By TCN Staff Reporter,
Lucknow: The festival of Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety across Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. In Lucknow, big congregations were witnessed at Aishbagh Eidgah, Tile Wali Masjid and Asafi Masjid where Muslims offered the traditional Eid namaz.
Babri Masjid verdict and Israel-Palestine issue found mention in the sermon delivered by Imams before Eid namaz in various places. At Tile Wali Masjid, Maulana Syed Shah Fazlur Rehman Waizi who led the Eid prayers appealed to central government for urging the USA and Israel for a peaceful solution to Palestine issue. He also urged the Muslims to respect the upcoming court verdict in Babri Masjid. “We need to maintain peace and communal harmony irrespective of the verdict. It is our duty to respect and follow the law of our country,” he said.
[TCN photo: By Mudassir Rizwan]
At Aishbagh Eidgah, Naib Imam, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli led the Eid prayer. He castigated the Christian priest in USA for the burning of holy Quran and appreciated the statement of the Pope in which he had decried the call for the burning of the Quran. “I have received a personal letter from the Pope in which he had condemned this incident beside extending Eid greetings to the Muslim community,” said Farangi Mahli. Special dua was
offered for peace and communal harmony in wake of upcoming court verdict on Babri Masjid. Farangi Mahli also expressed his concern over the maligning of the image of Muslims by associating them with terrorist activities. “Those engaged in terror activities are not true Muslims, it is mentioned in holy Quran that killing of one person is same as killing of entire humanity,” he said.
Farangi Mahli also appealed to Muslims to give best possible education to their children and strive for educating poor children. He however demanded that madarsas should be exempted from the proposed Right to Education (RTE). He urged for special attention towards Muslims from state government to solve the problems of the community.
Earlier, state governor BL Joshi, Chief Minister Mayawati, cabinet ministers Naseemuddin Siddiqui, Babu Singh Kushwaha, senior officials as Cabinet Secretary, Shashank Shekhar, Net Ram, Anil Sant, Naveneet Sehgal, Vijay Shanker Pandey and others visited the Eidgah and extended Eid greetings to Muslims.
The state governor BL Joshi meanwhile celebrated Eid with orphans at Rajbhawan. Joshi interactd with eleven orphan children who were specially invited at Rajbhawan. He shared his experiences with them and offered gifts to them. Later he hosted a Eid Milan programme at Rajbhawan which was attended by officials and employees of the Rajbhawan.