An imam from the United States will lead this Friday’s prayers at Sola Ana Mosque in Ekbalpore, Kidderpore, one of the city’s most famous mosques.

Imam Yahya Hendi, a full-time Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University, is probably the first cleric from the United States to have been offered this rare opportunity by a city mosque.

Hendi is also an imam of the Islamic Society of Frederick and serves as a member and spokesperson of the Islamic Jurisprudence Council of North America. He is among the US Muslims to have met US President George W Bush after the 9/11 tragedy.

Hendi’s visit, and consent of the Sola Ana Mosque committee in allowing him to lead prayers, is being considered an important step in dissolving the mush-debated Islam-versus-West dispute in the region.

“He is an American citizen and will be here to deliver a series of lectures,” Douglas Kelly, public affairs officer and director of the American Center, told Newsline. “It’s good to share American perspective (about issues related to Muslim culture) with people here. It is, yes, part of our Muslim outreach programme.”

Besides delivering Juma’s Khutba and leading Juma’s Fard namaz, Hendi will speak on “Tawheed (Oneness) in the Eyes of Islam” and how Tawheed is practised by Muslims in the US.

US consulate officials said Kelly would introduce the imam to the congregation.

Besides leading prayers at the mosque, Hendi’s three-day visit includes a lecture on “Clash of Civilisation and Islamic View” at the Calcutta University’s department of Islamic History.

... contd.