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Millions
Of Muslims Gather To Pray For World Peace
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| Thousands
of Muslim devotees join a prayer at the end of a three-day World Islamic
Congregation in Bangladesh |
DHAKA,
Bangladesh, Jan. 22 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Some four million
Muslims from around the world prayed for global peace and harmony at the end of
a grand Islamic congregation in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, news agencies
reported.
Religious
scholars and devotees from about 75 countries joined Monday, January 21, the
“Biswa Ijtema” (World Gathering), the biggest Muslim gathering after the
annual “Haj” pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Organizers
of the congregation said the scholars delivered religious sermons explaining the
greatness of Islam, how it shunned violence and promoted peace.
They
urged Muslims to follow in the footsteps of The Messanger of Allah, Prophet
Muhammad (Allah’s Peace and Prayers Be Upon Him) who renounced violence in all
forms.
Muslims
from Saudi Arabia, the United States, Russia, Pakistan, China, Malaysia,
Indonesia, Kuwait, India and South Africa participated at the annual gathering.
The
President of Bangladesh, Professor Badruddoza Chowdhury; Prime Minister, Begum
Khaleda Zia; and leader of opposition, Sheikh Hasina, joined the Akheri Munajat
where the congregation prayed for the welfare of the Muslims and their greater
solidarity.
The
world's second largest Islamic congregation started Saturday, January 19, in
Bangladesh on the banks of the river Turag 20 kilometers north of Dhaka.
About four million people participated in the "Akheri Munajat" (final
supplication) Monday, Bangladesh's BSS news agency quoted local administration
and Ijtema sources as saying.
The
three-day congregation is held annually at the Ijtema site in the town of Tongi
since 1966 and is attended by people from all over the world.
It
is organized by the Tablighi Jamaat, one of the most important Islamic movements
of the world that is based in Delhi and has branches in many parts of the world.
Since the deadly Sept. 11 attacks on the United States blamed on suspected
Muslim suicide bombers, Arab and Muslim worlds have been the subject of “a
campaign of hatred” launched by some western media organizations, widely
believed to be pro-Israeli.
Islam
-- the word is derived from the word ‘peace’ in Arabic -- has become the
target of a vicious campaign by some westerners recently.
British
Prime Minister, Tony Blair, addressing a symposium on ‘Islamic-Christian
Dialogue’ in London, Thursday, January 17, 2002, emphasized that “religion
(Islam, Christianity, and Judaism alike) is an endless source of richness once
applied correctly”.
Blair
added that “a religion subjected to deformation could pose an immense threat
to stability and peace worldwide,” BBC’s online news service reported.
Both
Arab and Islamic worlds feel outraged widely over ‘dual judgement’ by the
West in tackling the issue of terrorism and violence.
While
branding Palestinians resisting daily Israeli atrocities and occupation as
“terrorists”, the West, led by the United States, deem the Israeli
destruction of Palestinians homes and leaving them in the open air to suffer
cold and starvation, as “self-defense”.
With
additional reporting by IOL correspondent in India
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