Staff Reporter: Innocent worshipers have once again been attacked and disliked by some members of the committee at the Baitul Mamur Mosque in Manchester, Connecticut, USA. Local time Last Friday (June 26) afternoon, while forming a new committee for a period of three years, there was a commotion and unpleasant incident between the members of the committee and the worshipers over calling them ‘Shaitan’ (devils). In the same mosque, there have been several unpleasant incidents in the past where the imam of the mosque was insulted by the treasurer.
Witnesses said a general meeting was called last Friday to form a new committee for the mosque. Ashique Rahman, general secretary of the mosque committee, was conducting the meeting peacefully when the meeting started after Asr. No problem was seen till Maghrib prayers. After Maghrib prayers, the meeting resumed. On behalf of the worshipers, there was a demand to change some of the rules of the constitution by increasing the term of the members of the mosque based on subscription from 3 years to 1 year. Although 95 per cent of the worshipers in favor of the proposal supported it, supporters and relatives of the committee’s treasurer Tarek Ambia and his brother Toufiful Ambia took a stand against the proposal. At the general meeting, the worshipers asked various questions on the amendment of the constitution and non-constitutional activities. Unable to give the correct answer to the question of the worshipers, Tarek Ambia, at the behest of his cousins Moinul, Enam and Nazmul, insulted the questioners in vulgar language. Moinul Islam at one stage said to the Muslims, there are many devils here. When another member / worshiper Harun Ahmed heard his words, he retaliated. The two sides started arguing. Both sides tried to attack and counter-attack. At one point a lot of commotion started. Several officials of the Bangladeshi American Association of Connecticut (BAAC) were seen at the mosque during the attack and the commotion. Earlier, at the general meeting of the mosque committee, there were allegations that some people had hired these officials to make a fuss.
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Mosque committee members / worshipers Harun Ahmed and Sarkar Mamun said the committee’s treasurer Tarek Ambia and Toufiful Ambia’s cousins Moinul, Nazmul and Enam caused chaos in the peaceful meeting and attacked worshipers twice like the Khal heroes of Bengali cinema. The worshipers became angry. Seeing that the situation was strange, Tarek and Tipu helped their cousins to escape from the mosque. Ashique Rahman, general secretary of the committee, tried unsuccessfully to stop the commotion. Later, with the help of others, the situation came under control. Although the meeting to form the committee was called off, the new committee was formed for the next 3 years by force and illegally in the absence of most of the worshipers.
When asked about the incident on Friday, Ashique Rahman, general secretary of the mosque committee, admitted the unpleasant incident and said that he was responsible for it. Because he was officiating the meeting. People from both groups were present during the meeting. At one time a worshiper / member named Moinul Islam said, there are many devils here. Responding to this, member / worshiper Harun Ahmed said that Satan is also among you. At this time a quarrel broke out between the two sides and a heated situation was created. Both sides tried to attack and counter-attack. At one point a lot of commotion started. However, he blamed himself for failing to stop the commotion.
Ashique Rahman added that a new committee has been formed for the next three years. Only 2 new members have been added instead of 2 new members. They are Habibur Rahman and Nasimul Karim Babu. And all the other members are from the previous committee. They are in their former position in the East. However, this time he did not agree to be the general secretary. As a result of strong objections from many, he is back in office.
He also said that many incidents happen when we go to live together in the society. There have been some unpleasant incidents in the mosque before. However, the most tragic incident was the humiliation of former Imam Jubayer Ahmed by the treasurer of the committee. He could not hold back the tears after hearing this incident. He cried. He noted that the incident came to an end with a series of apologies to the former imam by treasurer Tarek Ambia.
Asked about last Friday’s incident, mosque committee president Nurul Islam said no such incident had taken place during the committee’s meeting on Friday. This is a minor incident. The two groups have clashed over demands to change some of the rules and regulations of the constitution. Not so much. He also mentioned that a new committee has been formed.
Maruf Hossain, one of the members of the mosque committee, said that Article 4 (a) of the constitution states that all worshipers involved in the business of selling illicit goods including interest, gambling and alcohol are never eligible to be imams, members of the executive committee and board of trustees. But ignoring the provisions of this section of the constitution, he forcibly formed an illegal committee again for the next 3 years. Tarek Ambia, who is involved in interest business, has been holding the post of cashier for the last 15 years. He wants to be in this position in exchange for anything. He mentioned that the general worshipers think that this committee is an illegal committee which is completely outside the constitution of the mosque and the Qur’an and Hadith.
Maruf also mentioned that various religious activities started from the basement of the Asian Grocery at the beginning of the mosque. Many people including Harun Ahmed, Jahed Chowdhury Liton, Darud Mia, Shariful Islam Helal, Nazrul Islam Sadeq and former Imam Anwar Hossain took initiative to establish a mosque. The mother of Shariful Islam Helal, the former owner of Asian Grocery, started the mosque by donating the first $100 at an event at Manchester’s Orange Hall. After the establishment of the mosque, the people of the present committee removed the establishment officials from the committee in various ways and many of them voluntarily resigned from the committee due to various anti-Sharia activities. A written petition signed by 73 people was submitted to the present committee in December 2019 to amend some un-Islamic and inconsistent issues of the constitution. Sarkar Mamun read out the application on behalf of all. At that time, at the behest of Tarek Ambia, his cousin Enam and Mithu committee member/worshiper Sarkar Mamun and threatened to ‘see’ him in the parking lot outside the mosque. Enam and Mithu were expelled from the meeting due to the intervention of Jilu Ahmed for their terrorist behavior. Ordinary worshipers are always in a state of panic due to such activities.
At the next meeting, Tarek Ambia and his peoples were assured that they would not do such activities again and would refrain in the future. But the present committee has failed to create that environment.
It may be mentioned that on October 12 last year, the present treasurer of the mosque committee, Tarek Ambia, unnecessarily insulted the former Pesh Imam Jobayer Ahmed. The incident was widely reported in North America, including Connecticut, and received a great response from the Muslim community, including various religious organizations. Many condemned the incident.
Imam and madrasa teacher Maulana Jobayer Ahmed was conducting classes for the students of the madrasa every week on October 12, 2019 at 10 am in front of Baitul Mamur Mosque. According to the rules of the madrasa, the students were supposed to come to class within the stipulated time, but the treasurer of the mosque committee, Tarek Ambia, brought his child about 15/20 minutes late. He kept knocking on the door. The class was going on inside so Imam Jobayer Ahmed could not understand the harsh words. Tarek Ambia became angry with the Imam for being late to open the door. He continued to abuse the Imam in vulgar language. When the Imam asked him to speak politely, he became more angry, at one point comparing Tarek Imam with an animal. Because of this, Imam Jobayer Ahmed felt extremely humiliated. Imam returned to his home with a heavy heart. He has not come to the mosque since that day. Later another Imam was appointed.
Toufiful Ambia Tipu, the brother of the current treasurer of the mosque committee, Tarek Ambia, also called the expatriate Bangladeshi worshipers in Manchester as ‘devils’ through a Facebook post. Below is his Facebook post.
BP/SM
