Multi-faith Russia sets an example for the world, says Abbas

MOSCOW, September 24./TASS/. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that he hoped other countries would follow the example of Russia, where representatives of different religions lived in peace. "We hope that all countries of the world will follow Russia’s path in the issue of peaceful coexistence of representatives of different religions, and peace will prevail," Abbas said at a meeting with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. He said that he felt in Moscow as if he was visiting his friends "who also believe in peaceful coexistence of Muslims and Christians". The Palestinian leader arrived in Moscow to attend the opening of the city's Grand Mosque on Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Palestinian leader and heads of the Russian republics of Chechnya, Tatarstan, Ingushetia and Dagestan joined thousands of worshippers at the ceremony. The building has opened after a decade of construction work to become one of Europe's biggest sites of worship. Read more