Moscow: First Polyclininc for Muslims

Moscow, December 5, Interfax - The first experimental policlinic for Muslims will be opened in Moscow on Wednesday.

"The policlinic will strictly abide by Sharia law by observing, above all, gender differences in its services. Women will be served by specialists from the female department and men by those from the male department," Anna Kisko, a spokesperson from a clinical network opening this institution, told Interfax.

The administrative personnel will also be dressed accordingly to Sharia law, i.e. the doctors will only have their hands open and female doctors will have to wear headscarves or possibly hijabs, she said.

Read on at Interfax-Religion (English)

Also, check out this article on AsiaNews.it:

The creation of a Muslim hospital is backed by Russia’s health ministry and the Mufti Council of Russia. Ravil Gainutdin, the council’s chairman, could not hide his satisfaction over the initiative. For him the new facility “will be useful not only for Russian Muslims but also for personnel from the embassies of Muslim countries in Russia, especially women, who are forced to go abroad for treatment.”

The Mufti Council of Russia has indeed promoted the creation of a movement called “Muslims for Putin.”

I don't know about "Muslims for Putin" (how about "Muslims for Chechenya"?), but back to the polyclinic...I think it is very considerate gesture from the Russian authorities. I don't have very much background on Russian politics so I'm not sure if this is a bribe or cover-up of some sort, but I'll take it at face value and show my appreciation.

On a side note, I think some of the gender guidelines are a bit...what shall I say...too much? Forcing female doctors to wear hijab and having a partition in the TV room...in Russia?!

What I would really like to see is a Muslim hospital, run and funded by Muslims, and serving the general community with Islamic values: brotherly love, professionalism, compassion, and integrity to name a few. Islam is much more than a scarf and a partition and it would be great to see Muslims on the giving rather than the receiving end.

Also, I don't see why some of those measures cannot be integrated into all hospitals in Russia...Muslims don't need their own hospitals, schools, shopping malls...all it takes is some awareness and consideration from the service providers.

Halal cafeteria sounds great though!