Agra, Nov 23: They came from Iran to Agra to see Taj Mahal, the monument of love. But, they had to go to a Hindu temple to offer Namaz! When the Muslims of Agra failed to arrange a place to offer prayers for the two Muslim women tourists, Hindus welcomed them to the Hanuman temple, cleaned the floor and allowed them to offer Namaz.
Even though they found a Masjid, there was no permission for women to enter the Masjid. Their inquiries about a place where they could offer prayers failed to yield any results. The locals did not understand their language.
Meanwhile, flower-sellers near a Hanuman Temple close to the Taj Mahal understood their problem when the women approached them, sources said.
Flower-seller Shravan Kumar managed to convey to them that they could, if they wanted, offer “namaz” in the corridors of the temple, which was closed at that time.
Kumar arranged pages of newspapers and also cleaned the floor for the women to offer prayers. The women then left after thanking the flower seller and others.
The priest of the Hanuman Temple also gave green signal to offer Namaz inside the temple saying that there should not be any restrictions on offering prayers.
Maulana Kahlid, a local Muslim cleric, appreciated the gesture of the local Hindus. “This shows that Hindus in general are not communal. We should be grateful to Hinds for their kindness” he said.
He also lamented that most of the Masjids in India denied entry for women. “Islam has allowed women to go to Masjid and offer namaz. Women in most of the Muslim countries go to Masjid. However, in some countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh women are not allowed to entre Masjids thanks to ignorance among Muslims,” he said.
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