HEARING ONE ANOTHER

For centuries, the Southern Urals have been a point where a diversity of cultures converged and a dialogue between the East and the West flourished. What is now known as Bashkortostan, has been home for Turkic, Finno-Ugric and Slavic peoples living in peace and harmony for ages.

In the history of the Bashkir people, two events stand out as key pivotal points that further shaped their centuries long journey: the adoption of Islam and the accession of Bashkiria to the Russian state.

In Islam, the Bashkirs found a moral anchor and drew spiritual strength. Joining the Russian state they became an integral component of one large Russian family, preserving their distinct identity and traditional lifestyle.

Missionary activities among the Bashkirs and the Volga Bulgars, together with the trade and economic ties with the Islamic world established as far back as the Middle Ages—above all with Iran and Central Asia—created fertile ground in Bashkiria and Volga Bulgaria upon which Russia’s multifaceted, mutually beneficial cooperation with Muslim states continues to develop to this day.

On September 22, 1788, the personal decree of the Russian Empress Catherine the Great established the Assembly of Mohammedan Law in the city of Ufa. From that moment onwards, Bashkortostan has been the official centre of Russian Islam. Throughout its history, the Spiritual Administration has done much to consolidate and develop the Muslim ummah of Russia. Even back in the Russian Empire, the Ufa madrasah “Galiya” became a centre of national enlightenment not only for the Muslims of the Urals and the Volga region, but also for Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Turkmen and many other Muslim peoples. In those years, Ufa published manuscript journals in the Kazakh and Uzbek languages.

Among the students of the Ufa madrasah “Galiya” was a native of the Bashkir village of Dyusyanovo—a legend of Russian diplomacy and the first plenipotentiary representative of Soviet Russia in the Arab world, Karim Khakimov. Establishing good relations between Russia and the Arab Persian world is, to a large extent, the personal achievement of this outstanding son of Bashkortostan.

Prince Turki Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia), head of the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS), in his address at the off-site meeting of the “Khakimov Club” expert platform in Saudi Arabia in December 2023 delivered an extensive report on the history of Russian-Saudi relations, stressing the need to “preserve the spirit of Khakimov.” In Ufa, the Central Spiritual Directorate of Russian Muslims operates successfully—an institution that, since 1980, has been led by the Supreme Mufti of Russia, Shaykh al-Islām Talgat Tadzhuddin, who has made an invaluable contribution to strengthening interfaith peace and harmony in the country.

Of great importance is cooperation in education and spiritual enlightenment. Ufa, as before, remains one of the pillars of Islamic theology, while the Russian Islamic University of the Central Spiritual Directorate—member of the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World—trains clergy and theologians for Russia and the CIS. The University’s venue in Ufa annually hosts a major international scientific practical conference “Ideals and Values of Islam in the Educational Sphere Among the students of the Ufa madrasah “Galiya” was a native of the Bashkir village of Dyusyanovo—a legend of Russian diplomacy and the first plenipotentiary representative of Soviet Russia in the Arab world, Karim Khakimov. Establishing good relations between Russia and the Arab Persian world is, to a large extent, the personal achievement of this outstanding son of Bashkortostan.

Prince Turki Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia), head of the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS), in his address at the off-site meeting of the “Khakimov Club” expert platform in Saudi Arabia in December 2023 delivered an extensive report on the history of Russian-Saudi relations, stressing the need to “preserve the spirit of Khakimov.” In Ufa, the Central Spiritual Directorate of Russian Muslims operates successfully—an institution that, since 1980, has been led by the Supreme Mufti of Russia, Shaykh al-Islām Talgat Tadzhuddin, who has made an invaluable contribution to strengthening interfaith peace and harmony in the country.

Of great importance is cooperation in education and spiritual enlightenment. Ufa, as before, remains one of the pillars of Islamic theology, while the Russian Islamic University of the Central Spiritual Directorate—member of the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World—trains clergy and theologians for Russia and the CIS. The University’s venue in Ufa annually hosts a major international scientific practical conference “Ideals and Values of Islam in the Educational Sphere of the 21st Century”—an event that traditionally draws participants from Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Türkiye, Jordan, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, among others.

Today, the Republic’s higher education institutions are actively attracting young people from many Islamic states. Among the nearly 10,000 foreign students in Bashkortostan, around 6,000 are from member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (former Organisation of the Islamic Conference, renamed in 2011). The modern inter university campus of the Eurasian Scientific and Education Centre in Ufa opens up new horizons for academic and technological cooperation with the Islamic world.

In September 2022, Ufa welcomed the rectors of Russia’s Islamic universities and the Council of the Eurasian Association for the Promotion of Islamic Education, as part of the celebrations marking the 1,100th anniversary of Volga Bulgaria adopting Islam. The total number of participants across the events was around 500, among them religious figures, members of the Islamic community, academia, and experts from 19 foreign countries.

