
© Alexei Druzhinin / RIA Novosti
September 23, 2015. President Vladimir Putin, front third right, during the visit to the Moscow Cathedral Mosque after the ceremonial opening. Third left: Ravil Gainutdin, Chairman of the Russian Mufti Council. Second right: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Thousands of Muslims have gathered in central Moscow to witness the opening of one of the biggest mosques in Europe. The ceremony was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
The mosque was officially opened by the Russian president and Russian Grand Mufti Rawil Gaynetdin on Wednesday.
The Moscow Cathedral Mosque was built back in 1904. Since 2011 the building has undergone complete reconstruction. The size of the complex has been increased 20 times and is now more than 19,000 square meters which enables it to hold at least 10,000 worshipers. The six-story temple has seven elevators. The main dome has a height of 46 meters and is 27 meters in diameter.
The opening ceremony was also attended by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
"There are many elements that have been made exclusively for Moscow Cathedral Mosque," Gaynetdin said, adding that among these elements are a minbar (a pulpit where the imam stands), minarets, stained glass and ornaments unique of Russia.
Comment: Regarding the sight of 150,000 Muslims gathered in prayer on Moscow streets to mark the re-opening of this enormous mosque, compare and contrast with the treatment of Muslims in the West, where hysteria about 'Muslims taking over and instituting Sharia law' has Europeans and Americans freaking out about what will happen to their 'white Christian country'.
That's never been a problem in Russia, where Islam is the second official religion.
Note also the guests of honor at this event: Erdogan of Turkey and Abbas of Palestine. Will Turkey support Russia's push into Syria or not? A possible clue came from their side-meeting, the outcome of which saw Erdogan and Putin agree to
triple trade between Russia and Turkey within 7 years, and that can't happen as 'enemies'.
Coming just two days after Netanyahu's visit to Moscow, the message could not be clearer: Russia is not with you in your 'clash of civilizations'.
Can anyone dispute that Russia is the Great Civilizer?
And now Putin is going into the lion's den (New York City, where mosque-building precipitates outbreaks of foaming at the mouth) to speak at the 70th UN General Assembly, where he'll be lectured on the ways of 'peace, tolerance, and how to end the madness in the Middle East'.
Oh the irony...
Comment: Right, one of the countries with the worst human rights record heads the Human Rights Council! Nothing to see here, move along now.