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== The Clipping ==

Moscow, May 15, Interfax – Islamic teaching admits extraterrestrial intelligence, the Muftis’ Council of Russia representative stated. 

“According to the Holy Koran, the Almighty speaks about creation of various worlds. We know the world of people, jinns, plants and animals. Perhaps, we don’t know everything. The Creator can create anything. Other creatures may inhabit the worlds out of our reach,” the chairman of the international department of the Muftis’ Council Rushan Abbyasov was quoted as saying by the Moskovsky Komsomolets daily on Thursday. 

He cited a Koran’s sura saying “Praise Allah, the Lord of the worlds!” and noted that thus the holy Muslim Book confirmed “that other civilizations may exist.”

“As to the question whether aliens bear original sin or not, there is no notion of original sin in Islam. In fact, the Koran says that if a baby dies, it goes right to the paradise because it is pure and innocent,” Abbyasov said. 

Rabbi Zinovy Kogan said that “the Lord is the first cause for everything existing in micro and macro worlds.” 

“It couldn’t be excluded that other creatures similar to man exist in other worlds,” he stressed. 

The Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations secretary for inter-Christian affairs Fr. Igor Vyzhanov noted that the question of UFO-people existence had nothing to do with Christian dogmatics as it considered the question of saving human soul. 

“I think that both Orthodox and Catholic theologians, if asked, will split up. Some will say: existing of extraterrestrial life is possible, how can we deny God’s creative power. The others will say that the earthy life is unique. Though this question is absolutely insignificant for the Church, it’s not even a scientific question, but just idle curiosity,” the priest concluded. 


== Credits ==

Special thanks to Interfax.

== External Links ==

* [http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=4678 Original Interfax News Article]

[[Category:UFO_Newspaper_Clippings]]