SOCHI, August 29 (Itar-Tass) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev believes that far more active work must be conducted in the mass media and in the world web to explain the true, genuine values of Islam to promote religious education and to create a counterbalance to extremist information products.
In his statement at a meeting in support of the religious Muslim organizations of the North Caucasus, the Russian head of state said that such work in the mass media and in the internet was a very complex and delicate matter, but at the same time a vital need.
“So far it looks rather weak, if one compares the influence on people’s minds of the extremist sites and of normal sites that explain the nature of Islam and its dogmas that there exist in our country. Regrettably, the score will not be to the advantage of the sites that have been created here, including those at the universities concerned,” the president said.
“This work must be stepped up. We shall never persuade anyone to stop using the Internet. Also we are aware that we shall fail to block this sort of extremist sites. There will emerge mirror sites and from there we shall have the same flow of absolutely extremist information and calls,” Medvedev said.
“I do enter the Internet myself from time to time to see what they write there. The stuff is hair-raising. It has nothing to do with Islam or with any ideology at all,” Medvedev said. “I do hope that we shall be able to continue this work with the Islamic clergy in coordination with the presidential staff.”
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