DHAKA: Bangladesh on Friday moved to regulate weekly sermons in hundreds of thousands of mosques as part of a stepped-up campaign to combat extremism, officials said.
The move comes after the deadly attack in an upscale Dhaka cafe in which 20 hostages were brutally shot and hacked to death in the nation’s worst attack by suspected militants.
Since then, authorities have shut down a television channel run by a controversial Indian preacher, and decided to monitor the social media and Friday sermons of local mosques in a bid to prevent radicalization.
As part of the drive, the state-run Islamic Foundation, which works as a watchdog for mosques and religious establishments, has prepared a sermon for the main national mosque which it has asked other mosques to follow.
The sermon, which was published by the agency ahead of Friday’s prayers, invokes Qur’anic verses and traditions of the prophet Mohammed to rail against murderous extremism.
“Whoever kills a person unjustly, it is as though he has killed all mankind,” it said, citing a verse of the Qur’an.
It also quoted the prophet as saying the killing of a human being is the biggest sin and urged parents to take good care of their children so they cannot be “brainwashed.”
Bangladesh regulates Friday sermons after attacks
Bangladesh regulates Friday sermons after attacks
