Russian Muslim Scholar Calls For Ramadan Bombing Halt
MOSCOW, Nov 5 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Russia's chief Islamic mufti (top scholar who gives religious verdicts), Talgat Tadzhuddin, called Monday for a pause in U.S. bombing raids in Afghanistan during the holy month of Ramadan, saying that to continue the strikes would be sacrilegious, news agencies reported.
"Civilians should not be victims of the anti-terrorist campaign," Tadzhuddin told Interfax. He also criticized the number of civilian casualties the U.S. airsrikes on Afghanistan have caused since they were launched nearly a month ago.
"The Americans will cause a new series of terrorist acts if they do not respect the sensibilities of other religions," Tadzhuddin warned, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
"Missiles and carpet bombing are not the best way of fighting against terrorism.
"While the special operation in Afghanistan could continue during Ramadan," added Tadzhuddin, "the bombing raids must cease because missile and blanket bombing are not the tools to fight terrorists."
Russia is home to around 20 million Muslims with one out of every seven Russians being a Muslim.
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld indicated Sunday, during a visit to Pakistan, that the air strikes in Afghanistan were set to continue through Ramadan - which begins around November 17 - despite widespread misgivings in the Islamic world.
Rumsfeld said Sunday that Washington was "sensitive" to the feelings of Islamabad and other Muslim supporters over the issue of Ramadan, but Washington could not afford a lull in the bombing.
"Our task is certainly to be sensitive to the views of the region but also to see that we aggressively deal with the terrorist networks that exist," added Rumsfield.
Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf warned that continuing military operations through Ramadan would "have a huge negative fallout" among Muslim states.
Muslim community leaders and politicians throughout Asia have also warned that Muslims in the region could become more hostile if U.S. air strikes continue into the month when Muslims are required to fast and reflect on their faith.
