Thousands of Russian Muslims flocked to Moscow\'s main mosque on Tuesday to celebrate Eid al-Adha or feast of sacrifice, a major Islamic holiday that falls at the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. The state-run Russian television network Rossiya broadcast the morning service live, showing crowds of people packing the mosque and the compound surrounding it - similar to the treatment accorded Russian Orthodox Christmas and Easter services. President Vladimir Putin congratulated Russia\'s Muslims on the holiday, known in Russia and other former Soviet republics where most Muslims are of Turkic origin as Qurban Bairam. The holiday \"once more reminds us of imperishable values of Islam - justice, charity, care of close ones. At all times they have served peace and prosperity,\" Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin. \"The development of inter-religious dialogue and cooperation, preservation of unique spiritual heritage are equally essential for followers of all traditional religions of Russia,\" he said. Russian Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism are considered traditional religions in Russia, but Russian Orthodoxy is dominant. Relations between the Russian government and Muslims are sometimes strained, and the Kremlin - fighting a war against militants in mostly Muslim Chechnya- is wary of extremism. Unlike Russian Orthodox Christmas, no Muslim holiday is an official day off throughout Russia, though several mostly Muslim republics in the south observe the feast as an official holiday. About 20 million Muslims live in Russia, and the ITAR-Tass news agency said there are some 900,000 in Moscow. (AP)