DUSHANBE
, March 12, 2010, Asia-Plus — President Emomali Rahmon yesterday sent a telegram of condolences to Egyptian President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak over the death of Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, according to presidential press service.
In his message, President Rahmon, in particular, noted that the Tajik people and the whole Islamic world do honor to Sheikh Tantawi for his great contributions to the world of knowledge
Egypt
”s foremost Muslim cleric, Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, died, aged 81, while on a trip to
Saudi Arabia
on March 10.
Sheikh Tantawi was the Grand Imam of the al-Azhar mosque and head of the
al-Azhar
University
, Sunni Islam”s center of learning and scholarship.
He died of a heart attack in the Saudi capital
Riyadh
, where he was attending a prize-giving ceremony.
Sheikh Tantawi was one of the most prominent and respected moderate voices in the Sunni Muslim world.
He had infuriated radical Islamists with his moderate views on women wearing the veil.
For 14 years, Tantawi used his position as grand sheikh of
Al-Azhar
University
in
Cairo
to defend traditional interpretations of Sunni Islam against challenges from radical Islamist groups.
He repeatedly condemned the use of terrorist attacks against civilian targets and labeled extremism in general as against Islam.
Sheikh Tantawi visited
Tajikistan
in October 2009 to attend an international ceremony to celebrate the Great Imam Abu Hanifa al-Nu’man bin Thabit
