Wazed and Ciovacco — a missed opportunity
Wazed and Ciovacco’s article in the HIR, titled “Stemming the Rise of Islamic Extremism in Bangladesh”, has once again become a semi-mainstream topic, thanks to a recent seminar on the subject, in which Waliur Rahman, a former diplomat, quoted – and then erased – the percentage of new recruits to the army entering from the madrassas. Wazed and Ciovacco do not cite sources in their article, so this and a few other numbers they mention are hard to authenticate. Below, I list some of the troubling points about their article.
1. “moulobadi”
In the 3rd paragraph of the section titled “The Situation on the Ground”, the authors say:
The ascendancy of Islamists (moulobadi in Bangali (sic)) in national politics was partly due to how Zia and the BNP structured their 2001 campaign to include the Islamic party Jamat-e-Islami (JI).
As anyone remotely familiar with the language knows, “moulobadi” derives from the root word “moul”, meaning roots or fundamentals. “Moulobadi” thus denotes a fundamentalist, not necessarily an Islamist, but anyone who takes their ideology too seriously.
This mistranslation is symptomatic of the entire article. It either indicates that the authors have sacrificed nuance for brevity. Or it indicates that they are not aware of the nuance in the first place and they seriously believe that Islamic fundamentalism is the only fundamentalism that leads to violence, coercion and the sacrifice of basic rights in Bangladesh.
2. Mish-mash of Islamists
In the 4th paragraph of the section titled “The Situation on the Ground”, the authors say:
The Islamists tend to support reunification with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and do not share the Awami League’s affinity for Rahman and the liberationists that fought Pakistan in the 1970s. The alliance of anti-liberationists, JI, and the BNP has also had direct and indirect involvement with Islamic fundamentalist groups that masterminded 500 coordinated bombings across Bangladesh in 2005. This display of terror was an attempt to showcase their growing power. These shadow groups, namely Jamat-ul Mujahid Bangladesh (JMB), Jagrata Janata Muslim Bangladesh (JMJB) and Harkatul Jihad (HuJi), have been the militant arm of JI
Jamaat-e-Islami used to support reunification overtly and has since given up this demand, at least overtly. Of the “shadow groups” mentioned, two have “Bangladesh” in their names, noting they are hardly Pakistan-leaning. Indigenous radical Islamism is a separate threat that cannot be dealt with a sedition charge any more than the KKK in the US can be charged with sedition. They can, however, be charged with violent crimes and dealt with accordingly.
That BNP had “direct and indirect involvement” with the perpetrators of the coordinated bomb blasts is still something that is heard in whispers without any substantiation from proper sources. In fact, the 1/11 government – hardly a BNP-friendly entity – was the actor which suppressed a Daily Star report on these alleged links, not the BNP. The authors’ lack of citations represents a growing problem.
3. The 35% statistic
In the last paragraph of the section titled “The Situation on the Ground”, the authors say:
By 2006, at the end of the BNP’s reign, madrassas supplied nearly 35 percent of the Army recruits. In a country that has seen four military coup d’états in its short 37 year history, the astronomical growth of Islamists in the military is troubling to say the least.
Firstly, the source for this statistic is not given and until then, it cannot be validated. If this statistic were true, it would be interesting to ask how many of the recruits were NCOs, officer cadres and other specialized services (medical, engineering, etc).
Secondly, the Bangladeshi Army is a meritocratic organization. If madrasha students pass the Entrance Examination, there are no grounds to bar them from serving their country. The fear seems to be that these madrasha students will remain imbued with radical ideas about governance and freedoms and that the Army’s own training and indoctrination will have no effect on them.
Thirdly, the sentence that immediately follows seems to be deliberately pandering to their American audience’s fears of a “hostile Islamist takeover”. The solution to this is not to monitor the background of army recruits, but to de-legitimise coud d’etats once and for all so that democracy is the “only game in town”. It’s hard but not impossible. Sadly, the authors do not seem to suggest this.
4. The burkha indicator
In the first paragraph of the next section titled “Toward Renewal: A Secular Plan”, the authors ask a question:
Can the Awami League stop the growing tide of Islamism in a country that has seen the sale of burkas rise nearly 500 percent in the last five years?
Before we get into the difficult problems surrounding this issue, one has to wonder (yet again, thanks to the lack of citations) exactly where they are getting this figure of 500 percent in the last 5 years from. Besides, since it is a percentage, what was the base figure, and what is the ratio of burkha wearing women to non-burkha wearing women?
