File photo of the book cover

By Damir Ahmed, IOL Correspondent

MOSCOW, April 16 (IslamOnline.net) – A new Russian interpretation of the meanings of the Glorious Qur’an was released, as growing numbers of Russians seek to know more about the religion and its culture.

The interpretation is the first by a Russian Muslim, avoiding earlier "misunderstandings" that flawed earlier attempts by non-Muslim interpreters.

"My approach to this interpretation differed from previous ones, because I attempted to get Allah's message through the prism of faith," Russian scholar – of Azerbaijani origin - Elmir Kuliev was quoted by Novosti news agency as saying.

Earlier interpretations carried a rough translation of words without explanation of their meanings.

Kuliev believed that an interpreter has to be a true believer and a Muslim in order to carry the true meaning and spirit of the Qur’an.

The project was supervised by Azhar's Islamic Research Center, the branch of one of the world’s most esteemed Sunni authorities empowered to judge religious works.

"It took one year for the interpretation of the holy book’s meanings to see the light, in cooperation with the Council of Russian Muftis and Arabic linguists," a media spokesman for the Russian body told IslamOnline.net.

The editors prefer to call the book as an interpretation of the "meanings of the Qur’an",  as scholars said it is simply impossible to translate this sacred book into any language with a 100 per cent accuracy.

Fervent Desire

More than 10,000 copies of the new interpretation - including Arabic text and comments - will hit the shelves as soon as next week.

The editors said it was published in a new pocket-size edition.

The move comes as non-Muslim Russians have a fervent desire to know more about Islam and its culture.

"There is a growing demand for Islamic books year after year, " said Aslam Ezhaev, the head of the Umma publishing house, which takes up printing the new version.

Ezhaev also remarked that the first interpretation of Qur’an from Arabic into Russian had been published back in 1716 during the era of Peter the Great from a French edition; it is attributed to one famous literary grand duke Kantemir.

New Image

The interpretation could also well understand a religion whose image markedly tarnished and followers stereotyped and targeted in the country.

Russia has a Muslim population of 23 million, representing roughly 15 percent of its 145 million population, according to a 2003 census.

A source at the Islamic center for human rights had told IOL that Russian Muslims of Tajik and Uzbek origins reported to police on racist crimes committed by neo-Nazis in Moscow.

Russian police also raided in March a number of mosques in Moscow, detaining at least 18 people under the pretext of foiling "terrorist operations".

A number of mosques in Russia were burnt out by arsonists since the beginning of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan last year.

Muslim leaders are also targeted in assassination attacks. The former head of the Union of Russian Muslims was assassinated  on August 11 last year.

Muslims have also scant political participation, with last parliamentary elections, held in December 2003, resulting in electing only one Muslim representative.

Muslim human rights groups say, however, that the situation of community members is improving, as they would have the first ever rights group, which will defend their economic, political and religious rights and clear stereotypes tarnishing their image, this April.