Insulting someone in public is like spilling his blood: VVD official

MAIMANA (Pajhwok): The Vice and Virtue Department (VVD) of northern Faryab province has set up check points in Maimana city, the provincial capital, to make people aware that celebrating new Persian year, Nawroz, is proscribed in Islam.

VVD personnel manning the check-points also listen to peoples’ complaints about their treatment by VVD officials and to promote understanding between the people and the government.

Some residents who came across VVD officials called ‘Muhtasibin’ admired their treatment, but others criticized their harsh treatment of people.

The Muhtasibin stop pedestrians and ask them question if Nawroz is forbidden or allowed in Islam, with the pedestrians replying in the negative, saying congratulating each other on Nawroz is not allowed and they don’t celebrate the festival.

Maulavi Habibullah Farooqi, a senior VVD official, told Pajhwok Afghan News the check points were aimed at creating awareness among the people in line with Islamic teachings that celebrating or congratulating each other on Nawroz was not correct and considered ‘indecent act’ in the light of sacred Shariah and Islam.

He said: “Nawroz and Mehrgan are the festivals of Zoroastrians, Almighty Allah has designated two Eids for Muslims, Eidul Fitr and Eidul Adha, they are the days of celebrations and joyfulness, the Muslims wear new clothes, congratulate each other and share gifts. Today we came out to ask people about how much knowledge they have about Nawroz and to ask them how much they are satisfied with the Muhtasibin”.

Farooqi said VVD officials did not dishonor someone and they had no enmity with anyone, but they advised people and spread awareness about permissible and forbidden things in Islam and invited people to the right path.

He said: “Harming a Muslim’s reputation in public is like spilling his blood, no one has the right to dictate his words, insult or harm someone”.

He asked the people if they were insulted or harmed, they should without any fear lodge their complaint with relevant government organizations to prevent such elements.

Jalaluddin, a defense attorney, who was stopped by the Mustasibin, complained about their treatment.

Jalaluddin said some days back he came to the city to buy some medicine for his ailing child, but the Mustasibin treated him with cruelty and forced him to pray while he had not performed ablution and his clothes were nasty and then he was imprisoned.

He said about 50,000 people daily commuted in Maimana city and all of them had not performed the ritual washing the same time, so no one should be disrespected in public and should invite people to prayers by preaching.”

Omeedullah, another resident of Maimana, said the Muhtasibin slapped a person the other day because he had cut his beard in a barber shop.

He said the man slapped an illiterate and the Mustasibin should not have argued with him and should not have slapped him in public.

Omeedullah added: “In the past 20 years, the cultural invasion has changed mindset of some people, it will take time to change their mindset, they must handle it with patience”.

aw/ma