But the real problem is the use of the burkha as a barometer for the “growing tide of Islamism”. Nowhere have I seen any study that correlates religiosity with religion-inspired violence: ie. Islam with Islamism. Why treat the burkha as an indicator of Islamism rather than Islam, when there is no clear evidence either way as to why a woman chooses to don a burkha? Is there an opinion poll of burkha-wearing women floating around somewhere in which they are asked why they chose to buy the burkhas – whether out of religious devotion or the threats/persuasion of some radical religious leader/group? If there is, it would be nice if it were brought to our attention. (For the record, because I know it will come up, my personal opinion is that Islam does not require anyone to wear a burkha in order to be a Muslim.)
It is here that one begins to get slightly irritated with the authors. Their casual causation would have been laughable had it not been so serious. In a year when France denied citizenship to a woman because of her burkha, one is in no doubt what fear and alarm the burkha as a symbol – a nuance-less shorthand – inspires in Westerners. That the authors throw this about casually into a question about AL prospects is irresponsible to say the least, and makes them look as if they are pandering to the fears of their audience, instead of presenting a nuanced picture.
5. The policy prescriptions
The authors provide 5 policy prescriptions:
First, it must modernize the curriculum of the madrasses. Second, it must build proper, secular elementary schools and hospitals. Third, it should increase the recruitment of secular-minded students into the military from secular cadet academies. Fourth, it must attempt to rehabilitate known extremist clerics. Lastly, and perhaps the most abstract solution, it must push to vanquish Bangladeshi poverty and illiteracy that consistently ranks among the worst in the world. This plan would make the country less hospitable to a growing Islamist movement and help return Bangladesh to its secular roots.
The first is sorely needed and will work, but not if implemented by an Awami League government whose affiliated members write articles such as this one.
The second is a fine prescription, as I am all for more elementary schools and hospitals in this under-served land of ours, even if the intention is simply to break some supposed “monopoly on education that the madrassas now enjoy”.
The third prescription is accompanied by this curious sentence: “To counter the increased military recruitment from the madrassas, more youths—especially the secular-minded—must also be taught how to pass the Army’s Entrance Exams.” Exactly how we will find the “secular-minded” is best left to the imagination. What are the metrics by which we will measure the secular-mindedness of new recruits? Suppose we look at their backgrounds: are we trying to say that secular Bangla and English medium schools have not produced extremists? What else do we have? Beards, burkhas, prayer mat-ownership, Che t-shirts? Shall we stand our new recruits a round at the RAOWA Club and see which ones refuse? Or perhaps, invite them to Pahela Boishakh/Valentine’s/New (Gregorian) Years’ celebration at Captain’s World and see who doesn’t show up? Is it not enough that they resolve to defend the state – a secular construct, comprising not just of Muslims – from all enemies, that they will go to battle other Muslims, even radical Islamists, to serve their government?
God, that non-secular entity, knows that I think our army needs reform and the AL has a unique mandate to do it. But that reform is needed in the areas of deference to civilian authority and moving out of the business sphere, not some Islamic juju manufactured by (as yet) unsubstantiated data and even more unsubstantiated anxieties in Washington.
The fourth prescription may or may not work. Bangladesh is not Saudi Arabia – extremism in Bangladesh is less ideological than systemically-driven. The fear is that if an extremist cleric is suddenly converted, another will take his place. Demand always finds a supply. And in a country of so much frustration, there is always a demand for extreme ideologies – whether Islamic, leftist or simply nihilistic.
Which brings us to the fifth prescription, on which there is no argument. Yes we need poverty eradication. But the way the authors tie growth and development with the Awami League’s secularism (as opposed to its efficiency, greater capability, different political economic outlook etc) hardly holds up to rigorous scrutiny.
What the authors should have said
To summarise quickly: Bangladesh is a country with multifarious problems, of which Islamist extremists are one. Awami League’s coming to power has potential to alleviate a lot of these problems, but they must take the following steps which no previous government has taken.
1. They must crack down on all sorts of coercion – whether motivated by extremist interpretations of Islam, party politics, economic interest, societal prejudices or unchecked government power.
2. They must ensure rule of law and access to essential public services and public employment for all, regardless of religion, gender, ethnicity or class.
3. They must ensure growth, education and decent healthcare without putting labels like “Islamic” and “Secular” to it.
All this would help Bangladesh develop and take care of its problems. Not overnight, not in five years, not just through an AL government, but in the long run. And extreme Islamism will die along with the country’s other diseases.
