Saturday, March 20, 2010
Front Page
Cops dictate terms for Ahmadiyya programmesFront Page
Rashidul Hasan
Bowing to threats of Khatme Nabuwat Movement, Brahmanbaria police yesterday imposed seven conditions on the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat community’s annual religious programme at Kandipara.
Amid death threats issued by Khatme Nabuwat on Ahmadiyya people and threats to foil the programme, police asked Ahmadiyya leaders not to use any loudspeakers in their programme that began yesterday. They also asked them to keep the programme confined to their mosque premise and hold no talks on politics, anti-government movements or anything indecent. The police placed the condition of “no misinterpretation of religion” and finishing the programme by 6:00pm each day of the two-day programme.
The law enforcers in the conditions also outlined discussion topics–Ideals of Hazrat Muhammad (SM) and the Quran–on which the Ahmadiyya leaders will be able to speak on.
Tahffuze Khatme Nabuwat Jubo Sangathan had written to the deputy commissioner of the district asking for help in preventing “anti-Islamic activities”. They claimed that allowing the Ahmadiyya programme to be held could deteriorate law and order in the town.
Ahmadiyya leaders claimed, fundamentalists under the banner of Khatme Nabuwat Movement, which is a Jamaat-e-Islami-backed anti-Ahmadiyya movement, issued death threats on them ahead of their programme.
Several hundred Ahmadiyya people of the area feel insecure as the fanatics vowed to foil the programme. Ahmadiyyas claimed they are holding the programme in a very low-key manner due to the threats.
They said the Khatme Nobuwat people, in front of local Awami League lawmaker Lutful Hai and members of law enforcement agencies, have been staging demonstrations for the last several days chanting slogans like “take an axe, take lethal weapons, decapitate Kadianis [Ahmadiyyas].“
Ahmadiyya leaders said policemen yesterday interfered their programme and stopped them using loudspeakers set up inside the mosque.
The audience on first and second floors cannot hear without the loudspeakers, Ahmed Tabshir Chowdhury, press secretary of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, told The Daily Star last night. He said sound of the internally-used loudspeakers do not even go outside the mosque.
“We feel insecure as the Jamaat-backed fundamentalists are issuing death threats relentlessly. It is unfortunate that the local administration is bowing down before them and imposed several conditions on us,” he said.
Lawmaker Lutful Hai told The Daily Star from his constituency over telephone, “I am facing a peculiar situation. However, I am handling the matter tactfully so that all quarters concerned remain happy.”
He said he was unaware of Khatme Nobuwat men issuing threats.
Talking to The Daily Star over telephone, Brahmanbaria Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Haiyul Kaiyum said, “We have placed some conditions for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat.
“I have asked them [Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat] not to speak about anything or act in such a way that may provoke others.”
Amid death threats issued by Khatme Nabuwat on Ahmadiyya people and threats to foil the programme, police asked Ahmadiyya leaders not to use any loudspeakers in their programme that began yesterday. They also asked them to keep the programme confined to their mosque premise and hold no talks on politics, anti-government movements or anything indecent. The police placed the condition of “no misinterpretation of religion” and finishing the programme by 6:00pm each day of the two-day programme.
The law enforcers in the conditions also outlined discussion topics–Ideals of Hazrat Muhammad (SM) and the Quran–on which the Ahmadiyya leaders will be able to speak on.
Tahffuze Khatme Nabuwat Jubo Sangathan had written to the deputy commissioner of the district asking for help in preventing “anti-Islamic activities”. They claimed that allowing the Ahmadiyya programme to be held could deteriorate law and order in the town.
Ahmadiyya leaders claimed, fundamentalists under the banner of Khatme Nabuwat Movement, which is a Jamaat-e-Islami-backed anti-Ahmadiyya movement, issued death threats on them ahead of their programme.
Several hundred Ahmadiyya people of the area feel insecure as the fanatics vowed to foil the programme. Ahmadiyyas claimed they are holding the programme in a very low-key manner due to the threats.
They said the Khatme Nobuwat people, in front of local Awami League lawmaker Lutful Hai and members of law enforcement agencies, have been staging demonstrations for the last several days chanting slogans like “take an axe, take lethal weapons, decapitate Kadianis [Ahmadiyyas].“
Ahmadiyya leaders said policemen yesterday interfered their programme and stopped them using loudspeakers set up inside the mosque.
The audience on first and second floors cannot hear without the loudspeakers, Ahmed Tabshir Chowdhury, press secretary of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, told The Daily Star last night. He said sound of the internally-used loudspeakers do not even go outside the mosque.
“We feel insecure as the Jamaat-backed fundamentalists are issuing death threats relentlessly. It is unfortunate that the local administration is bowing down before them and imposed several conditions on us,” he said.
Lawmaker Lutful Hai told The Daily Star from his constituency over telephone, “I am facing a peculiar situation. However, I am handling the matter tactfully so that all quarters concerned remain happy.”
He said he was unaware of Khatme Nobuwat men issuing threats.
Talking to The Daily Star over telephone, Brahmanbaria Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Haiyul Kaiyum said, “We have placed some conditions for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat.
“I have asked them [Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat] not to speak about anything or act in such a way that may provoke others.”
URL: www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=130840
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