A time of joy and camaraderie with friends and family at the annual celebration marking the end of Ramadan for the Los Angeles Bangladeshi Community  

Some 1,500 guests from the Los Angeles Bangladeshi community gathered on L. Ron Hubbard Way for their annual Chaand Raat celebration. On the eve of Eid ul Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, Muslims in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh celebrate Chaand Raat. The term means “The Night of the Moon” in Urdu, and it signals the sighting of the crescent moon that ends a month of prayer, fasting, and spiritual reflection. 

 

Chaand Raat is celebrated in Southern Asia with massive street festivals, food and music. And the celebration on L. Ron Hubbard Way, true to this tradition, was filled with booths offering authentic Bangladeshi cuisine, henna tattoo stations and artisan shops displaying traditional clothing and jewelry.

Music, conversations and laughter filled the street, creating a bright holiday atmosphere late into the night.

Los Angeles is a county of great cultural diversity, with residents from some 140 nationalities speaking more than 80 different languages, including an estimated 20,000 Bangladeshi. 

L.A. Scientologists believe in the importance of preserving and honoring the languages, traditions and heritage of the many cultures that call Los Angeles home. One reason they host events like this is to support the human rights of these communities including Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.” The festival also supports the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion as enshrined in article 18.

Scientology Churches and Scientologists support human rights initiatives. They are inspired by humanitarian and Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard who believed “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.” In appreciation of this legacy, Bangladeshi community leaders presented a representative of the Church of Scientology with an acknowledgment of Mr. Hubbard for his respect for diversity and the rights and cultures of all people.

The Church of Scientology Los Angeles is an Ideal Scientology Organization, configured to service Scientologists in their ascent to spiritual freedom and serve as a home for the entire community, a meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift people of all denominations.

An episode of Inside Scientology featuring the Church of Scientology Los Angeles was part of the special program when Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige launched the Scientology Network in 2018. This episode is available at Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM, AT&T U-verse and can be streamed at Scientology.tv, on mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms.