Ramadan a chance for the faithful: President says in Ramadan Address

SANA’A, Oct 14, (Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh stressed in Thursday’s address to the nation in welcoming of Ramadan that Ramadan is a chance for the faithful to improve their values of patience, solidarity and compassion. “There is a great deal of advantages in fasting as confirmed by scholars of religion, medicine and sociology. This makes it compelling for Moslems to make full use of the rite of fasting, as individuals, they have to improve their relations with each other, and the way they deal with challenges of the new life.” “Fasting is a special worship, therefore it builds cordial relations and establishes the essence of equality (among people),” he asserts. “It is like a thirty-day training course where the faithful exercise for the power of their spirits and minds.” President Saleh maintained that the virtue of fasting must include that the faithful abstain from arrogance and extravagance in trimmings of weddings. He reminded people that Ramadan is that with the approach of the holy month, we are also celebrating the new anniversary of the 14th October Revolution. “Like no time before, today we are required to double our efforts in carrying out our duty. I am sure that the present and the future are in favor of our people whose civilization is based on freedom, democracy and the principles of comprehensive development.” As for the fight against terror, the President said “our country has exert and is still exerting so many efforts to stave off terrorism and tackle extremism with all means possible including theological dialogue”. Saleh regretted what is happening in Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, and Somalia. He accused Israel of committing the most ruthless crimes against the Palestinians before the heedlessness international community. He called on the Moslem people to raise funds for the families of the Palestinian victims of Israeli massacres and on the international community to press on Israel comply with the Roadmap to peace plan and help create the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. He called on all sections of the Iraqi people to cooperate in getting Iraq out of its circle of violence, a state that entails an end of occupation. He also urged them to “ensure the unity, independence and stability of their country.” The President concluded his address saying Yemen would stick to its foreign policy which is based on the principles of respect, good neighborhood and refraining from interference in the interior affairs of others. AA/AA SABA