Ayder Rustemov
Supreme Mufti of Crimea, Head of the Religious Administration of Muslims of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea
Religious Administration of Muslims of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea
The Religious Administration of Muslims of Crimea (RAMC) was among the first founding members of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) in 1996, representing the largest Muslim community in Ukraine - the Crimean Tatars, the indigenous people of Ukraine. It is with the history of the Crimean Tatar people that the more than thousand-year history of Islam in Ukraine begins.
After the occupation of Ukrainian Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014, the activities of religious organizations, including the RAMC, were effectively suspended. The systematic violation of religious rights and freedoms of believers in Crimea led to the fact that thousands of Crimean Tatars and Muslims of Crimea were forced to leave the peninsula for the territory of mainland Ukraine, forming Muslim communities in places of compact residence. These communities initiated the creation of a renewed Religious Administration of Muslims of Crimea, which was registered as the Religious Administration of Muslims of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. This initiative was supported by the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.
After the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and the implementation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine decision to ban the activities of religious organizations affiliated with centers of influence in Russia in Ukraine, the membership of the Religious Administration of Muslims of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (RAMC), as a representation of Ukrainian citizens - residents of Crimea who profess Islam, was restored to the UCCRO on July 18, 2023.
Today, the RAM of Crimea is the only spiritual and religious institution of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people. The activities of the Religious Administration of Muslims of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea since its establishment and to this day are widely and positively known in Ukraine and abroad. In Crimea, occupied by Russia, the RAMC is identified as a spiritual center that acts as a voice and representative of Crimean Muslims in the state authorities of Ukraine, as well as on various national and international platforms.
Contacts:
Address: 2 Bolsunovska St., office 233, Kyiv, Ukraine 01014
Phone: +38 063 221 54 64
E-mail: dumk.info@gmail.com
Website: dumk.org
Socail media: facebook.com/dumkinfo