Ramadan to begin on Sunday -leading Shi'ite cleric

BEIRUT, Sep 19 (Reuters) Lebanon's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric today said the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when the faithful fast from dawn until dusk, would begin on Sunday.

''It has been confirmed to us by credible astronomical methods that the start of the blessed month of Ramadan coincides with Sunday, September 24,'' Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah said in a statement.

''We call for Islamic unity and the rejection of all calls for differences ... '' Muslims in different parts of the world often disagree on the first day of Ramadan and can begin the month-long fast a few days apart as some clerics prefer to wait for first sight of the new moon.

REUTERS DKA KP1834