The President of Russia has used his speech at the opening of the rebuilt Grand Mosque in Moscow today to attack Islamist terror groups that "cynically exploit religious feeling for political ends".
At the opening of the 19,000 square metre mosque that can hold 10,000 worshippers and will serve a Russian Muslim population of 20 million, Vladimir Putin said: "We see what is happening in the Middle East where terrorists from the so-called Islamic State group are compromising a great world religion, compromising Islam, in order to sow hate."
Putin added: "This mosque will become an extremely important spiritual centre for Muslims in Moscow and the whole of Russia. It will be a source for education, spreading humanist ideas and the true values of Islam." The mosque opened on the eve of the Muslim religious festival Eid al-Adha.
Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas were among guests of honour at the opening of the mosque, a spectacular $170 million building with a turquoise dome that has taken ten years to complete.
The speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, Sergey Naryshkin, described it as a milestone event for the whole Muslim world, according to Russian newsagency TASS . He said: "Let the majestic look of the Moscow Grand Mosque become a symbol of the important role that Islam has always played in Russia's history and our future joint achievements in the development of the motherland."
The previous mosque, built in 1904, was demolished in 2005 to make way for the new one. According to Ravil Gaynutdin, chair of the Russian Council of Muftis, it is the largest mosque in Europe.
About two million of Russia's Muslims live in Moscow, which now has six mosques. Recent research found that the number of Muslims in the world will nearly equal the number of Christians by 2050.
Moscow has been working behind the scenes to persuade Western leaders to support Syria's President Assad in a coalition against ISIS.
