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US envoy urges imams to uphold human rights

BSS, Dhaka
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Mary Ann Peters yesterday called upon the imams of mosques to be mindful of the importance of protecting human rights and of sheltering from abuses those who are powerless in society.
"You are all important members of your communities, influential teachers and leaders, and where women are in the weakest position, their needs for protection are the greatest," She said at the Imam Training Programme on human rights in the auditorium of the Islamic Foundation at Haji Camp at Uttara.
State Minister for Religious
Affairs Mosharraf Hossain
Shahjahan, Director General of the Islamic Foundation Syed Ashraf Ali, National Project Coordinator of Institutional Development of Human Rights in Bangladesh (IDHRB) Project KM Hoque and Director of Imam Training Academy of the foundation Abdus Salam Khan Pathan also addressed the occasion.
The US Ambassador said women play an important role in Bangladesh and in the development of the nation economically, politically and socially. Women should be in a position to fully contribute within societies in ways which benefit society as a whole, she added.
Mary Ann Peters called upon the imams to remember the important role that their wives, sisters and daughters play in building and supporting a strong nation, strong in religious faith as well as strong economically.
She said imams are the leaders of their communities at the grassroot level. "You are in the best position to show by your words, your deeds, your example the citizens of this country that its future is best assured when tolerance and respect for each other prevail."
"The message you spread-of integrity in private and public, of peace and of justice -- is an important one for Bangladesh, for South Asia and for the world," the US ambassador said.
She called upon the imams to disseminate ideas, learned from this training programme, throughout the country and work towards further development in Bangladesh.
The state minister for religious affairs said 300 imams of six divisions were trained on human rights under the programme, sponsored by UNDP and another 50 imams from eight districts of northern region are taking part in the seventh week-long programme.
Terming imams as basic community leaders of society he said a conference of at least 2,000 imams would be held early next month to improve interaction among themselves and exchange views with government officials.