Riyadh, Dhul Hijja 15/Feb 27 (IINA) – The Ukraine Republic is one of the republics of the former Soviet Union, but became independent in 1991 and is situated in Eastern Europe, with a population of 50 million. The country has good relations with a number of Islamic countries, among them the Caucasus countries, Turkey, and the Balkans. Muslims account for around two million of the population made of various ethnic nationalities, such as Tartars, Azeris, Tajiks, Chechens, and others, and are mostly found in the large cities, such as the capita, Kiev.

The government authorities in the Ukraine have allowed the Muslims to practice their faith, and have also returned to them their mosques that were confiscated during the Communist era, and in 1996 allowed the Muslims to build a large mosque and open the Ukraine College of Islamic Studies in 1999, at the Ibn Fadhlan Mosque in Danisk.

The Mufti of Ukraine, Sheikh Ahmed Mutii Tamim, told the DAWA MAGAZINE, that Muslim Daawa activists in the country are keen on spreading the word of Islam, and not less than 10,000 former Christians have, in fact, embraced Islam. He added, however, that what is now needed is the publication and printing of Islamic books and other Islamic literature, over and above the construction of mosques and Islamic centers.

OB/OB/IINA