Russian hotels ready to provide "Halal" rooms for Muslims

The project in conjunction with the Russian Council of Muftis which says the demand for products that comply with Islamic norms is growing. The rooms will have a translated copy of the Quran, a prayer rug and an indication of Mecca.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The Russian Council of Muftis, together with representatives of the hotel industry, have launched a project for the provision of rooms in hotels for Muslim customers, that meet Halal standards ( "permissible" in Arabic ).

"Today we are seeing a rise in Muslim travellers in Russia, there is demand for accomodation that complies with Islamic standards," the director general of the International Centre for Halal certification from the Russian Council of Muftis, Aidar Gazizov, told Interfax.

The Council will help promote this kind of rooms in Moscow hotels, and Russian regions. The project will be implemented first in the capital and then in the provinces, where there is a larger Muslim presence: the North Caucasus, Urals, Altai and the Volga region.

"The popularity of halal food is growing: not only Muslims choose it, because people understand that there is an additional quality control by our experts - says Gazizov - The same applies to hotels".

The representative explained that under Islamic norms the rooms will not contain sculptures or paintings of animals and people, they will contain translations of the Quran, prayer mats and availability of halal food. Rooma will also indicate the direction of the Kaaba, the sacred shrine of Mecca, toward which faithful must pray.

Gazizov concludes that the project aims to cover all segments of the hotel industry: from cheap hotels to those business and luxury. With nearly 20 million believers, the Muslim is the second largest religious community in Russia after Orthodox Christianity.

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