‘Religion Is Personal, Festivals Are for Everyone’ Slogan Against Faith: Nezam-e-Islam Party
The Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party has condemned the slogan ‘Religion Is Personal, Festivals Are for Everyone’, describing it as contrary to Islamic faith.
The party’s Executive President, Maulana AKM Ashraful Haque, said members of the Hindu community should be allowed to observe their religious rituals freely and that the government must ensure their security. However, he claimed that Islam prohibits Muslims from treating the religious festivals of other faiths as their own or participating in them.
He made the remarks at a meeting at the party’s central office on Tuesday afternoon, as the Hindu community celebrated its main religious festival.
Maulana Ashraful Haque said the government must ensure that nothing obstructed the community’s celebrations. He also condemned remarks made by BNP President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, former minister Aman Ullah Aman and BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in connection with the recent Durga Puja celebrations, demanding that they withdraw their statements.
He criticised former prime minister Sheikh Hasina for previously using the slogan, which he described as contrary to Islamic faith. He also criticised remarks made by the interim government’s religious affairs adviser during a visit to Dhakeshwari Temple and Jamaat leaders’ statement equating Puja with fasting.
He added that people in the ‘New Bangladesh’ did not expect BNP leaders to make statements he considered anti-Islamic, similar to those attributed to Awami League and Jamaat leaders.
The meeting was attended by the party’s Secretary General, Maulana Muminul Islam; Vice-Presidents Maulana Mizanur Rahman, Maulana Kabir Ahmed, Maulana Abdus Sattar and Aminul Islam; Joint Secretary General Mufti Kamrul Islam; Assistant Secretary General Mufti Alauddin Qasemi; Organisation Secretary Maulana Anwar Hossain Ansari; and other party leaders.
