There is a disagreement about open prayer in Gurugram’s Sector 12; there was no prayer, but there was an example of fraternity. An adjacent Hindu youngster donated his spot for Friday prayers, and roughly 20 people prayed.
This gentleman stated that he will also donate the roof of his hospital, where some people may comfortably offer prayers every Friday, till the organization of the site is completed.
Worshippers in Gurugram argue that if anybody has an issue with open prayer, the authorities should open the 19 Waqf mosques that are now closed so that they can perform prayers there, and they have also accused those mosques of unlawful occupancy.
Let us remind you that in 2018 when there was a disagreement over Namaz for the first time, the Waqf Board demanded that the Waqf properties in Gurugram be released from possession.
For the last few weeks, there has been a squabble in Gurugram about the Friday prayer. Every Friday, members of Hindutva right-wing organizations block the prayer. Last Friday, Govardhan Puja was done in Gurugram’s Sector 12, where Friday prayers were held, and this Friday, cow dung was sprinkled at the location of prayer. Despite this, Muslim Ulema preaches peace and unity.
A Hindu guy offers his land.
Stones were thrown at the venue of providing Namaz in Gurugram’s Sector 12, after which Akshay Rao, who lives nearby, volunteered his home in response to the issues of the people who came to offer Namaz, where approximately 20 people offered Namaz. Akshay Rao’s idea has received a lot of appreciation.
Last Friday, Gurgaon Sector 12A witnessed yet another effort to obstruct weekly Friday prayers in the neighbourhood, when a group of people allegedly linked with Hindu groups invaded the property and claimed to be building a volleyball court.
According to NDTV, a group of individuals arrived and sat about near the namaz spot early on Friday, claiming to be building a volleyball court. It is the same location where the Hindu organization Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti had a Govardhan puja last week, which BJP leader Kapil Mishra attended. The cow dung cakes that had been laid out for the puja had remained undisturbed at the spot. The events effectively stopped the collective prayers from taking place.
Conflict
Muslims, who have faced criticism in recent weeks for performing namaz at various locations in Gurgaon, has opted not to perform Friday prayers at this location this week, according to an NDTV report.
Sector 12A is one of 27 other locations designated for namaz following similar conflicts in 2018. Only a handful of these designated areas are public, including one in Sector 47, while the others are private estates.
Following concerns from various parties, Gurgaon officials revoked licences for eight of these specified locations two Fridays ago. The authorities have also stated that permissions for the other locations will be revoked if similar “objections” are raised.
When Did Gurgaon’s Protests Against Namaz Begin?
The debate around open-air Namaz dates back to 2018 when Bharti and his followers launched similar protests. Following that, the authorities approved 37 locations for Muslims to offer Namaz.
Due to a dearth of mosques in the region, Muslims claim they are compelled to conduct Namaz in the open. The prayers had gone on without a hitch for over a year. Then, in March 2020, the epidemic came, bringing everything to a standstill, even collective prayers. Bharti reappeared this year, in March when Namaz was reintroduced. On April 16, 2021, he was caught from Sector 46, where he had attempted to disturb the prayer. As the country was once again engulfed in another wave of COVID-19, Namaz was suspended until August.
Bharti reverted to old tricks after a month of the routine. This time, he enlisted the help of additional people and unfamiliar outfits. The disruption efforts by Hindutva supporters led Gurgaon Nagrik Ekta Manch, a civil society group, to request security measures for Muslims and Namaz from the administration.
Meanwhile, the district administration formed a committee to have negotiations with members of both the Hindu and Muslim communities in order to resolve the stand-off. Meanwhile, some Muslims have accused activists affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s minority branch of representing the community in order to reach a consensus and reach a solution favourable to Hindutva parties.
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