Council of Ukrainian Muslims — service in the interests for Ukrainian Muslims

On November 27, in Kyiv have been hosted the first constituent meeting of Council of Ukrainian Muslims — a new social platform, that unites dozens of Muslim social organizations from across the country. The idea of creating the Council as a certain dialogue platform for the further revival of the religious and cultural life of Muslims arose among Muslim organizations, and the beginning of its implementation is a very important step for Ukrainian followers of Islam. Dozens of social and religious organizations from all over the country joined the Council creation — women's, youth, national-cultural, educational — in order to consolidate and unite Muslim organizations of Ukraine on the principles of moderate Islam. The activities of the Council of Ukrainian Muslims will take place on the principles of equality for representatives of all Islamic scientific and legal branches and ethnic groups for the Ukranian Muslim community development.

At the first meeting of the Council of Ukrainian Muslims were leaders of Muslim social organizations: imams of mosques, representatives of national and cultural associations and communities with cultural diversity.

Among the honored Council guests are state authorities’ representatives, in particular: the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience; employees of foreign embassies, representatives of the Ukrainian Association of Religious Scholars (UAR), members of the Ukrainian Council of Religious Associations, representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and others.

The Vice-President of the UAR, Professor Ludmila Filipova, addressed the constituent assembly participants with the words:

“As a scientific community representative, I am very happy to be here at the meeting of the best representatives of the Muslim Ummah and the Ukrainian people. For a long time, we have been communicating and cooperating with the Muslim Ummah, and I hope that the creation of such a respectable and necessary Council for the Muslim Ummah and for the entire Ukrainian nation will really serve the development of the Muslim religion and the establishment of Ukraine as a free and independent country in which people feel free, regardless of ethnic origin or religious affiliation.”

The first constitutive meeting of the Council of Ukrainian Muslims was also not overlooked by the state authorities. The Ukrainian government turned to the newly created association of Muslims with the congratulatory letter of the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal — it was voiced by Ivan Papayani the representative of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

According to Shmyhal, Islam has always been and will continue to be an important component of the religious and confessional space of Ukraine. The Prime Minister also expressed his hopes for the further Council concept and its important contribution to the Ukrainian Muslims.

"Allow me, on behalf of the Cabinet of Ukraine and myself to personally congratulate you on the start of the Council work, which is important to Muslims of our country. Social and religious associations of Ukrainian Muslims, relying on the teachings of the Holy Quran, always teach their followers to show moderation and reasonableness, to promote interfaith peace and harmony, dialogue between different religions and national communities. The leaders of the Ukrainian Muslims communities are actively working on the establishment of our state as a legal, democratic and independent state, in which the right of every person to freely express beliefs and confessions of any religion is respected. I wish all the constituent assembly participants of the Council of Ukrainian Muslims productive work and resolution of important issues that are on the agenda of the Ukrainian Muslims community. Sincerely, — Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal," said in the greeting of the head of the Ukrainian government.

Mufti Said Ismagilov congratulated the newly created Council of Ukrainian Muslims, who also spoke with a reminder about the development vector of the Muslim community of our country, declared in the Ukrainian Muslims Charter and Muslims of Ukraine Social Concept.

“On behalf of the Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine "Umma", I congratulate the first constituent meeting of the Council of Ukrainian Muslims with this initiative of uniting social Muslim organizations of Ukraine: women's, youth, cultural and human rights,” said Sheikh Said. “I hope that this new platform will help protect the Ukrainian Muslims’ interests, develop mutual respect, tolerance, trust in each other in our Ukrainian society, implement cultural, charitable, and educational projects.”

Other honored Council guests spoke with greetings: the head of the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, Mrs. Olena Bogdan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Ukraine Noel Israel Khokhar, Archpriest of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Fr. Vitali Danchak, vice-president of the Ukrainian Association of Religious Studies, professor Ludmila Filipovych, vice-president of the Ukrainian Association of Religious Studies, professor Ihor Kozlovskyi, head of the Ukrainian Muslimahs League Niyara Mamutova, etc.

During the constituent assembly, the participants expressed their proposals and recommendations, considered and approved a resolution that stated the purpose and task of the Council, declared cooperation with the institutions of the state and Ukrainian society with the aim of strengthening interreligious dialogue for the common good, for the sake of peace and good neighbourliness.

The central management agencies of the organization were created and its leaders were elected: Seyran Aryfov, the long-time leader of the “All-Ukrainian Association ‘Alraid’" Public Union, became the president of the Council of Ukrainian Muslims.

According to him, the main idea behind the creation of the Council of Ukrainian Muslims was to protect the identity of Muslims from assimilation and create a powerful structure of Islamic cultural centers - mosques.

“Purpose — service in the interests for Ukrainian Muslims. In the spheres of social, educational, enlightenment, human rights protection. This is a new stage. At a new stage, the task is to be implemented here in Ukraine, so for this a new platform is needed,” says Aryfov.