The Far Eastern mufti did not rule out the possibility of Muslim clerics running for office

February 3, 2011 Mufti of the Far Eastern District Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Asian part of Russia (DUMACHR) Abdullah Ishmukhametov said that he does not exclude the possibility of running for election for Muslim clerics. This is how he commented on the decision of the Bishops Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church on allowing the clergy to run for elections in exceptional cases.

"Before, religious organizations were always outside politics, but now, when society is losing spiritual values, perhaps it has come time for the clergy to go to power, - the mufti said in an interview with PrimaMedia.ru . - We try to promote our ideas, but the authorities rarely listen to us. I think in rebirth spirituality in the country, protection of rights and interests, believers are interested representatives of all faiths. The main thing is that everyone should have equal opportunities. Alas, when a person goes into politics, he often forgets about God. But while the distance religious organizations from power to do more harm than good."

According to him, Muslim clerics may put forward their candidates for elections to the Legislative Assembly of Primorsky Krai already in 2011 year. Sources

• Muftis of the Far East may be running for the PC AP // PrimaMedia.ru. 2011. February 3.