Spiritual leaders play important role in choosing values by youth - Dauren Abayev

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM Leaders of Islamic administrations of Central Asian countries and Russia gathered in Nur-Sultan city for a research-theological conference today, Kazinform correspondent reports.

"As part of the Year of Youth in Kazakhstan, the government of the country together with local executive authorities implements a package of measures aimed at development of youth potential, youth employment, popularization of values in mass media, organization of leisure, support of youth initiatives, entrepreneurship and volunteering. In this aspect, the institutions of religion significantly affect the life of youth," Minister of Information and Social Development Dauren Abayev said at the opening of the conference ‘Spiritual Silk Road. Islam and Youth: Challenges of Modernity.'

The Minister reminded that since gaining its independence, Kazakhstan had always been a home for the representatives of almost all religious confessions.

‘The principle of freedom of faith is stipulated in our Constitution, and we respectfully observe this norm. Today, global spiritual leaders play an important role in choosing life priorities and values by young people and affect their worldviews. Meanwhile, we realize that there are certain problems which have entered our reality. I mean religious radicalism and extremism,' he noted.

Minister Abayev stressed that these are serious social spiritual challenges requiring consolidation of efforts ‘from all of us, the government, scientific and religious activists. '

‘The role of joint cooperation and permanent interaction at various platforms and levels is increasing, for instance, the Congress of World and Traditional Religions. And today's conference will become a new stage of a joint constructive work,' he said.

According to organizers, the goal of the conference is to support the initiative of the First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to declare year 2019 as the Year of Youth as well as to actively propagate spiritual and religious ideas of such events as the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions and those outlined in programme articles ‘Course towards the Future: Modernization of Kazakhstan's Identity' and ‘Seven Facets of the Great Steppe.'

Chief muftis of Eurasian countries, heads of governmental structures in religious sector, public activists and representatives of intelligentsia - as many as 300 delegates - are participating in the event.