Russia’s first Muslim TV channel started its test run broadcastings on Sunday in a move earlier endorsed by President Dmitry Medvedev, who pointed to the necessity of creating such a channel in Russia as soon as possible.
The aim is to make Islam more familiar and better understood among the Russian population, a mission that should be specifically fulfilled by Islam experts, Medvedev explained.
The full launch of Russia’s first Muslim television channel will take place in April, offering “spiritual and moral education,” said a spokeswoman for the council of Islamic leaders, Gulnur Gaziyeva.
The channel will “have a civilising aim and will contribute first of all to spiritual and moral education,” Gaziyeva said.
The council, which represents Islam at an official level in Russia, is hiring presenters and deciding on content for the channel, some of which will be secular.
Russia already has several Russian Orthodox channels, including Spas, or Saved, which was created in 2005 to “reinforce spiritual values” and broadcasts via satellite to Russia and former Soviet countries, according to its website.
President Dmitry Medvedev last week at a meeting with Russian Orthodox leaders stressed the need for dialogue between faiths to prevent the growth of nationalism and inter-ethnic conflicts.
Source: IslamToday