Khatib slams vandalism at nat'l mosque

The Khatib (chief imam) of the national mosque Baitul Mukarram yesterday lambasted those who resorted to vandalism inside the mosque on Friday last in the name of protesting alleged atheist activities of the bloggers at Shahbagh.
Terming mosques as the most sacred places on earth, the Khatib, Maulana Mohammad Salauddin, said all must be respectful to the sanctity of mosques where Muslims bow down to Almighty Allah.
The Khatib and the director general (DG) of Islamic Foundation that manages and supervises the national mosque addressed a press conference against the backdrop of Friday's incident.
The DG, Shamim Mohammad Afzal, said "followers of Moududi" (In Bangladesh, Jamaat-e-Islami men are known as Moududi followers) were involved in Friday's incident, and they torched floor mat of the national mosque, pulled up tiles and engaged in other acts of vandalism inside it.
Terming "Moududi followers" as oppressors, Shamim demanded that the authorities identify these people who desecrated the national mosque under the banner of Islamist parties.
In this situation, the Islamic Foundation has decided to keep the North Gate of the mosque closed every Friday till further notice to prevent using it as a platform for any political party's programmes.
Announcing this, the DG called upon all devotees to use the West, East and South gates of the mosque on Fridays to maintain the sanctity of the mosque and to keep it free from any political activity.
“We have taken the decision so that none can use the North Gate of the national mosque as a platform for political activities, which desecrate the mosque,” Shamim said.
About the vandalism on Friday, he said those involved in it are enemies of Islam and the country. “They pose a serious threat to the sovereignty of our country.”