An appeal to the Islamic scholars of Bangladesh

Air Cdre Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury (Retd)



The International Conference of Islamic Scholars held in Dhaka (September 23-25) was a commendable effort by the organisers to highlight the humane face of Islam and condemn the violent trend that is attempting to occupy the centre stage. However, the conference, held in the China-Bangladesh Friendship Conference Centre, was high in pomp and grandeur, but low in popular enthusiasm. While the participants in the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar were emphasising the message of peace and goodwill in Islam, just a mile away, a crowd of violent Friday worshippers were attempting to march on the Ahmadia Mosque in Nakhalpara area. Those preaching moderation inside the ornate Conference Hall were not audible outside.

 

Speakers in the conference were eulogising Bangladesh as "a moderate Muslim state." This is a term coined by the Americans in the 90s, and our politicians and intellectuals parrot it like a mantra. The question is, "If some are moderate Muslim states, then are there others who are extreme?" How do we categorise? What are the criteria that determine 'moderates' and 'extremes'? Can we call countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran or Pakistan 'extreme'? How do we interact with 'extreme' states? There is no answer to these questions. In fact, we should shun such labels.

 

Instead, we should emphasise that Bangladesh is a democratic country, the majority of whose population are Muslim by religion, just as they are Bengali by ethnicity, or agriculturists by profession, and so on. When we say Bangladesh belongs to Islamic Ummah (Nation), we straight away deprive at least 10 per cent of our population of their nationhood. We can never build a cohesive nation keeping a significant segment of the population out of the mainstream. If Bangladeshi Muslims belong to "Islamic nation," then could Bangladeshi Hindus, Buddhists or Christians or other indigenous nationalities seek their own religious nationhood? These interesting questions need to be addressed in our nation-building exercise.

During the conference, there was the usual "Bush-Blair" bashing, accusing the West of fomenting violence and extremism in the Islamic world. While there is some truth in it, I would request our Islamic scholars to first clean up our own backyard. Let us start by eliminating extremism at home. Why our Islamic scholars do not condemn violence against the Ahmadia community clearly and unequivocally? Some maulanas of rather obscure origin are gaining the centre stage by fomenting unrest and instability in the country. They have issued ultimatum to the government to declare the Ahmadias as Non-Muslims; otherwise, there would be trouble ahead.

 

In the list of speakers in the Anti-Ahmadia rally on October 1, beside maulanas from Pakistan, there was a peer from India. It is surprising to note that the peer traveled to Bangladesh to press his demand, whereas in his own country, India, there is no such clamour, and Ahmadia Muslims are living in India in peace and harmony. In fact, some time back, I watched on one of the Indian TV news channels, a huge gathering of Ahmadias from all over the world in Qadian, a town in the Indian state of Punjab, which is the birthplace of Mirza Ghulam Ahmed, the founder of the Ahmadia community. I would urge upon the venerable peer from India to first issue ultimatum to his own government before demanding the same from ours. I would also ask our government to refuse entry to troublemakers from abroad. Governments all over the world are tightening the control on the movement of people who preach religious extremism. We should do the same.

While commending the effort of projecting the moderate image of Bangladesh, let me cite a few anomalies amidst us. The issue of criticising or speaking ill of other religion by our Imams comes to my mind first. Some of our Imams in their Friday prayers seek victory against idol-worshipers, Jews, and Christians. I wonder whether it is the right thing to do while we have Hindus, Buddhists and Christians as citizens of Bangladesh. When the Imams speak against other religions, are they not hurting the sentiments of fellow citizens? Until about a decade ago, such utterances were unheard of; but these are becoming increasingly common now.

 

How can we foster communal harmony and friendship if our religious leaders keep on preaching from the pulpit against members of other religions? We are witnessing the fallout of such preaching in our national life. Here is an example. In our childhood days, Durga Puja was occasions of great joy and festivities for all -- Hindus and Muslims. No one ever thought of violence or disturbance in the Puja celebration. Now, we have to create a security blanket, mobilise all the security apparatus so that the Puja celebration can go ahead unhindered. How can one freely enjoy the festivities if the mind is preoccupied with the thoughts of personal safety and security? Despite various security measures, we are getting news of Puja sites in different parts of the country being vandalised by miscreants at night. Is it not a national shame? Why are our Islamic scholars silent about it?

What to speak of other religions, even Islamic religious functions are now under threat of violence. Bombing in Dargahs and Urs ceremonies across the country have been an agonising experience for all of us. When I saw the picture in the newspaper of the Friday congregation in Baitul Mukarram with armed guards standing on all vantage points, it made me sick all over. What a state of terror we are sinking into. I wonder if we are heading the way of Pakistan, where mosque bombing is routine, where sectarian violence, abetted by religious leaders, kills hundreds every year. Pakistan is a perfect example of the folly of mixing religion with politics -- look what a morass that has led their nation into. I hope our Islamic scholars would face up to address these issues -- the issues of religious intolerance and bigotry nearer at home, instead of directing futile attacks on the Bush-Blair axis.