The article and the AL agenda
In the end, the fact that this article was co-authored by “an adviser to Sheikh Hasina” bodes ill for the Awami League’s future trajectory. One of the greatest historical slurs thrown against the Awami League by their opponents is this: that the party imposes a mutually exclusive choice between one’s religion and one’s secular ideology (i.e. where secularism means “Dhormonirpekkhota”, not some imported Western/Indian version). The party frequently protests “Religion is an individual matter, we never said don’t be religious” to counter this slur. And it truly does practise this – as the late Dhaka Mayor Hanif or Sheikh Hasina herself (or her adviser, pictured this week at the Kaaba, wearing the outfit of a Haji) can attest. In a country such as ours, I would suggest that Awami League counts some of the more devout Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists in their ranks – people who believe in secularism without giving up their religion.
What this article does is reinstate that mutually exclusive choice all over again: that one cannot be religious and dhormoniropekkho at the same time. And worse, in prescribing that our army (and presumably, the civil and other government services) recruit through discrimination, ensures that religious considerations will be well and truly ingrained into the government. Hardly dhormoniropekkho. The harm that the opinions expressed can cause is immense, but the Awami League’s secular agenda – a very different sort of secularism than the one envisioned in American thinktanks and colleges – might just be the biggest casualty. A better argument would have had to be Jeffersonian to truly resonate: that the separation of mosque and state must be to protect the believers – not to pander to the West’s nightmares about terrorists.
Stylistic corrections for HIR editors:
Under the section, “Rehabilitate the Extremist Clerics” we find the phrase “whither on the vine”. Things do not “whither” on vines, they wither on vines.
Under the section, “Increase Recruitment into the Military from Secular Schools”, we find the phrase: “JI’s strategy to Islamify the military”. The accepted term is usually “Islamise/Islamize”. “Islamify” makes the authors, already on shaky ground, sound like characters out of The O.C. who turn any noun or adjective into a transitive by adding “-ify”, e.g. “smartify”.
I have one question about the definition of ’secular’ in this article. As per the definition Secular means:
- Worldly rather than spiritual.
- Not specifically relating to religion or to a religious body: secular music.
- Relating to or advocating secularism.
- Not bound by monastic restrictions, especially not belonging to a religious order. Used of the clergy.
By this definition a person who believes in any religion is not secular. If that is the meaning – then what right does the aethists have to pigeonhole the religious majority and on the basis of what moral supremacy? Aethism is just as much based on theories and assumptions as religion and thus no different in the sense that both require serious faith.
If on the other hand one ’secular’ is termed to define non-extremists – what is the basis for the term extremist? An ardent socialist / communist is an extremist in the capitalist west and vice versa in the socialistic europe. A Hindu / Muslim / Jew / Christian can all be extremist in their own rights. I think the article is rather populist in nature as it panders to popular paranoia and islam-bashing that is so predominant in the media and in political circles – even in our own country.
This is cheap journalism or commentary and as a muslim (even though i do not pray five times a day and my wife does not wear the burkha) i am offended by the fact that a woman’s choice of clothing based on religious belief should be used to denote her non-secularism and ultimately evil nature. I can understand when this comes from the uninformed and detatched west (for this both Islam and west are at fault) but if someone from Bangladesh confuses (abuses?) this, it is unforgivable.
After the ‘evil’ communism was destroyed in the 90s, radical Islam has become the most convenient scapegoat for all our social ills when in fact it is the social ills which have given rise to radical islam. Poverty, corruption, poor educational standards are al catalysts for extermism of any ideology – religious or otherwise. we need to address them rather than dealing with the effect.
It is sad that many people who claim to be liberal, pander to these values when the very essence of liberal values is to allow ideological freedom to individuals without judgement while mantaining individual rights to practice those ideologies.
FYI among the top ten terrorists in the US FBI list is an animal rights activists who planned many terror bombing – secular? yes, good guy? no. Should the US then be alarmed based on the rise of pets in the country?- of course not – but if its a rise in burkhas – now we are talking REAL danger….. I dread for our country if our future leaders are this shallow in their analysis and understanding of our people.
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I am not surprized that UV blog admin shied away from discussing this article by Mr. Wazed for so long. However, I am not surprized that it is Dhakashohor who brought it up. So,thank you DS.
THe quality of this article, with unsubstantiated data without sources, is substandard to say the least.Reading this article, it is not hard to realize that Mr. Wazed, having educated in India & later US, and living outside of BD most of his life, has a profound disconnect with BD society at large.
