Morocco to Train Russian Imams

PERSISMA, Taroudant – King Mohammed VI and Russian president Vladimir Putin chaired on Tuesday at the Kremlin the signing ceremony of various bilateral cooperation agreements, including a memorandum of understanding by which Morocco committed to training Russian imams.

The memorandum of understanding on cooperation between Morocco’s Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs and Russia’s Central Religious Organization (Shura Council of Russian Muftis) allows Moroccan imams to visit Russia.

Signed by Sheikh Ahmed Tawfiq and Raphael Ghainotodine, the President of the Council, the agreement states that Russia plans to send its religious leaders and imams of mosques to be trained at the Mohammed VI Institute of imams and preachers.

Inaugurated in March 2016 by King Mohammed VI, the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, Morchidines, and Morchidates (religious preachers) is part of an integrated strategy aiming at inculcating to the new generations of Imams and preachers the values of moderate Islam as it has always been practiced in Morocco as a rampart against all forms of extremism.

Besides Moroccan students, whose number stands at 150 Imams and 100 female religious preachers, the Institute is currently offering training to 447 foreign students (212 Malians, 37 Tunisians, 100 Guineans, 75 Ivorian, and 23 French).

Russia is home to about 20 million Muslims, and Islam is the second largest religion in the country.

As part of the official visit paid by King Mohammed VI to Russia, the two countries signed several bilateral cooperation agreements in various fields. (Larbi Arbaoui)