Ramadan in Libya begins tomorrow, Gaddafi says

TRIPOLI, Sep 22 (Reuters) Libyan leader Mummar Gaddafi said the holy month of Ramadan, when the faithful fast from dawn until dusk, would begin tomorrow.

Gaddafi was also quoted by the official Libyan news agency late yesterday as suggesting that Muslims should take their cue from ''Libya's correct Islam'' and begin fasting tomorrow.

''People in Arab and Muslim countries are turning to Libya to know when Ramadan begins and ends because Libya is the state that observes the correct Islam without sects,'' said Gaddafi, quoted by Jana.

The timing of Ramadan can vary in different Muslim countries depending on the sighting of the new moon, which marks the start of the month in Islam's lunar calendar.

Ramadan is Islam's holiest month during which observant believers fast from dawn to dusk.

Libya's constitution is officially based on the Koran but in practice the government's policy is inspired by Gaddafi's Green Book which advocates a complex mix of liberalism and socialism.

REUTERS DKA KN1720