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