Bangladesh
was founded in 1971
as a secular nation. In 1988 Islam was declared to be the state
religion,
though officially there is religious freedom.
Muslims make
up about 86% of
the population, Hindus, 12%; Christians and Buddhist less
than 1% each. |
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Bangladesh
is
dotted with Mosques. Every town, and virtually every community has at
least
one mosque, usually far more ornately built that people's own homes. |
| Islam came
to the Bengal region around 1200 A.D. Sylhet remained Hindu until 1303.
It was ruled by the Hindu Raja Gour Govind.
It is commonly held that a
local Muslim,
Burhanuddin, sacrificed a cow to Allah as a thanks-offering for the
birth
of a son. The cow is considered sacred by Hindus, even to this day.
News
of the sacrifice reached Raja Govind who, after investigation, was so
outraged
that he had the man's hand cut off and his infant son killed before his
eyes. When Shah Jalal of Yemen heard of this, he with 300 "companions"
joined the Muslims in the Bengal and defeated Gour Govind.
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The mosque
at
the site of Shah Jalal's tomb in Sylhet.
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Muslim worshippers at their
Friday prayers.
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| Before the
British occupation of India worshippers of Kali made sacrifices at this
temple site in Jaintiapur, Sylhet. Some of the sacrifices were human,
whose
heads would be disposed of in the well in the temple grounds. |
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| Modern
Hindu temples in Hobigunj and Sylhet. |
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Young boys study the Quran at the
Shah Jalal Mosque Madrassa (Islamic
school).
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| The Good News
came to the Bengal region with the expansion of the British empire.
William
Carey went to India in the1790's - his first Bible translation was in
Bengali.
Though Carey's translation
was good it
was not well received by Muslims. It contained language associated with
Hinduism, which has been a stumbling block to Muslims reading it. In
recent
years a new translation has been produced with language that is less
offensive
to Muslims and has proved to be very popular, having sold out its first
print-run in very short time.
God is moving among
Bangladeshi people
-- who will join Him?
As William Carey said:
"Expect great things from
God;
attempt great things for
God!"
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