Russian Nation Have Respect For Islamic Values: Official

Moscow, Oct 21, IRNA – Russian nation have respect for Islamic traditions including Islamic dress code, Iran's Cultural Attaché to Russia Abouzar Ebrahimi Torkman said here on Saturday. He made the remarks in an interview with IRNA. 'Russian society welcomes Hijab (Islamic dress code) and has no problem with this Islamic tradition; girl students who have been prevented from entering the school in a Russian village had been wearing according to Islamic traditions' The official noted that wearing scarf is common among Russian Muslims and it is not forbidden and even non-Muslims are used to wearing it but there is of course, some limitations for wearing veil in this country. 'Russia's government has respect for the Islamic values and has established some Islamic foundations where Islam is taught.' The issue of Hijab has made some controversies in Russian media and the country's media quoted President Vladimir Putin on October 18 that he supports Hijbab Muslim clothing. “We must always treat the religious feelings of people with great respect. That must be shown in the state’s activities, in the nuances, in everything,' he noted. Comments made by the Russian President came after being asked for his view on the case of a school in southern Russia that banned girls from wearing veil. Banning of five Muslim students from attending classes in their school in the village of Kara-Tyube in the southern Stavropol region because of wearing veil, last week became controversial in Russia. The girls’ parents filed complaints with the district prosecutor’s office, complaining that the school had violated their constitutional rights to education and freedom of religion. The prosecutor will issue a legal assessment of the incident within 30 days, and take appropriate measures if the school’s headmaster was found to have broken the law. The Russian Federation is home to some 23 million Muslims in the north of the Caucasus and southern republics of Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan. Islam is Russia's second-largest religion representing roughly 15 percent of its 145 million predominantly Orthodox population./end