Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Ukraine “Ummah”

The initiators of the creation of the Ummah DUMU were independent Muslim communities from ten regions of Ukraine: Kiev, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, Odessa, Simferopol, Chernivtsi, Vinnitsa, Poltava, Kharkov and Stakhanov (Lugansk region).

The highest governing body of the Ummah DUMU is the general meeting at which the mufti and the board (council of imams ) are elected in the amount of 7 people (6 imams and mufti ), the mufti and board are elected for a term of 2 years. The main goal of the Ummah DUMU is to coordinate actions and provide the necessary conditions for the worship and preaching of Sunni Islam. Among the goals of the Umma DUMU are: the revival of cultural and historical Islamic values ​​and traditions, the organization of training in religious institutions, publishing, and the like. DUMU “Ummah” seeks to establish dialogue and cooperation with all communities and spiritual administrations of Muslims who profess Sunni Islam. DUMU “Ummah” coordinates the activities of Muslim communities in 14 regions of Ukraine: Kiev, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, Odessa, Simferopol, Chernivtsi, Vinnitsa, Poltava, Kharkov and Stakhanov (Lugansk region), Lugansk, Dnepropetrovsk, Snezhnoye and Konstantinovka. Most organizations are ethnic Ukrainians, but the goal is to work with the entire Muslim community of Ukraine. The chairman of the board of the UMMA DUMU is Oleg Guzik, the mufti is Said Ismagilov . DUMU "Ummah" has its own printed edition - the religious-educational newspaper "Ummah" ^[2] . The imams of this organization study mainly at the Islamic universities of Lebanon and Jordan .

On December 5, 2016, an authorized representative of the Ummah DUMU signed the Charter of Muslims of Ukraine .

On December 11, 2017, an authorized representative of the Ummah DUMU signed the Social Concept of Muslims of Ukraine .

For many years, the UMMA DUMU has been actively educating, taking part in the public and political life of Ukraine. In particular, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Ukraine “Ummah” initiated the implementation of the International Youth Summer Schools of Islamic Studies (organizers: Ukrainian Center for Islamic Studies and the All- Union Public Educational Educational Association). By August 2016, five such schools had already been held, in which well-known Ukrainian and foreign scientists took part.

The subject of research by scientists working in the field of Islamic studies was the history and current state of Islam in Ukraine, Western Europe, North America, the Middle East, North, Central Africa, Central Asia and Japan.

During the closing of the V International Youth Summer School of Islamic Studies, which was held in the city of Ostrog (Rivne region), Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of the National University of Ostrog Academy, Professor Petr Kralyuk said:

  “We have certain stereotypes that we are a European nation and should go to Europe (which is fair).  But it is important to remember that we are a European nation, which for many centuries has been a kind of bridge between the Christian and Islamic worlds - and this unique heritage must be protected and developed.  Unfortunately, very little is known to the general public about these things, therefore it is encouraging that not only Muslims, but also Christians and people of other views took part in the School - this makes it a platform for constructive dialogue.  We, Christians, could observe the religious practice of Muslims during the School - it was very interesting and informative ” [3] .

Among the notable events initiated by the Ummah DUMU, an international round table was held in Odessa in March 2016 and was dedicated to the 350th anniversary of the outstanding Turkish writer, historian and traveler Evli Celebi on the lands of southern Ukraine and Crimea. During the round table, for the first time in Ukraine, the monograph of the scientist and researcher Mikhail Yakubovich “Islam in Ukraine: history and modernity” was presented, which included the latest research on the life of Muslims in the lands of Ukraine. The round table was attended by: Said Ismagilov , - mufti DUMU "Ummah"; Seyran Arifov - Deputy Chairman of the All-Union Public Autonomous Educational Establishment; Mariusz Marszewski (Poland) - Doctor of Historical Sciences, employee of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Faculty of History of Poznan University; Tatyana Krupa - head of the restoration workshop of the Museum of Archeology and Ethnography of Sloboda Ukraine, VN Karazin Kharkiv National University; Vitaly Schepansky (Ostrog) - candidate of historical sciences. The round table was held in the Odessa Regional State Administration, which contributed to the successful holding of the event ^[4] .

The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Ukraine “Ummah” together with Islamic centers “Alraid” provides active charity assistance to internally displaced persons from Crimea and Donbass , as well as to poor Muslims. In the month of Ramadan, such help becomes a duty, because this month is a time of mercy and generosity. Islamic Cultural Centers (ICCs) compile lists of poor Muslims who receive food packages. This practice is already traditional for all the ICC of Ukraine ^[5] .

DUMU "Ummah" takes part in the international interfaith dialogue, which aims to achieve mutual understanding between Christians and Muslims in Europe. In December 2015, the Ummah DUMU organized the international round table “The Future of Islamic-Christian Relations in Europe in the Context of Modern Migration Processes” , in which religious scholars, philosophers, Christian and Muslim religious figures from Ukraine, Germany and Poland took part ^[6] .

The participants learned firsthand about the state of Christian-Muslim relations in Western Europe from the example of Germany, because the event was attended by Ahmad von Denffer, a religious figure in the Islamic Center of Munich, and Hans-Ulrich Schaefer, pastor of the German Lutheran Church, who came to Ukraine to serve in local Lutheran community.

Professor Mariusz Marszewski, a researcher at the Oriental Institute of the Faculty of History at the University of Poznan (Poland), presented an analysis of the situation of Muslim communities in Europe during the pontificate of Pope Francis I. He noted that Francis is the first pontiff of non-European descent in 1000 years and he is actively restoring the dialogue with Muslim communities, which ended under his predecessor Benedict XVI . The Mufti of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Ukraine “Ummah” Said Ismagilov took part in the round table.

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