If display of piety is a barometer for extremism, then Muslims in France or Turkey are more extremist than us. With Mr. Wazed’s prominence in today’s BAL, it is not hard to see the reflections of his “Piety vs Secular” mindset ( as DS pointed out) in current cabinet line-up. Old guards represent the traditional ( “Religion is an individual matter, we never said don’t be religious”) view. I view this article as Mr. Wazed’s “I think like you” self-marketing campaign to policy makers in Washington. As part of this campaign, he went through Harvard Kennedy School ( good for him ) and emerged as “Advisor” . Now, domestic marketing campaign is on the way – he is being shown to be in UMRAH while his gravely ill father is shipped to Singapore. Brace yourself..for Tarek Zia 2.0 in digital format.
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DhakaShohor Reply:
April 29th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
dilbor bhai, thanks for the compliment. I feel you are not giving UV admins enough credit. They did not shy away from this topic. Rather, they had approached me (and others) to write up our reactions to the HIR article soon after it appeared. At that point, I could not write anything because of time constraints. After that, this issue seemed irrelevant until Mr. Waliur Rahman’s “35%” pronouncement and use of this article as a source made it relevant once again. For a much more succinct read on the subject: http://jrahman.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/on-wazed-and-ciovacco/
UV admins have been very liberal about publishing anything that makes a coherent, consistent argument, regardless of political views. I do not know the entire media landscape, but I do follow the headlines and editorial pages of 4-5 newspapers daily. I can safely say that UV has been more nirdolio (or bi-partisan if you like) than pretty much anything else dealing with Bangladesh printed in ink or online at the moment. My views – including anti-Awami League ones – have not been censored. Rather, they have been encouraged. When (no longer an “if”) I write an article talking about the moral impoverishment behind those who claim to speak for Islam in the political arena in Bangladesh, be sure this will be the place where I’ll find a voice.
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ironically enough the voter registration picture used in the article was taken by a jamati razakar’s son.
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rumi Reply:
April 28th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
What’s wrong with a photo taken by one whose father happen to be jamati razakar?
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Riaz Reply:
April 28th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Can you please name the war ciminal. Just imagine how far-sighted the Jamaatis are. Their children are studying in Harvard to study the Western mind so that they can hit again at the US soft belly when an opportunity arises!
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Hashem Reply:
May 3rd, 2009 at 5:18 pm
War criminal’s name is KAMARUZZAMAN. His son studies in independent university. this is his blog http://moodlogic.blogspot.com/
Interested Reply:
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Is he already convicted! Thanks for good news. So which court and when was he convicted! And by the by, what his son`s fault being the con of war criminal!
Ektu jante chai!
Disclaimedr: Bhai amake rajakaar banaien na. Ami kaukei chini na kintu rajarkarer bichar chai. Tai shune valo laglo je ekjon already convicted. UV blog e porechi due diligence kore bichar holei oporadhi hoy. Bichar na howa porjonto naki shobai considered innocent. But onar nichoyi bichar are verdict hoye geche. Valo laglo pore.
PM and her entourage was in full religious gears !! They too contributed in booming Borka sale !!!
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A wonderful writeup by Dhaka Shohor.
Anybody who believes that todays Bangladesh can be integrated with pakistan lives in fools paradise. The day Pakistan was created, the same same days the seed of its future division was created. Its hard to imagine how can two country merge together with such diverse culture, language, and distance ibn between involved. Of course I understand that the more plausible option is for Pakistan to try to create a sphere of influence which ever powerful country try to do: US, India, China, Russia. From that perspective, India is more of concern for Bangladesh if to go by the lesson Indian philosopher Chanakkya preached 1000s of years ago.
I understand the motive coming from this article as the writer, PM’s son writes it along. However, what is worrie-some is for the author not to have cited any reference, for major and serious observations. By doubting Burkha without any stats to back up, he, being a Bangladeshi, shows his utter lack of understanding of why the woman in Bagladesh wear Burkha! By stating 35% figure without any data to back up he makes me question what is his motive!
For example: lets pick Burkha … I am 100% positive, millions in village (you won’t see borkha in Dhaka that much or in cities centers) wear Burkha out of religious respect. Now that respect may come from tradition, may or may not be true (afterall Dhaka Shohor, I and many others have the opportunity of knowing and reading what Quran preaches, not the simple woman of the village who never truly learn to read opr write), may come from preaching, or even may come from influence of terrorist! No matter where from it comes, an average Bangladesh will know most simple woman in village wear Burkha for anything but being forced by extremist. Establishing Burkha to be sign of extremism is a farce without any statistics proving the hypothesis.
