KOLKATA: An outfit of imams with thousands of members has urged the Bengal government to extend the lockdown till the end of May saying “Eid celebrations can wait” even as other Muslim religious leaders and members of civil society have urged the community to tone down celebrations by staying at home, not crowding markets and increasing the amount of zakat (an Islamic levy).
The Calcutta Khilafat Committee is also scheduled to meet this week to decide if prayers on Red Road, which is attended by over 3 lakh people, will be held. Sources said it was just a formality before an official announcement.
Eid, the most important Muslim festival, is to be celebrated in the fourth week of May. But owing to the pandemic, mosques are shut during Ramzan, special evening prayers have been cancelled and there are no iftar congre-gations at local mosques for the poor. People are offering namaz at home.
In a letter addressed to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the Bengal Imams’ Association, a body of several imams and muezzins from mosques across the state, has appealed that the current lockdown should be extended till the end of May to achieve the “desired result” of containing the virus.
“Eid celebrations can wait. We have sacrificed a lot till now and don’t want our efforts to go waste by lifting the lockdown prematurely. We will not question the government for reopening other shops or not allowing Eid markets in pockets of the city. The government should not withdraw the lockdown prematurely at any cost,’ said Mohammad Yahya, chairman of the association.
“The coronavirus pandemic has forced all of us to change our customs and traditions and Muslims in the state have been quick to adapt by observing Ramzan and offering namaz at home. We must celebrate the festival of Eid, too, in a similar manner respecting the lockdown rules and social-distancing guidelines,” said Qari Fazlur Rahman, who leads the Eid prayers on Red Road every year.
“There are two aspects that we have to remember this Eid. First, any negligence will not only put our lives but even of those close to us in danger. It is important to follow social-distancing if we want to stop the transmission of this virus so avoid crowding in the markets. Second, there are people who have lost their livelihoods and are struggling to make ends meet. Let us celebrate by coming to their help,” he added.
Several Muslim youths have also taken to social media to urge the community to stay home and not splurge on new clothes and food. “Instead increase the amount of zakat so that we can help more people who have either lost their jobs or can’t open their shops due to the lockdown,” said Salena Ahmed, an advertisement and communications professional.
The Calcutta Khilafat Committee is also scheduled to meet this week to decide if prayers on Red Road, which is attended by over 3 lakh people, will be held. Sources said it was just a formality before an official announcement.
Eid, the most important Muslim festival, is to be celebrated in the fourth week of May. But owing to the pandemic, mosques are shut during Ramzan, special evening prayers have been cancelled and there are no iftar congre-gations at local mosques for the poor. People are offering namaz at home.
In a letter addressed to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the Bengal Imams’ Association, a body of several imams and muezzins from mosques across the state, has appealed that the current lockdown should be extended till the end of May to achieve the “desired result” of containing the virus.
“Eid celebrations can wait. We have sacrificed a lot till now and don’t want our efforts to go waste by lifting the lockdown prematurely. We will not question the government for reopening other shops or not allowing Eid markets in pockets of the city. The government should not withdraw the lockdown prematurely at any cost,’ said Mohammad Yahya, chairman of the association.
“The coronavirus pandemic has forced all of us to change our customs and traditions and Muslims in the state have been quick to adapt by observing Ramzan and offering namaz at home. We must celebrate the festival of Eid, too, in a similar manner respecting the lockdown rules and social-distancing guidelines,” said Qari Fazlur Rahman, who leads the Eid prayers on Red Road every year.
“There are two aspects that we have to remember this Eid. First, any negligence will not only put our lives but even of those close to us in danger. It is important to follow social-distancing if we want to stop the transmission of this virus so avoid crowding in the markets. Second, there are people who have lost their livelihoods and are struggling to make ends meet. Let us celebrate by coming to their help,” he added.
Several Muslim youths have also taken to social media to urge the community to stay home and not splurge on new clothes and food. “Instead increase the amount of zakat so that we can help more people who have either lost their jobs or can’t open their shops due to the lockdown,” said Salena Ahmed, an advertisement and communications professional.
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