HOLY CITY OF QOM, Iran: Holy City of Qom’s Ayatullah Fazel Lankarani said the Shias of Russia must be given right to act upon their beliefs, preach their religion to others and have mosques and organizations for themselves.

In a meeting with Deputy Mufti of Russia Murad Murtazein who called on him in the second week of January 2005, Ayatullah Lankarani expressed hope that in his journey the Mufti would have good achievements for his country.

“Since freedom of belief is man's right and Islam also gives such a right to man {There is no compulsion in religion}, I believe that Muslims should be able everywhere in the world to act in accordance with their beliefs and to preach their faith to others,” he said. “I have heard that you are caring equally about all Muslims including Shias yet I request that the Shias of Russia be given the right to act upon their beliefs and preach their religion to others and have mosques and organizations for themselves.”

His Eminence added, “Keeping in view that the population of the Shias in Russia is about two million, which you yourself admit, we hope that they can perform their rituals freely and that upon your return to Moscow the entire Muslims specially the Shias, who maintain close relation with us, will not face any problems from the government's side and they are allowed to live, like all other Muslims, a life without restrictions.”

“The Shias do not have any political problem with the government and they are not doing anything that might create a problem. We hope you are successful in doing your responsibility and in being a source of help for Muslims – and you are already a source of help Al-hamdu lillah.”

Murad Murtazein conveyed greetings of Russian Muslims who make a sizable population of about twenty million people, and noted: “There are as many as six thousand mosques in Russia which are also being used as religious schools. Tens of thousand of young people have returned to their original Fitra i.e. the religion. There are two large religious schools in Russia one of which is operating in Moscow and the other in Kazan. They are being used for training and educating prayer leaders and preachers.”

“We are now having close relation with seminary institutes like Assembly of the Approximation of Religions and Russian Shias,” he added.

The Russian deputy mufti said he along with his delegation visited the International Center for Islamic Studies (ICIS) and Ayatullah Mara'shi Najafi library which he described as a huge task carried out by religious scholars and Ayatullah Seyyid Roohullah Khomeini on the top of them.