Nepal's Muslim leaders celebrate Eid , invite people to listen to Pope
(Nov. 09, 2011) The Muslim community in Nepal on the occasion of the feast of Bakri-Eid,
on Monday, emphasized the need to listen to the message of solidarity and dialogue
announced recently by Pope Benedict XVI in Assisi, Italy. Unlike other countries,
Muslims in Nepal are struggling for years alongside Christians and other minorities
to create harmony between different religions against violence and extremism. For
about three years, the celebrations for Bakri-Eid, the Muslim festival dedicated
to sacrifice and prayers for the poor, has been considered a national holiday, as
is the Christian feast Christmas, thanks to the proclamation of a secular state in
2006, after centuries of Hindu monarchy. In recent years however, the Christian
and Muslim communities in Nepal have often been the target of Hindu sectarian extremism,
linked to the ancient absolute monarchy. In April 2009 a bomb exploded in the Catholic
cathedral of Kathmandu, killing three people. On 26 September, two men shot Faizan
Ahmad, general secretary of the Islamic Party of Nepal, as he left the mosque. To
date, the authorities have not yet identified the killers. Nazrul Hussein, head of
the Islamic Sangjh of Nepal, said that all religions must fight against the spread
of fundamentalism. For the leader, the Pope’s indications expressed on the Day of
peace and reconciliation in Assisi is the correct way to go. "We are celebrating Eid
- he said - despite our mourning for our slain leader." Hussein appealed to religious
minorities and to the government to shed light on the case. He said "We have taken
the Pope's appeal seriously and we want to spread it throughout the world. In recent
months, we have received much support from other communities”, he added.