Russia to allot almost milliard rubles for educating Islam experts in 2011-2013

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Russia will continue preparing experts on history and culture of Islam, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says.

 "We have allotted money for it in the budget this year, in 2012 and in 2013. We have envisaged a significant sum - almost a milliard rubles (more than $32 million - IF)," Medvedev said at his meeting with Muslim clerics in Ufa.

 He said that improving quality of education for specialists on history and culture of Islam, full integration of Islam theological educational establishments in Russian educational system "is certainly an important task."

 Russia has first time in history adopted a state standard of higher education on "Islam theology" and, according to the President, it gave a possibility to the biggest state higher educational establishments to open departments and prepare Islam clerics.

 "We're interested in having powerful and effective Islam education. And even more. We're interested that authority of our Muslim clerics would be high not only in Russia, but all around the world," he said and added that only "in this case we can have correct moods inside Muslim community."

 Medvedev also said that there are about 7 thousands mosques and prayer houses, 96 Islam educational establishments including seven universities in Russia. 320 mosques were built for the last four years.

 "In the early 90s of the previous century there were about 90 mosques on the territory of Russia (may be you'll correct me), but it somehow corresponds to reality, and there were no educational establishments at all," he said.

/129