Muslims pray for peace, prosperity

Tongi, Bangladesh — More than 3 million Muslims raised cupped hands and sought divine blessings for peace and prosperity at an annual celebration that has been a religious tradition here for decades.

Called Biswa Ijtema, or the World Congregation of Islamic Preachers, the gathering has been held since 1966 on the banks of the Turag River in Tongi, an industrial town near the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka.

Sitting in cars, buses, boats, trains and on the rooftops of homes and factories, the pilgrims listened to sermons and recitations from the Quran and observed a noon prayer. The proceedings blared from loudspeakers hanging from trees and electric poles in a four-mile radius.

Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and opposition leader Sheikh Hasina joined Sunday’s massive gathering.

The event is sponsored by Tablig Jamaat, an organization of Muslim preachers based in New Delhi, India, and is dedicated to teaching the tenets of Islam.

“Islam is a religion of peace and brotherhood,” said Akmal Hossain, one of the organizers. “We intend to spread this message.”

Monday night policies in Provo concern ACLU

Provo, Utah — Civil libertarians are questioning a city policy barring public schools from planning events on the night that the Mormon church has directed its followers to stay home with their families.

School officials this month barred all activities on Monday nights in response to an earlier plea by Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to keep that evening free for Mormon families.

Dani Eyer, executive director of the Utah American Civil Liberties Union, said she believed the policy may violate the First Amendment.

“The question is whether the district is motivated by dictation from the church or as a practical matter of 90 percent of the people being Latter-day Saints and wanting to stay home that night,” Eyer said.

Richard Sheffield, president of the school board, argued there was broad support for the policy within the city.

“We realize the importance of the separation of church and state, but felt as a board that we needed to respond to the groundswell no matter where that groundswell was coming from,” Sheffield said.