DUSHANBE, September 25, Asia-Plus - President Emomali Rahmonov has congratulated Tajikistan’s Muslims on the beginning of a holy Muslim month of Ramadan that started this year on September 24.  

In a message of congratulations, posted on the president’s web site on September 24, Emomali Rahmonov said, “Dear compatriots, I sincerely congratulate all of you on the beginning of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which is the month of spiritual cleansing and bodily harmony and has higher spiritual and moral potential.”  

In his message of congratulations, President Rahmonov noted that the great 30-day Muslim fasting promotes the strengthening of such qualities in people as restraint, wisdom, tolerance, compassion and mercy for many centuries.

“High spirituality and Islamic culture should serve for each Muslim as a guiding line of life and keep from unworthy actions,” Rahmonov stressed. 

“Under the present conditions, when some politicians from different countries are attributing the activities of terrorist and extremist forces to Islam and the Muslim people, we should not give cause to manifestation of religious extremism.”  “Islam has always called for tolerance and condemned any kinds of extremism,” said Rahmonov, “Therefore our people having ancient civilization have always come out for constructive dialogue between civilizations.”