OUR REFERENCE

The Muslim Religious Boards in Mordovia (MRBs).

Since 1788 muslim communities of the Mordovian area were under control of the Religious Assembly of Mohammedan Law (Ufa). In 1796-1802 the Religious Assembly was located in Orenburg and then it was returned back to Ufa. The Tavria MRB was established for the muslims of the former Krym Khanate in 1831. In 1834 the posts of mufties were established in Caucasus: one for sunnites and one for shiites.

In 1917-1948 the muslims controlling body was called “The Central Muslim Religious Board of the inner Russia”, and from 1948 till 1992 it was called “The Muslim Religious Board of the European Part of the USSR and Siberia”. Three more Muslim Religious Boards existed in the Soviet Union: the Muslim Religious Boards of Middle Asia and Kazakhstan, Transcaucasus, Northern Caucasus and Dagestsan.

The last Soviet mufti to whom the muslims of Mordovia subordinated, was mufti Talgat Tadjutdin (1980-92). Now he is in charge of one of the many independent Muslim Religious Boards of Russia – The Central Muslim Religious Board of Russia (Ufa), to which some of the muslim communities of Mordovia are related.

Since 1992 the muslim communities of Mordovia have been related to different Muslim Religious Boards in Moscow, Kazan and Ufa. 21 local organizations of muslims and two centralized religious organizations of muslims have been registered. The first centralized organization of muslims in Mordovia – the Regional Muslim Religious Board (the Saransk muftiat) was registered in 1996 and was subordinated to the Central Muslim Religious Board of Russia and the European countries of the Council of Independent States (Ufa). However this registration was cancelled because of some breaches in the documents and mufti Djavdet Abdulmanov left Saransk.

Two muftiats were registered in Mordovia in 2000. Those were “The Regional Muslim Religious Board of the Republic of Mordovia (the Mordovian muftiat) related to the Central Muslim Religious Board of Russia” (December 9, 2000, mufti Zaki Aizatullin) and “The Muslim Religious Board of the Republic of Mordovia” (December 26, 2000, mufti Nail Fahretdinov).

Their objective is to unite volunteeringly the muslim communities on the territory of Mordovia “for the united confession and propagation of Islam”. The permanent working body of the first muftiat – The Regional Muslim Religious Board of the Republic of Mordovia – mufti’s council – is located in the village of Belozerye of the Romodanovo district, and the permanent working body of the Muslim Religious Board of the RM – presidium – is located in Saransk.

The highest body of both the muftiats is Medjlis, which consists of the elected once in 5 years delegates from the local communities. The highest official, the chairman of the board, is the mufti. The Regional Muslim Religious Board is related to the canonic organization of the Central Muslim Religious Board of Russia (Ufa). The Muslim Religious Board of the RM is an independent organization.

The constitutors of the Regional Muslim Religious Board of the RM are 11 local organisations related to the Central Muslim Religious Board of Russia (Ufa). These are the muslim communities of the villages of Aksenovo, Akcheevo, Belozerye (“Duslok” mosque), Vacheevo, Inyat, Lobanovka, Lomaty, Tatar Tavla, Churino. There is a trustee council at the Regional Spiritual Administration of Muslims.

The constitutors of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the RM are 5 communities which were earlier related to the Muslim Religious Board of the European Part of Russia (The Moscow muftiat, mufti Ravil Gainutdin). These are the muslim communities of the villages of Aksenovo, Belozerye (“Al-Radjab” mosque), Bolshaya Yelkhovka, of the Central Mosque of Saransk and of the Oktyabr district of Saransk.