3 million join mass prayer in Bangladesh

[Coventina]

Source: Associated Press

TONGI, Bangladesh (AP) — Some 3 million Muslims joined in a mass prayer ceremony Sunday in Bangladesh, capping an annual three-day event that is one of the world's largest religious gatherings.

The final prayer Sunday marked the closing of the World Congregation of Muslims, which began Friday on the sandy banks of the River Turag in a small industrial town just north of Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Iajuddin Ahmed, along with hundreds of thousands of devotees, raised their hands in a prayer seeking blessings for all Muslims as well as global peace and prosperity.

The faithful arrived in packed buses, trains and boats at a 190-acre (77-hectare) riverside site. More than 10,000 security personnel were deployed to guard the congregation, said Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, director general of the elite force Rapid Action Battalion.



Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hAt4UalnzfhCr45NDNWT6FiNeXBQD962OIR80

[notadmblnd]

1. I'm sure gawd will answer and when they wake up tomorrow, all will be blessed and peace will reign

NOT!

[Coventina]

5. If it happened, I'd convert to Islam immediately. n/t

[LanternWaste]

14. when I was a kid I asked my parents for a lot of stuff...

Yeah... when I was a kid I asked my parents for a lot of stuff, too-- usually the answer was 'no', or 'not right now.'

But every now and then they said yes, and it would be a good day. :)

[superconnected]

17. As if any act for world peace is a bad one. I'm glad this many people

got together and wanted world peace even if they prayed for it which you seem to find offensive.

Other than insulting their "gawd" do you have anything better to offer?

I'll take people that pray for world peace over people that insult other's religions, any day.

[notadmblnd]

21. I didn't insult anyone's religion

I would have said the same thing if the report had been about a group of Christians or Jews or any other of the hundred or so religions in the world. Gawd is not going to act!

[superconnected]

26. I think spelling it "Gawd" is an intentional insult to Jews, Christians, Catholics, Mormons, etc.

I personally like Buddhism, if your wondering. Either way, I'm putting you on ignore for your mentality. In fact I think I'll start picking through this thread and hitting all people who are racist/fascist/intolerant of others religions. I just don't want to read narrow minded bigotry and the spelling jab puts you in that pool.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Coventina]

3. Er, I know you mean well with your post...

But your phrasing is rather unfortunate. They never were "rag heads" or "camel jockeys", only bigots called them that.

[onager]

6. They also prefer "Muslim," not "Moslem."

At least my Egyptian co-workers do. When I was first here, over 3 years ago, we had an American short-timer visiting us who kept saying "Moslems." He got corrected: MOOZ-lim.

I wondered why this was a problem and asked one of the Egyptians who is a pretty good friend. He said some Arabs consider "Moslem" to be a Westernized corruption of the term.

Also, having lived in Saudi Arabia for 2 years and Egypt for more than 3 years, I can definitely state that the locals stereotype us about as much as we do them.

We had to fire an Egyptian driver because of his absolutely insane rants about American women, who he said were all "whores"...among other things. He was driving a car with 4 Americans in it, and we couldn't believe our ears. When we talked about it, we asked ourselves if this idiot realized he was talking about our mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters.

Then there's the old "all Americans are rich" canard. When they pull that one on me, I tell them if I were rich I would not be here in Egypt working. I'd be home spending my money and electing useless Republicans. (Of course, we are rich compared to most Egyptians. My route to work every day takes me thru some rural villages where life hasn't changed much since the Pharoahs.)

[gabby garcia]

7. thank you. nt.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[superconnected]

18. Wow, someone actually said that on this site! I can't see it because of

course I filtered that person for their lack of thought talent a while ago.

[EFerrari]

11. This gathering was 1/3 bigger than Obama's inauguration. nt

[cosmicone]

13. ummmm .... urrrrrr.....

Bangladesh is not in the middle east. It is in south asia.

[gabby garcia]

4. there will never be peace

as long as people let their religions rule their politics.

