As he wraps up his state visit to the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make a stop in Egypt on June 24 and 25. During his visit to Egypt, the two countries will strengthen the ties and boost co-operation in many fields including security, trade, investment and more. While the diplomatic talks between the two countries go on, PM Modi will visit a mosque in Egypt on June 24. Which mosque will PM Modi visit? Read on.
PM Modi will visit the Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah mosque. It is located in the Egyptian capital Cairo. It is the fourth oldest mosque in Egypt and the second largest after the mosque of ibn Tulun.
The Al-Hakim-Amr Allah mosque was made in the Fatimid dynasty. The sixth Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah gave orders to build the mosque in 990 AD.
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The centuries-old structure has stood the test of time. But the passage of it has not been kind to the structure. When French armed forces were in Egypt, they used the mosque as a barrack.
The mosque was restored by Dawoodi Bohra community in Cairo with help from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
So why exactly is PM Modi visiting the mosque?
The mosque is an important religious site for Dawoodi Bohra community. India has a large population of Dawoodi Bohra community. Besides, PM Modi has a connect with the community. His home state of Gujarat has Dawoodi Bohra population. PM Modi has often thanked the community for helping him govern the state of Gujarat.
In 2011, when he was chief minister of Gujarat, he invited the community to celebrate the 100th birthday of their religious head Syedna Burhanuddin. When Syedna passed away in 2014, Modi went to Mumbai to pay his respects and meet the successor Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, who is the current head of the community. PM Modi has always shared cordial relationship with Syedna Saifuddin.
PM Modi has often praised business acumen of the community and their social reforms measures. He has also mentioned how the community helped and hosted Mahatma Gandhi during Dandi March, an iconic event in India’s freedom struggle.
The community has supported PM Modi as well. In 2014, the community turned up in good numbers for PM Modi’s overseas events. These events included one in Madison Square Garden (New York) and Olympic Park Arena in Sydney.
PM Modi’s visit to Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah mosque is likely to strengthen his bond with the Dawoodi Bohra community.
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