Imams need to speak against militancy

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday reiterated that the country's imams need to speak against militancy, drug abuse, and criminal activities while delivering sermons before Jumma prayers.

During a press briefing after a meeting of his ministry at the secretariat, he referred to the recent visit of two Saudi Arabia Islamic scholars to explain how imams in Bangladesh need to speak against militancy.

“They [the Saudi imams] spoke unequivocally against militancy and killing of human beings, and said those people have no place in Islam. Our imams need to speak this way,” he said.

While delivering the verdict on an appeal over the murder of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider, the High Court recently came up with some observations about the roles, among others, the imams should play so that youths do not get involved in militancy.

“An imam's duty is to conduct the prayers to religious Musullies [devotees] at a mosque and to give them the right guidance about Islam. He [imam] will not deliver any speech which is contrary to the laws of the land,” the HC observed.