JALALABAD - As part of its outreach efforts to religious institutions UNAMA’s office in Afghanistan’s Eastern Region donated sound systems, praying mats and fans to the Ministry of Haj and Awqaf in Nangarhar and Laghman provinces. The material will be distributed to a dozen or so local mosques.

The assistance included 13 sets of sound systems, 50 praying mats and 45 ceiling and standing fans.

“We highly appreciate and respect Ulamas role in promoting peace and human rights, including women’s rights, as ulamas can deliver significant messages to the people during their regular mosque preaches, ” said Nahid Abuakar, UNAMA’s head of office for the Eastern Region.

Mawlawi Azizullah Khairkhwa, the Acting Director of Haj and Awqaf (religious affairs) thanked UNAMA. He said it was first time UNAMA had provided this kind of assistance.

“Ulamas play a very positive and major role in the peace process. They could encourage people to support peace and reconciliation process,” he said. “In the past, people thought that the international community didn’t supports religious institution but today UNAMA showed that it is not against Islam and even supports us.”

Said Najeebullah Hashemi, Director of the provincial Department of Haj and Awqaf for Laghman agreed.
“There more than 1,800 mosques in the province, and most of them have no sound system. The assistance provided by UNAMA is valuable indeed, and we highly appreciate it,” he said.

UNAMA will provide transfer similar equipment to the Department of Haj and Awqaf of Kunar province soon.
The equipment was made available through funds for quick impact projects. The goal of this outreach is to build trust and positive working relations between the religious communities and UNAMA.

By UNAMA Jalalabad