ISLAM IN RUSSIA AND LIVING AS A MUSLIM
Islam is considered a minority religion in Russia, yet, the country has the largest Muslim population in all of Europe. Although a minority, Islam is the second largest religion in Russia, comprising over 25 million of the population. Therefore, Islam is well-accepted and Muslims get to practice their faiths diligently with no worry. There are 8 recognised Muslim republics; Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia and Adygeya. Most of the Muslim communities live in these republics, where they all have their own policies regarding the Islamic way of living. This is aligned with the Russian government’s effort to co-opt with Islam and engage with its communities.
FINDING HALAL FOOD
Halal food is not an issue in Russia. With the rising of the Muslim population, there is also a significant rise in halal and Muslim-friendly cafes and restaurants, where prayer facilities and festive Muslim are also made accessible for all. A lot of stores now sell halal meat, with the Russian halal certification, of course. Although, it is best to be careful as there are stores that would try to fake the certificate and the Russian government is taking this matter seriously. This is because many non-Muslim consumers actually prefer buying halal meats as they believed that halal meat are of high quality due to the strict guidelines in slaughtering. Thus, many sellers would try to take advantage of this preference. All in all, halal food can easily be found and purchased in Russia, especially in the Muslim republics.
CELEBRATING RAMADHAN & EID
Just like any other country, Ramadhan is thought to be the holiest month for Muslims all around the world. Russian Muslims celebrate the month with great spirit. In Russia, during the month of Ramadhan, a Ramadhan tent is set up by the Muslim community where they offer iftar dinners and festive Ramadhan activities. Many Muslims would take this chance to get together and celebrate with the spirit of Ramadhan. Eid al-Fitr is a day to celebrate the end of Ramadhan. During both Ramadhan and Eid occasions, Muslims in Russia would fill up the mosques to pray. Just like any typical Eid celebration, mosques welcome worshippers, families get together, and banquets of meals are served. International students get to experience what it is like to celebrate Ramadhan and Eid in Russia, meet new people, and enjoy delicious authentic Russian cuisines.
THREATS & DISCRIMINATION
Russia, in general, is a safe place for not only Muslims but for everyone in the world. Russians have very distinct and unique facial features as the country is made up of people from different ethnicities. Therefore, they won’t judge you by your appearance whatsoever. Nevertheless, there might still be discrimination or stereotyping as a result of racism. Keep in mind that racism is everywhere, even in your own country. Therefore, such malicious acts should not be blamed on a certain group, rather the blame is on the individuals themselves.
The Kazan Summit is held yearly in the Republic of Tatarstan, one of the Muslim republics in Russia. The Russian Federation cooperates with countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to strengthen the trade, economic, scientific, social, and cultural bonds among them. This summit discusses Halal goods and the Islamic economy. Along with this event, the Russia Halal Expo Exhibition is also held to promote the Halal industry in Russia. This shows how the Russian Federation takes serious matters in their effort to co-opt along with the Muslim community and to build a better nation for Muslims to live comfortably in Russia whilst improving the economic state of the world.
