Karnataka: Bantwal masjid opens doors to people from all religions

MANGALURU: A two-decadesold masjid in Dakshina Kannada district has launched an initiative of inviting people from all faiths to visit the shrine, have a glimpse of religious practices and interact with Muslim brethren who offer namaz.
The concept of ‘Nammoora Maseedi Noda Banni’ was introduced at Havva Juma Masjid at Bolangadi in Bantwal taluk, 25km from here, with an aim to allay any misgivings about the religion and build a strong interfaith relationship to nurture communal harmony in the region, according to masjid committee members.
Nearly 300 invited guests from Hindu and Christian communities visited the masjid during its first reach-out on Sunday. Committee member C Abdullah told TOI the masjid committee and Khatib Moulana Yahya Thangal Madani want to ensure people from all religions maintain a cordial relation and preserve harmony.
“Many people do not know how prayers are held in masjids. There is a misconception among many that Muslims and masjids are the cause of discord in society. Hence, the committee developed a concept of inviting people from all faiths to understand the functioning of masjids and interact with religious leaders. We’ve received good response. It has made us think of holding such programmes regularly,” he said.
People from all sections of society, including doctors, engineers, lecturers and others, visited the masjid and appreciated the initiative. “We will keep the masjid open for people from other religions as part of our initiative in the future too. They are welcome to attend religious discourses, which can be delivered in Kannada too,” he said.
Former BJP MLA A Rukmaya Poojary, who attended the reach-out on Sunday, said, “Such initiatives will preserve communal harmony and help develop strong friendly relationships among people from different faiths in society.”