And lets not talk about 500% increase! DS talked about it.
2nd – lets pick recruitment in army!: It is dangerous to indicate that 35% or so in army recruitment is from islamist. First: Excuse me – any statistics! Second: How is to army ban one coming from madrasa if s/he qualifies for it through its recruitment process! Assuming what author told to be remotely true, can army ban legally any students passing madrasa to join army! This is our army and all should have right to join it. If there is a problem in education, then reform madrasa or make law barring them. Third: DS rightly asks – Officers or !!!!! 4th: If this is an attempt to make army debatable, what is the intention! What is the motive! What is the interest in undermining one’s own army! That too by PM’s own son living abroad almost for ever since he came of maturity.
Last let me comment on one plicy advise: “…should increase the recruitment of secular-minded students into the military from secular cadet academies.” – An utter nonsense. First how to determine who is secular! Second: Based on what law Army to bar one and allow other! Third/Forth goes on….
The right policy advise, if the author truly believed that Islamization is a problem, is to reform the education. That is the root cause. However, to me this is a hypothesis and I don’t agree remotely with the author.
And I find it truly disturbing that in a country that has more than 85% muslim, mostly peace loving, simple and suburban, what is being asked when one ask to be secular! If secularism is not about giving up religion, I believe Islam is one of the most secular minded religion that respects every religion like many other religion.
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Burkha in Bangladesh is more a device of Purdah, than a weapon of extremism, where Purdah is the custom of concealing womenfolk from public eyes. Trendy women will follow Purdah in a Mazar, wearing a Burkha only in the Mazar and Jeans outside, to avoid being told-off by the Peer Shaheb! And in the village, it is often the man who dictates his “shundor” bride to wear a Burkha, while the ‘less-shundor’ bride may get exempt from the custom : )
If there is a 500% increase in Burkhas in Bdesh, then I would guess there has been a dumping of Burkhas from India!! If we need to reduce Burkhas in BD, its no use writing articles (Mr Wazed) claiming BD is a Taleban nation. What we need to do is stop the Passage Through India of millions of Burkhas into BD, (probably designed for Dubai).
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hi guys : this claim of borkha usages increasing by 500% is rubbish as i personally feel i shl incline to believe if the claim is 500% declining. hardly 15 years back in one of the most conservative village of kadalpur, raozan where i belong to women use to move ( if at all they move from village to village) only at night times clad in black shuttle cock borkhas and Rickshaws tightly wrapped with blankets/sarees. today this has become a big joke even amongst the votaries of this culture becoz, today an extra wrap around suffices to move around!!!
what mr wajed must know is to ensure that, the hon’ble p.m. and her entourage when visiting for haj/omrah never,ever to telecast wearing black borkhas!!! in the past this black borkha was never indulged by any of our p.m. so, why this time??? thank allah pak i had initially apprehended for the worst case scenario but his has literally gone un-noticed!!!
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I may disagree with Joy on some matters raised in the article but I appreciate his boldness to express his view. That is the beauty of a healthy democracy.
He is neither a spokesperson for the Awami League neither an official of the government. Whatever he has said is his own views.
The Pakistan issue is rubbish. Pakistan is fighting for her own survival. Pakistan’s flirtatious experimentation with radical Islam has brought herself to the brink of disaster. We may see not less than 5 states emerging from the Afghanistan-Pakistan failed nations duo. Bangladesh was just the beginning of disintegration of Pakistan. The crippled Pakistani nation will not even survive another 50 years after Bangladesh seceded from it 38 years back.
The Pakistani ISI has been the biggest fundamentalist Islamic terrorist organisation that spread its tentacles on all corners of the globe to preach violent Islamic terrorism. It was well-nourished and sustained by the US intelligence services. The ISI has a very strong base in Bangladesh and its has several thousand civil and military recruits in Bangladesh. This ISI has been the biggest source of money and refuge for the self-confessed assassins of Sheikh Mujib and his family.
I am glad that the US has realized quite late that it must kill its own creation the lethal viper before it transforms into the mightiest US trained terrorist scourge on the face of the earth. The incidents in Afghanistan, Swat Valley, the Lal mosque, 9/11 are clear indicators of the evil that resides within the Pakistani ISI. It must be defanged and wiped out no matter whatever the cost.