[superconnected]

20. Or as long as the people with money keep starting wars to make more money

which has more to do with bloodshed than anything else.

[Pisces]

9. Maybe God will not answer, however the power of one thought from millions can get

things done. I have discussed the power of group think and the power of one with my husband. It exists and it tips the balance.

Here is an example:

Tiger Woods at the Masters Nike commercial. Millions of people at the same time watching the ball at the lip of the cup willing the ball to go in and it does from a dead stop. Tiger is the best in the world, but he also has help on those miracle shots by the millions of minds thinking the same thought at the same time as they watch on television " Go in the cup".

I can think of other examples where the power of one mind has tipped the balance. I wouldn't mock the power of 3 million minds in unison. The problem is they were praying for a very abstract concept " world peace" harness that into one action and I think the results would be different.
Just a thought.

[Delphinus]

10. Good point:

re: world peace being a very abstract concept. Focused, directed thought might accomplish it.

[Zhade]

16. Um, no. It doesn't.

Positive thinking only changes things when it motivates people to actually do something useful.

[snooper2]

29. ROFL

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Wilber_Stool]

12. It's a shame they chose this Sunday to talk to God.

This is Super Bowl Sunday. We all know what God is doing today.

[Nihil]

24. Yeah, they should have known ...

... that God would have his fingers in his ears that day
to shut out the incessant noise from people who think that
an American Football game is somehow important ...

:hide:

(Mind you, he obviously heard someone's prayer then or that
porn would never have made it to their TV screen :-) )

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. Why not blessings for all?

I think all the various religious (and non-religious) sects need to get out of themselves for a bit and respectfully recognize the rest of the people who live in this world...wish them all well instead of basking in delusions of being "the chosen ones".

[superconnected]

19. They were praying for global peace. Some people would consider that a blessing for all.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

22. And some feel global peace is only possible via the annihilation of

people who don't believe as they believe. :(

[superconnected]

28. Please clarify whether you mean right wing fundies or are just attacking religion

as a knee jerk reaction that is very indicative of many atheists on this site. It's on the level of republicans not being able to stand words like peace, environmental health, etc. Only in the intolerant atheists' case they attack everything that has to do with religion even when religions are praying for peace.

Oh wait, that is what you're doing...

Welcome to ignore, bigot.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

30. What kind of peace are they praying for? Do you know?

Or do you simply ignore the fact that many fundamentalist folk from all breeds of religion pray for the peace that comes from everyone believing the same thing...conversion to their religion being the only means of world peace?

I'm no bigot, and I thought you were a little more superconnected.

[Eryemil]

23. Why not actually doing something useful for a change?

How does the old quote go? Oh yes:

"Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer."

[superconnected]

25. I think I don't want to hear from people against people who even wish for peace.

Yes, I think that's it. That's why I'm making sure you are on my ignore list.

[snooper2]

27. Well that was real fucking productive

not to mention a waste of gas

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[superconnected]

31. The people going after this are the equivelent of republicans who hate peace rallies.

They hate anything to do with peace because they can't think for themselves and buy into the rw propaganda. Peace mean liberal. Liberal means commie. Commie means anti-american.

Well, here we have a bunch of people who hate people who 'pray' for peace because they hate all that is religious. (It's like hating all blacks because they claim a black person killed someone once even though the vast majority of blacks don't kill.). Sad. Imagine getting to the point that you would spite someone who simply prays for peace.

I want to remind people here that not ALL atheists are intolerant bigots. There are many that do believe that everyone can believe in whatever they want and don't need to be insulted one way or the other. We're just not seeing people with that high of mentality on this thread.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

32. You're reading waaaay too much into most of the comments here...

Comments from Name Removed excepted.

Maybe a cup of tea and some Midol would help? ;)

[snooper2]

33. Of course people can believe whatever they want...

Doesn't mean when 3 Million of them gather for a group prayer we can't say what a waste of resources and time it is.

Shit- Praying before a meal is a waste of time...Just start eating...use that wasted 30 seconds to give your kid a hug or something :)