RIA Novosti, Russia
March 17 2005

MOSCOW TO HOST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, “ISLAM FOR PEACE”

MOSCOW, March 17 (RIA Novosti) – An international public political
conference, “Islam for Peace”, will gather in Moscow, April 21.

The forum will be dedicated to the 60th anniversary of victory in
World War II, and will concern combat against extremism and
terrorism, Kamilzhan Kalandarov, one of the conference organizers,
said to a news conference in Moscow. He is president of the
all-Russia public organization Khak (Justice).

The conference will bring together muftis of Russia’s North Caucasian
republics, leaders of all religions and denominations established in
Russia, State Duma members, spokesmen of ministries and other federal
offices, and delegates from unrecognized republics in the post-Soviet
area-Abkhazia and Transdniestria. CIS countries will be represented,
too, in particular, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Tajikistan and
Ukraine. Guests will come from Iran, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria.

It took Russia’s Muslim elite and human rights organizations five
years to prepare the ground for the conference, which aims to assist
government agencies in preventing and combating extremism, terrorism
and xenophobia, and to promote peace and stability in Russia, Mr.
Kalandarov said with emphasis.

Khak projects enjoy support from the United Council of Russian Muslim
Boards against Extremism and Terrorism. The council comprises the
Central Muslim Board, led by Sheikh Talgat Tajuddin; the Muslim Board
for European Russia and the Russian Muftiyyate, both led by Sheikh
Ravil Gainutdin; the Coordination Center for North Caucasian Muslims;
and the International Islamic Mission.