As soon as he caught a glimpse of that magnificent building, the walking priest slowed down his pace. He cast a curious glance at it. It looked like a church. He rubbed his eyes again and again. Yes, indeed it was a church.
He stood still, amazed when a mullah while gazing at the same building came and stood by him. He was quite astonished and excited as well. He thought it was a mosque.
He was yet to come out of mirth and wonder, when a pandit also appeared there. He did not believe his eyes as he found himself standing in front of a beautiful temple.
After a short while leaders of all faiths had assembled there. Everyone believed it was a sanctuary of their own religion.
“Behold that church; Christianity is spreading by the moment,” the priest exclaimed gleefully.
“No man, it is not a church. It’s but a mosque. I think you have weak eyesight,” the outrageous mullah claimed.
After a short while, the leaders of all faiths had assembled there. Everyone believed it was a sanctuary of their own religion
The pandit broke a cynical laughter and said, “Actually you both have a problem with your vision. It is a glorious temple. Cast a careful look again.”
Thus, they broke into a brawl, filling the air with tumultuous noise. Every one stuck to his own point of view. Many passers-by also paused to know what was going on there.
Before this brawl could turn into bloodshed, a man from the crowed walked over to the religious leaders and addressed them, “My respected leaders! It is not a church; neither a mosque nor a temple. It is not a worship house. Rather it is the shrine of a God-fearing man, which appears to you as a magnificent building.”
At first, none of them was ready to believe. However, when reality dawned on them, while grumbling, they began to march towards their respective sanctuaries. They were wondering that such a misleading building should be razed to the ground.
The writer is a lecturer at the Government Atta Shad Degree College and can be reached at [email protected]
Published in Daily Times, August 25th 2017.