Special prayer held in Kolkata for Osama

A file picture of Maulana Nurur Rehman Barkati of Tipu Sultan Mosque in Kolkata. Photo: Sushanta Patronobish.

The Shahi Imam of Tipu Sultan mosque here, Maulana Nurur Rehman Barkati, today held a special Friday prayer for the ‘peace of the soul’ of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

“The special prayer was held as Laden was not given a proper burial and his bullet-riddled body was thrown into the sea in total disrespect of Islam. It was held for the peace of his soul,” All-India Minority Forum president Idris Ali, who took part in the prayer, said.

There were placards at the prayer meet reading ’Disrespect to Holy Quran is intolerable’, he said.

A large number of policemen were deployed around the mosque at Dharamtollah in central Kolkata.