One of the historical features of Russia, the territory of which has been inhabited by various peoples for centuries, is the variety of religions. To date, our state has more than 70 faiths, so the issue of a tolerant attitude to freedom of religion is especially relevant. None of the religious faiths in Russia is dominant. The bulk of believers professes Orthodoxy. The Muslim community is quite numerous.
The first adherents of Islam came to the Russian lands as early as the VII-VIII century, but this religion received official recognition by the tsarist government during the reign of Empress Catherine II. Kazan became the center of Islam in Russia.
Today, the traditions and cultural values of Islam are an integral part of Russia’s culture. And Muslims themselves are not strangers in Russia. Their community in our country is constantly growing both quantitatively and qualitatively. National schools and universities operate in different parts of Russia, mosques are being built. Muslims in Russia continue to follow the traditions of their ancestors. And although their everyday life pass in the rhythm of the usual life of Russians, they do not forget about who they are and where they came from, honor ancient customs and teach this their children.
Probably, in every Muslim family in Russia there will definitely be national decoration. Of course, in everyday life, such an outfit is unlikely to wear anyone, but on holidays Muslims are happy to put on national clothes with pleasure. If necessary, you can always visit one of the Muslim clothing stores, which are currently open in different cities of Russia.
Representatives of the Muslim community take an active part in the public life of Russia, are engaged in charity, oppose all manifestations of extremism and religious intolerance. However, the attitude to the adherents of Islam in our country is ambiguous. Many Orthodox perceive Islam as a hostile religion. The reasons are simple: prejudice, ignorance and false representations. Like any other religion, Islam satisfies the spiritual need of believers, which means that one must learn to respect both religion and the people that professes it.
What prevents representatives of different faiths – Orthodox, Catholics, Jews or Buddhists – to expand their horizons and get to know the cultural traditions of those who have been living nearby for centuries? After all, you should just go into the mosque or look into the Muslim clothing store to understand what Muslims live in Russia today.