"The problem of extremism and radicalism has never been Islam's problem. Extremism is like a disease, with metastasis spreading over the ever-wider circles of young people identifying themselves both with the ideas of Islam and the ideas of other religions," the mufti said at an international theological conference in Moscow.
All people living in Russia, regardless of their religion, "really encounter not only manifestations of terrorism in North Caucasus, in Dagestan and Ingushetia, but also manifestations of organized Islamophobia and aggressive nationalism," he said.
Such manifestations materialize in appeals not to allow the construction of mosques, to ban religious literature, to evict Muslims from the capital and other Russian regions, Gainutdin said.
"Behind this are not just words or mass media publications, but also the real activity of public and political organizations, as well as informal youth groups. Today they openly march in streets of Moscow with the authorities' permission on November 4, the day of national unity, chanting, "Russia for Russians," "Power to Russians" and "No to mosques," he said.
The mufti also said he was convinced that all these manifestations can only be resisted with "focused moral and spiritual development of society in the atmosphere of inter-religious dialog and inter-ethnic accord."
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