Window on Eurasia: Russia’s Muslims Now Have Their Own Television Channel

Paul Goble

Vienna, May 17 – Muslims in the Russian Federation can now watch their own television channel. Organized and maintained by the Union of Russian Muftis in Moscow, the channel – available so far only via the Internet at http://www.islam.tv -- currently broadcasts 11 hours a day of programming about Muslim questions.
The channel’s website, through which the programming is streamed, currently shows a variety of films, children’s programs, and illustrated readings from the Koran. In the future, the station plans to broadcast weekly news summaries and to launch a distance learning series for all interested Muslims.
In addition to the television stream, the station’s website, which was reviewed today the news portal of the Muslim Spiritual Directorate (MSD) of Tatarstan (http://www.e-islam.ru/news/1390), offers books and DVDs by mail and features information on Muslim festivals and prayer times.