Inter-regional Muslim forum opens in Perm.

PERM, December 3 (Itar-Tass) - The inter-regional forum "Muslim world
2009" opens in Perm on Thursday, Itar-Tass learnt from deputy head of the
Spiritual Board of Muslims of the Perm Territory Ilyas-khazrat.
Its programme includes roundtables on developing inter-confessional
relations in the basin of the Kama River (where Perm is situated) and
neighbouring regions, discussion of issues of youth education as well as
relations between Islam and Christianity.
According to Ilyas-khazrat, the main idea of the forum is to show
multiplicity of spiritual and cultural potential of primordial Muslim
peoples - Tatars and Bashkirs, living in the Kama River basin from the
days of yore. The forum will also help to describe the history, culture,
customs and traditions of Muslim diasporas in the Perm Territory where
Uzbeks, Kazakhs as well as Azerbaijan and Kyrgyz citizens live in large
communities.
The fair of books on the history and development of Islam, customs,
history and culture of peoples in the world, preaching Islam, will be
mounted on the sidelines of the forum, attended by guests from the
Sverdlovsk Region, the Bashkiria, Tatarstan republics of the Russian
Federation as well as from Uzbekistan.
More than 30 fair participants will put on display goods of their
enterprises, putting out clothing, footwear, religious articles and
khalyal (clean) foodstuffs, consumed by orthodox Muslims.
Two Muslim sacred things - miniature octagonal edition of the Koran
and a hair from the beard of Prophet Muhammad were brought from the Tyumen
regional museum specially for the opening of the forum. The two relics
will be put on show for forum participants.
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