A plenary session of the Interreligious Council of Russia

A PLENARY SESSION OF THE INTERRELIGIOUS COUNCIL OF RUSSIA

A plenary session of the Interreligious Council of Russia (ICR) took place in the Pilgrimage Center of the Moscow Patriarchate on 16 January 2003. Among the participants were Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, Mufti Magomed Albogachiev, chairman of the Coordination Center of the Northern Caucasus’ Muslims, Berl Lazar, Chief Rabbi of Russia (Federation of the Jewish Communities of Russia), Albert S. Shayevich, Chief Rabbi of Russia (Congress of the Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations in Russia), Zinovy Kogan, chairman of the Congress of the Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations in Russia, Mufti Muhammadgali Husin of the Perm region, deputy chairman of the Central Spiritual Board of Russian Muslims, H. Saubianov, director of the Muftis Council’s Staff, and Sanjei-Lama, plenipotentiary of the Traditional Buddhist Sangha in Moscow.

The main theme of the session was the form of the 2nd Interreligious Peacemaking Forum that will take place in the first half of 2004. The participants also touched upon the theme of pilgrimage. As to the teaching of the bases of different religions in the state and municipal schools, the participants agreed on the necessity of the subject in general, though their opinions differed. They decided to set up a working group to elaborate joint recommendations.