School for Islam opens in Russian mosque ++REPLAY++ 

(16 Nov 2018) RUSSIA ISLAM LESSONS
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
RESTRICTIONS: AP CLIENTS ONLY
LENGTH: 3:47
ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia - 10 November 2018
1. Various of exterior of Galeev mosque
2. Man demonstrating how to perform ritual cleaning
3. Close of hands and arms being washed, UPSOUND (Russian) "First the right one, then the left one."
4. Men performing ritual cleaning
5. Wide of "One-Day School" lesson for men
6. Teacher speaking at the One-Day School lesson, UPSOUND (Russian) "It is advised to wear a taqiyah, the head should be covered."
7. Various of students listening
8. Wide of lesson
9. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Muhammad Miftakhov, Imam:
"Knowledge is the key. So these five lessons are the beginning. Certainly we focus on the most important, and the most important in the basics of Islam is performing Salah. It's the first thing… no, excuse me, it's the second thing, the first thing is faith and then the performance of Salah. Of course if a person doesn't have faith - as we know there is no compulsion in religion - no one should force a person to convert to Islam if he doesn't want to."
10. Various of One-Day School lesson for women
11. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Venera Gaynanova, One Day School student:
"I had no experience of performing Salah, no one has taught me but I had this wish (to learn). At the beginning you have lots of questions and I needed a place with like minded people, where we can ask questions together and learn how to perform Salah correctly."
12. Teacher showing how to pray UPSOUND (Russian) "You should understand that when you raise your hands you are visiting Allah, everything worldly should disappear."
13. Various of female students and teacher performing Salah
14. Cutaway of student book reading (Russian) "Islam. First steps. Things that change your life"
15. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Lilya Ilyasova, teacher at One-Day School:
"Sometimes people are afraid to come to the mosque. They have these fears like 'I don't perform Salah' or 'I don't wear hijab' or 'I know nothing, how can I come, they will see that I'm wrong, they will probably berate me'. No, it's not true. Everyone has his own way to Islam. The aim (of the school) was to make it easy for people to come to the mosque."
16. Various of men praying
17. People in the mosque
LEADIN:
A school for Islam has opened in a mosque in Kazan.
The 'One-Day School' offers lessons, from purification rituals to the life of Prophet Muhammad.
STORYLINE:
Galeev mosque in Kazan - now a place of learning as well as devotion.
The Spiritual Board of Tartar Muslims has launched a school for Islam here, called One-Day School.
It offers five lessons - one per week - on the main basics of Islam.
These men are learning the rules for ritual purification.
"It is advised to wear a taqiyah, the head should be covered," explains the teacher.
The mosque's Imam, Muhammad Miftakhov, says the project is about knowledge and that no one should feel they have to convert to a faith.
"The first thing is faith and then the performance of Salah. Of course if a person doesn't have faith - as we know there is no compulsion in religion - no one should force a person to convert to Islam if he doesn't want to," he says.
The lessons are free, conducted in both Russian and Tatar. Anyone aged from 12 to 60 - regardless of his or her religion - can participate.
Venera Gaynanova is a One Day School student and has been learning the Salah prayer ritual:
However, she reassures: "Everyone has his own way to Islam."
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