No to terrorism during Ramadan, chairman of Russia's muftis says
On the eve of the holy month of Ramadan Russians Muslims pray for Beslan victims as well.
Moscow (AsiaNews) "In the month of Ramadan, Muslims will pray to Allah that tragedies like the one in Beslan may not happen again," Ravil Gaynutdin, chairman of Russia's muftis, said yesterday in a press conference. Mufti Gaynutdin pointed out that this year Ramadan is beginning just a few days after the end of the mourning period for the victims of the school massacre in North Ossetia. "Whoever commits terrorist acts during this holy month for Islam has no religion," he stressed.
In reference to the terrorists who carried out the Beslan attack, he said that "they have not followed the Quran but Satan and cannot considered themselves believers; they are just murderers".
Gaynutdin said that Russian Muslims will pray for peace in the whole northern Caucasus, in Palestine and Iraq. "We shall turn to Allah that he may give Iraqis the possibility of becoming independent and be able to shape their future on their own," he said.
The Council of Russia's muftis announced that it would pay closer attention to the upbringing of the young that they may have "a true and healthy" understanding of Islam to prevent them from falling into "extremist radical fringe groups".
According to Gaynudtin the Council must first and foremost embody the values "of humanism that is typical of Russia's monotheistic religions".
"Our prophet Muhammad taught us that Islam is a religion of the middle ground," he said, "one that rejects extremism and terrorism. We must commit ourselves to spreading values such as love and religious tolerance," he added.
There are about 14 million Muslims in Russia representing about 10 per cent of the total population.
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar. It was in this period that Muhammad received his first Quranic revelation.
As the holy month of fasting, it is one of the five pillars of the faith for it is written in the Quran that fasting was instituted so that all the faithful "be able to cultivate piety". (MA)
.png)
