National mosque
Photo: Munir Uz Zaman / Driknews
An editorial titled 'Sanctity of the national mosque' appeared in The Daily Star of January 18, 2009. What was happening there at the mosque every Friday since the beginning of this year is a shame for all of us. About the involvement of the government in the appointment of a Khatib, I have a question. Why should the government get involved in the management of a mosque? Is it managing the religious institutions of the other major religious communities of the country, the Hindus, the Buddhists and the Christians? I wish to raise some questions fundamental. (a) If we are a nation of Bangladeshis, we can not have a national institution for the Muslims only. The leaders of the Hindu community at Dhaka wanted their Dhakeshwari Mondir to be called 'national' mondir. If that demand was accepted, and Islam calls for 'Insaf' (fair treatment) to all, the Buddhists and the Christians may ask for recognition of their prayer houses as 'national' ones (b) Are we Muslims prepared to call the Dhakeswari Mondir our national mondir or place of prayer of the nation of Bangladeshis? If not, why then the Hindus or the people of other religious communities in Bangladesh are expected to call our mosque at Baitul Mukarram 'national'? (c) As for the piece of land owned by the government for all Bangladeshis that is called the 'national' Eidgah, is it called so legally? Muslims may say their prayers there on Eid days but can not claim ownership of the land without paying a legitimate price for it. That is a legal requirement of Islam too. (d) On the occasion of Eids, special flags are hoisted throughout the city of Dhaka and that too is a deviation from remaining impartial to all religious communities of the country. As for 'taking out procession from the mosque compound and organising political rallies outside the gate" mentioned in that editorial, all mosques, Baitul Mukarram and others, should surely remain out of bounds to partisan politics. But the management of such holy places and the persons who conduct prayers in those places should also be acceptable to those who attend these places regularly for prayers.
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