Letter 1

Eid congregational prayer 

Since childhood we have been taught that Islam is a religion that upholds the equality of man. And we should all try to imbibe this lesson in everyday life. There can be no denying that this is a fundamental lesson of Islam. There is no place for class division or caste distinction in Islam. However, in practice this noble teaching of Islam is sometimes grossly violated.
  The Eid congregational prayer is an occasion when the equality of man is to be particularly highlighted. Unfortunately this is the occasion when this basic teaching is most audaciously flouted. No one should be treated as patrician or plebeian, VIP or commoner, in this congregation and all must bend their heads in prayer before Allah in a common assembly behind an imam. The imam is the only person who leads the congregation and has precedence over the rest of devotees. Yet every year we see photographs of the Eid jamaat where the president of the republic and other high-ups are invariably in the first row, just behind the imam. This year too we are waiting to see a similar photograph of an un-Islamic practice. How is it that the president and the top functionaries of the state are invariably in the first row in an assembly that should be no respecter of class or rank or protocol? This is un-Islamic and sinful. Will the authorities speak up?
  Gedu Bepari
  Dhaka