Head of State receives Supreme Mufti of Kazakhstan
At the meeting, the Head of the State congratulated Serikbay kazhi Oraz on the election to the post of the Supreme Mufti of Kazakhstan.
"I invited you in the run-up to the Independence Day to congratulate you on your election to such a high post. Thanks to Independence, we were given the opportunity to revive our traditions and practice the religion of our ancestors. The Government has done everything to ensure the freedom of religion for each citizen," said the President of Kazakhstan.
Nursultan Nazarbayev noted the particular role of the Government represented by the Ministry for Religious Affairs and Civil Society in regulating the sphere of religious relations.
"Kazakhstan is a secular state. The Ministry was not established for any limitation to religion. The ministry is intended to ensure the order in the religious sphere so that the believers do not violate each other's rights," the President of Kazakhstan said.
The Head of State also drew attention to the need for joint efforts in making the population aware of the key provisions of the Draft Law on religious activities that is under preparation.
In addition, Nursultan Nazarbayev recalled the meeting with the representatives of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan in April this year. There, the attendees discussed the need to modernize the consciousness and preserve the historical and spiritual wealth of Kazakhstan.
"Patriotism, love for the Motherland, stability inside the country and in the region is the best guarantee of our future. For that, we should work together," said the President of Kazakhstan.
The Head of State underlined the need to clarify the fundamentals of the traditional Hanafi school, and to individually raise awareness of the adherents of the radical religious movements.
"We need to attract competent imams who know the Quran and hadiths to explain the teachings of the traditional Hanafi madhhab [school] and its difference from the destructive movements," Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
Besides, Nursultan Nazarbayev emphasized the importance of developing sponsorship not only for social support to those in need but also for carrying out research, conferences, as well as public awareness efforts.
For his part, the Supreme Mufti of Kazakhstan thanked the Head of State for the reception extended.
"The Spiritual Administration of Muslims aims at reviving the historically developed traditional religious school," said Serikbay kazhi Oraz.
"In your article ‘Course towards the Future: Modernization of the Public Consciousness', you tell about the need to follow new trends and changes in the world around. Presently, our imams learn new literature and apply that knowledge in sermons and worship services," the Supreme Mufti said.
At the end of the meeting, the President of Kazakhstan and the Supreme Mufti discussed religious education issues.