 Until a year ago everything was just a dream. We had set out to introduce the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in all aspects to the world and respond to publication and attacks against him by means of this age's influential tool, the internet. Instead of being defensive or aggressive while doing this, we wanted to produce an aesthetic and original work on a scholarly and intellectual foundation. Preparations were completed within the short period of 6 months and the lastprophet.info began publication in Turkish and English. The opening gala for our Russian Page took place with large and enthusiastic participation on September 18th in Kazan, the capitol of Tataristan which is tied to the Russian Federation. Why Russian?Russian is a language used by more than 200 million Muslims. It is used in the Turkic Republics outside the Russian Federation. When the near impossibility of publishing in individual local languages was taken into consideration, we set out with the objective of publishing in languages like Russian, English, Arabic and Spanish which are used in different lands by millions and which facilitate reaching different cultures and ethnicities. As a first step, we began publishing in three languages. Publishing in other widespread languages is among our goals over the long run. Why Kazan? Kazan is a center that has maintained its magnificence and nobility with its thousand-year past and historical and cultural fabric in spite of all the difficulties and invasions it has experienced throughout history. Due to common language, religion and culture, we do not feel like strangers in this city where 46% of the population are Tatar Muslims, and we are hosted in a familiar style. Because Russian is a language used over a broad geographical area, the local perceptions of different nations using the language and the formation of differences in the usage of terminology produced the necessity of choosing a center. We worked with an expert and capable team in regard to translation and taking Moscow Russian as a base for theological terminology. The positive reactions we received in Tataristan implied that this effort fulfilled a need and its being scholastic would increase trust. This incomparable city whose official language is Russian and whose youth show a strong inclination towards Islam and its Prophet was the most suitable place for an opening in view of all these reasons. OpeningThe opening of posledniyprorok.info in this beautiful historical city took place with the participation of the city's religious, administrative and political protocol. The Tataristan Mufti Osman Ishakov, Asst. Director of Turkish Religious Affairs Professor Mehmet Gormez, and Meridyen Support Association President Fatma Bayram each made a speech at the gala on September 18th. After the speeches, iftar dinner was served to close to 1000 invited guests, and the evening ended with a magnificent concert by Mehmet Kemiksiz and his group after the prayer |