Today, Bashkortostan stands as a leading Russian industrial and agro industrial region, actively building up international cooperation, with particular attention towards the Islamic world. Despite the intricate international developments, Bashkortostan continues to expand, successfully and steadily, its economic, scientific, educational and humanitarian ties.

Bashkortostan develops trade and economic relations with more than a hundred countries worldwide, with the lion’s share of its trade turnover accounted for by Islamic nations.

We see tangible results from the business missions organised to Islamic states, as well as from meetings with officials of the host countries— outcomes that include new joint partner projects in industry, agriculture, healthcare and other fields. Over the past three years, more than 40 business missions have taken place to the Islamic world—Uzbekistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Today, we are witnessing a growth in foreign trade turnover with Algeria, Iran, the UAE, and Turkmenistan. At the same time, ties are being strengthened with Azerbaijan, Türkiye and key partners in Central Asia— Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Bashkortostan—together with Dagestan, Tatarstan and Chechnya— has joined a federal pilot project to introduce partnership financing compliant with the norms of Islam. The experiment, which began in 2023 and was extended until 2028, opened up new opportunities for attracting capital from the Gulf states and South East Asia.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Bashkortostan—part of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA)—operates an office for project finance that provides interest free funding compliant with the rules of Islamic banking. In Bashkortostan, a range of services are both available and in demand: “Adafa” debit cards, “Amana” interest free accounts, “Murabaha” mortgages, “Ijarah” leasing, halal investments, among others. To date, four organisations from Bashkortostan have been included in the Bank of Russia’s register of partnership finance.

The region is also actively developing its halal industry infrastructure. A representative office of the Halal Competence Centre under Roskachestvo (Russian quality watchdog) is now operating. Today, more than 40 major enterprises in the Republic produce halal products. Bashkotorstan’s certificates of compliance with Halal standards for goods and services allow producers to supply products with the Halal mark to Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Algeria, Pakistan, and Türkiye, free of other special checks in those countries.

Bashkortostan is one of the country’s main venues for international cultural and humanitarian projects—events that spark keen interest among cultural figures from Islamic states. These include joint concerts by masters of the arts, cross cultural days of Bashkortostan with partner nations, theatre festivals, and tours.

International projects such as the “Heart of Eurasia” festival of arts, the “Silver Akbuzat” film festival, the “Kitap Bayram” international book fair, the all Russian “Time of Heroes” song competition, the “Tamga” international contest of Bashkir national attire craftsmen, and the “Romance of Autumn” music festival have become hallmarks of the Republic. Regular participants in these cultural events are our friends from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Cooperation agreements are also in force with libraries, centres of arts and crafts, and houses of friendship of peoples in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

In 2005, Russia took a historic step by joining the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (now the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) as an observer. This decision made by President Putin was an acknowledgement of Bashkortostan’s inextricable link to the Islamic world—an integral part of Russia’s cultural code. The Group of Strategic Vision “Russia — Islamic World,” established in 2006, has proved itself an effective instrument for strengthening Russia’s friendship and partnership with the OIC, even in the challenging geopolitical context.

Great credit for the effective work of the Group undoubtfully goes to the Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov. For the Republic of Bashkortostan—one of Russia’s growing points with a traditionally Muslim population—the 20th anniversary of the Group has provided an important opportunity to ponder on its unique mission.

Bashkortostan is one of the key regions chanelling Russia’s efforts to build an equal dialogue with its partners in the OIC. The Republic has been a constant participant in the events of the Group of Strategic Vision “Russia — Islamic World.” As a just, multipolar world order takes shape, grounded in equality and the rule of international law, free from the discrimination and dictate of the so-called collective West, the Group’s activities take on particular significance.

In 2019, Bashkortostan hosted a meeting of the Group of Strategic Vision “Russia — Islamic World.” Attending were more than 70 delegates—Russian and foreign members of the Group, along with heads of respected international organisations.

The main tasks set for the Group’s meeting in Ufa were as follows: bringing Russia closer to the Islamic world on a cultural and civilisational footing; harmonising stances on majorinternationalissues;fosteringties, with an emphasis on expanding interaction among public, educational and youth organisations; and promoting the traditional values of the Muslim peoples of Russia, with a view to countering radical ideologies.

The 20th anniversary of the Group of Strategic Vision “Russia — Islamic World” is a milestone event for us all. Over these years, we have learned to listen and hear one another. Today, when we speak of Eurasian partnership, we are acutely aware that without actively harnessing the potential of Islamic states, this project would be incomplete and insufficient. Russia and the OIC states are capable of jointly shaping a new architecture for Eurasian security and cooperation— one built on respect for sovereignty and the traditional spiritual and moral values of the peoples of our nations. Bashkortostan shall continue to strengthen its position as a spiritual, cultural and educational centre of the Islamic world—and as an important participant in global creative processes, all for the sake of the future of Greater Eurasia.