Bishwa Ijtema
The Bishwa Ijtema ( Bengali বিশ্ব ইজতেমা , "World Assembly") is an annual religious gathering of Muslims in Tongi in Bangladesh . In terms of the number of participants, it is the second largest gathering of Muslims in the world after the Hajj . According to the official census, it was held for the 51st time in 2016.
Naming
The name is a Bengali-Arabic hybrid term made up of Bishwa ( Bengali বিশ্ব ), 'world', and Ijtema ( Arabic اجتماع, DMG Iǧtimāʿ ), 'Assembly', 'Congregation'.
history
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In contrast to the Hajj, which is one of the " Five Pillars of Islam " described in the hadith , the Bishwa Ijtema has no basis in the religious scriptures of Islam. The gathering was first organized in the late 1940s or 1950s by the East Pakistani branch of the Tablighi Jamaat , a Sunni piety movement. The aim was to bring Muslims together for common prayer and religious exercises and instructions in a supraregional assembly. The sources of the dates and locations of the first such meetings are uncertain. Accordingly, the first Bishwa Ijtema took place in 1948 with only a small number of participants in the Karakrail Mosque in Dhaka. Ijtemas followed in Dhaka (1956), Narayanganj (1958) and on the Ramna Race Course (today Suhrawardy Udyan ) in Dhaka (1960, 1962 and 1965). In 1967, the East Pakistani government made a large area near Tongi on the Turag River available for holding the event, which has been held annually since then.
The gathering traditionally takes place on three consecutive days in January, a few days before the start of Ramadan . Traditionally, high-ranking politicians such as the President or the Prime Minister give some greetings. The vast majority (more than 90%) of the participants are men, but there is also a minority of women participating. Every year around 2–5 million visitors have been counted in recent years. The majority of the visitors come from Bangladesh. The Bishwa Ijtema in Tongi has therefore also been referred to as the “hajj of the poor man” (who can not afford the pilgrimage to Mecca ). Some pilgrims also come from other Islamic countries. During the gathering, religious exercises, sermons, and common prayers take place. The sermons are given in different languages (Bengali, Urdu, Arabic). Since Islamist groups such as the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen repeatedly bombed state facilities since the turn of the millennium, security measures and the local police force have been increased. So far (2017) the event has always been peaceful.
For a number of years, the event has been divided into two January dates of three days each due to concerns about overcrowding. On which of the two dates the visitors were granted access depended on in which of the 65 districts of Bangladesh they lived. In 2016, the event was even divided into four 3-day events and two years: from 8-10. January and 15-17. January 2016 and from 13-15. January and 20. – 22. January 2017. Here, too, the right to visit was linked to the residential district. There were no restrictions for visitors from abroad.
Web links
- Trains from Biswa Ijtema, Tongi, Bangladesh , arrival of the pilgrims and pilgrimages to Bishwa Ijtema 2013 (YouTube video)
- Viswa Ijtema at Banglapedia
literature
- Nina Björkman: The Biswa Ijtema . In: Scripta Instituti Donnerianis Aboensis . tape 22 , 2010, ISSN 0582-3226 , p. 9–23 (English, abo.fi ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ sometimes also transcribed 'Vishwa Ijtema' or 'Viswa Ijtema'
- ^ Second phase of Bishwa Ijtema ends. (No longer available online.) Dhaka Tribune, Jan 16, 2016, archived from the original on Nov 6, 2016 ; accessed on November 6, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Nina Björkman: The Biswa Ijtema . In: Scripta Instituti Donnerianis Aboensis . tape 22 , 2010, ISSN 0582-3226 , p. 9–23 (English, abo.fi ).
- ↑ Bishwa Ijtema 2016 2nd Part Dates with Khitta Number. January 13, 2016, accessed November 7, 2016 .
- ↑ Mohammad Jamil Khan: Biswa Ijtema to begin on January 13. Dhaka Tribune, November 3, 2016, accessed on November 7, 2016 (English).
- ↑ What is the festival of Bishwa Ijtema and where is it held? The Telegraph, January 7, 2016, accessed November 6, 2016 .
- ↑ Mohammad Jamil Khan, Raihanul Islam Akand: Ijtema for 32 districts this year. (No longer available online.) Dhaka Tribune, Jan 3, 2016, archived from the original on Nov 6, 2016 ; accessed on November 6, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
