Moscow, December 16, 2019

Patriarch Kirill signed a decree on presenting the Mufti of Dagestan Sheikh Ahmad Afandi with the Order of Glory and Honor, Interfax reports citing Roman Silantiev, member of the Expert Council on interaction with the Islamic world under the Patriarch.

According to Silantiev, the award was dated to the 60th anniversary of Dagestan Mufti and the 25th anniversary of the Muftiate of the republic, thus the Russian Orthodox Church appreciated the merits of Muslim spiritual leader of Dagestan.

“We know the contribution that respected Ahmad Afandi made to protect Dagestan from terrorists, and how he risked his life and lost his associates. He helped preserve the Orthodox community of the republic and always responded to calls for help”, Silantyev noted.

He also added that Dagestan Muftiate is currently the leader in Russia in real number of mosques, as well as the number of believers and educational institutions.

 

The Order of Glory and Honor is one of the highest awards of the Russian Orthodox Church. At different times, it was awarded to Vladimir Putin, Fidel Castro, Nursultan Nazarbayev and others.