schools
Ravil Gainutdin, the head of Russia's Council of Muftis, lashed out today at plans by the Russian government to introduce a course on the culture of Christian Orthodoxy.
Gainutdin (pictured) claimed that plans to introduce the Orthodox culture course violate the Russian constitution's ban on having a state religion. The course, however, only introduces students to Orthodoxy as a cultural phenomenon, and does not propagate the religion.
About 80% of the Russian population espouses Christian Orthodoxy, according to the Russian census, while only about 6% of Russian citizens, or about 8 million people, claim to be Muslim. The Council of Muftis, however, says that figure is closer to 15 percent of the population, or about 20 million people.
Over the past 1,000 years, nearly all Russian culture, even secular, has been infused by Orthodoxy. One can easily make the argument that if the state fails to cover the importance of Orthodoxy in the country's history and culture, then it is neglecting its duty to properly educate children about their nation's heritage.
As a devout Muslim and follower of the 7th century Arabian warlord, Mohammed, Gainutdin issued threats in an attempt to intimidate and blackmail the Russian state.
``If this one-sided decision to teach the culture of one religion will be accepted, you [the Russian Education Ministry] will have laid a bomb for the decade ahead, and conflict is inevitable,'' said Gainutdin in a letter to the Education Ministry.
His threat of conflict was followed by his old demand that Russia create a special department for ``Muslim Affairs.''
BTW: during Western Resistance's fact-finding mission to Ingushetia and Chechnya in the autumn, we visited public schools, and Islam was being propagated there. For instance, all children were forced to obey Muslim dietary laws and other traditions.
Also, it's interesting that Gainutdin didn't come back with the idea to teach Muslim ``culture''. Well, there pretty much is no such thing. (If you don't believe me, just visit the ``Islamic Art'' section at any one of the world's major museums and see how small it is). Islam has made a minimal contribution to world culture. And any culture that arose on lands groaning under the Sword of Islam occured in spite of the Mohammedan cult, and not because of it.
Posted by Jean de la Valette at January 30, 2007 12:04 PM
Comments
Tentacles of Islam grow longer:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,246709,00.html
Hope you don`t mind me linking as I believe you might be interested in this as well.
Posted by: learner ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.westernresistance.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at January 30, 2007 3:37 PM
Actually, many historical surveys show it was Christians or Jews or converts from these who created much of what little culture existed in Islamic lands. That is why --as generations went by--Islamic countries sank lower and lower into a dismal intellectual swamp which today makes most Moslem countries among the most backward in the world today.
Posted by: Deacon John M. Bresnahan at January 30, 2007 6:25 PM
Hmmm;
It looks as if Putin is not completely blind to the dangers of Islam. (The Mufti is right this is a backhanded way of promoting the Orthodox faith; it is just I think it is a good thing.) Putin may be supporting Islam against the West, but he's trying to defeat Islam at home. I wish him failure in the first objective and success in the second.
Posted by: Ruy Diaz at January 31, 2007 9:16 AM
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