UFA, March 16. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Muslims will support the people of Crimea in their decision to be made in today’s referendum, the head of the Central Muslim Board of Russia, Talgat Tadjuddin, said on Sunday.

“What we are witnesses to in Crimea and Ukraine today is our great heartsore,” Tadjuddin said. “When the neighbour’s home is on fire, you’ve got to hurry to rescue. The fire may spread to your own home, too. Ukrainians are part and parcel of the Slavic world, of Orthodox Christians, and there are 120 million of them in Russia.”

“The Crimean Tatars are our blood brothers, Tadjuddin said.

In his opinion Russia bears triple responsibility for the people of the Crimea - by virtue of faith, proximity and kinship.

“If the decision is made to return to Russia’s fold, we shall accept this with great joy,” he said. “The whole of our great country will help achieve that.”

Tadjuddin said that all donations collected by parishioners at Ufa’s mosques over a month will be sent to Crimea for restoring a mosque in Simferopol. The Central Muslim Board of Russia will participate in the restoration of the church.