According to an AFP report that has been picked up a few other places, Turkmenbashi said on TV that reading the Rukhnama can guarantee accesss to heaven.
“Anyone who reads the Rukhnama three times will find spiritual wealth, will become more intelligent, will recognize the divine being and will go straight to heaven,” Niyazov said, according to Agence France-Presse.
Niyazov said that while writing his two-volume philosophical and religious tome, he had called on God to reward enthusiastic readers.
Looks like I might just have to extend my break to get some reading done…
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Nathan Hamm – author of 2040 posts on Registan.net.
Nathan founded Registan.net in 2003. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uzbekistan 2000-2001 and received his MA in Central Asian Studies from the University of Washington in 2007. Since 2007, he has worked full-time as an analyst, consulting with clients on Central Asian affairs, specializing in how socio-cultural factors shape risks and opportunities. Follow him on Twitter or drop him a line.