NOIDA: Even if the directive by police in Noida to Multi-National Companies asking them to stop their Muslim employee from any religious activity, including namaaz-e-jumma (Friday prayers) in a public park was not enough, the administration pumped out water in the park situated in Sector 58.
However, three big private firms came forward on Friday and offered space to Muslim employees for namaz on their office rooftops.
While speaking to Hindustan Times on a condition of anonymity, the owner of a hosiery company in Sector 58, told that for the past 12 years, he had been arranging a space for Friday namaz on the company’s rooftop for the 35-40 Muslim employees. This Friday, there were 70-80 people present on the office rooftop offer namaz.
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Leading the prayers was Imam Mohammad Abbas, who hails from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and currently resides in Bhangel village of Noida told HT, “I have been coming to the company every Friday for the past 12 years. It started when the owner was looking for an Imam for his Muslim employees. The owner has also arranged for a priest for the Hindu employees of the company. It’s incredible how the environment of mutual respect has been carried for more than a decade.”
Last week, the police in Noida issued a notification to all private companies in and around Sector 58 directing them to prohibited any religious activity, including offering of Friday prayers by Muslim employees, in a adjacent park.
The directive added that “if employees still continue to come to the park, it will be assumed that you have not informed your employees and you will be held liable.”
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