Bangladesh is a secular state and it was ISI operations soon after 1971 throgh which the ISI poured in millions of dollars got through the CIA especially during the Cold War that not only killed the founding father of the nation but also rehabilitated the defeated notorious killer hyenas of 1971. Jamaat-e-Islami is ISI`s henchman in Bangladesh.
With regard to veil, I think a lot of ladies put it on to protect them from dust and keep them away from thugs and criminals aplenty on the streets. But I think they should at least expose their face so that a JMB or a Jamaat terorrist don`t hide themselves under the garb to carry out a terrorist act. Our security services should be very alert on that possibility.
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It would be hard to imagine Janab Sajib contributing anything other than political capitalism. Writers from that party have the habit of not being able to count in terms others can understand and overplaying the Islamist Hordes.
But it wasn’t a missed opportunity, they made what they wanted out of the ’shundor’ opportunity.
I wonder what the authors and diplonut proponents of the propaganda piece would make out of the establishment of English-Medium Cadet Madrassas, and how they would define ones secular-mindedness. No doubt ambassador saheb would render it into exquisite french.
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fugstar well said abt english medium madrasahs, in fact fyi the idea & concept of madrasahs were the brain child of the raj, since this gene is out of the bottle to destroy the social fabrics if we don’t try to wean this to a more constructive path!!!
unfortunately our cops b4 launching any such arms recovery operations etc., declare the precise day & time of commencement of such ops, the other day dhaka police commissioner a k m shahidul hoq also declared the date. the 64 million dollar question is when will indulgement in such stupidity ever end???
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Dhakashohor has valuably pointed out “what the authors should have said”, because what AL is saying may be their most falsely propagandized theory, that if you make BD “secular” then it will solve all the problems of BDesh. Thats an excellent prequel (preparation) to continue governance in the same old failed ways, wallowing in crime and corruption, while diverting all of people’s and Obama’s attention to “secular” junk.
As if “islamic hospitals” and “islamic education” are all criminal activity, or maybe Islam itself is a crime, one is left to wonder what exactly is a “secular hospital” or a “secular school”, which Mr Wazed, son of the Hon PM prescribes?
When a person is dying in a hospital, isnt it our religion to read them Quranic verses, or is that also an act of “islamic extremism”? How would Wazed and Ciovacco convert our religious CULTURE to secularism? Should we start reading the Bible, or wear Dhoti instead of Burkha, to give hospitals the secular feel? Or should ALL religious books be banned in hospitals?
Instead of such anti-religious advice, what AL should focus on is politcal warfare in hospitals and colleges, violence and misrule in cadres, AL-BNP divisiveness in goverment offices, graft and petty crime in governance, mastani and gundami in city streets, bhejal and tainted food in stores, traffic rules and regulations, NRB and remitance workers benefits, etc.
That is where advice would be most beneficial to the future of Bangladesh.
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The ISI’s military-industrial complex has shifted a lot of it’s investment into Bangladesh. It has been behind many acts of terrorism in Bangladesh to destabilize democracy. The money trails of ISI can be easily tracked and the peratives should be nabbed. Before it dies out it will try many more evil acts. It must be hunted down globally and it’s financial resources in foreign banks sealed.
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DS:
Unsubstantiated hard statistics are not good marks of an article. The first line of the article is “Bangladesh has been a secular Muslim state …” is confusing. Was it a secular or Muslim state?
In the context of Bangladeshi politics “Moulobadi” unequivocally refers to the Islamic Fundamentalist. Literature, newspaper, political dialogue will support this contention. If your objection is academic …..
The authors did not suggest bringing in sedition charges against them; that is your extrapolation. In terms of ‘direct an indirect involvement with 500 coordinated bomb blasting ..’, nothing is proven yet, other than involvement of the then state minister with some of those shadow groups. Chittagong Arms Case is taking interesting turn too. Hence the particulars might not be correct but the essence is not wrong either.
The 35% statistics, without reference, is not much of a value. More interesting is authors’ claim “ … by training for the Army Entrance Exams at madrassas”. Wondering, if there is any authenticity in this claim.
Though 500% increase in Burkha sales is laughable, but that does not negate the underlying allegation that Islamic militancy is on the rise in our country. I am afraid that in ‘cause-effect’ analysis that fact will get under the mat.
As secularism can have many hue and colors, I tend to agree with your Thomas Jefferson’s version. But without “secular elementary (public) education”, how to achieve it?
I was thrilled that in your review of a HIR article, you almost hold them to the category of refereed journal publications. Totally agree with your assertion that if we can assure exploitation free and educated society where fundamental/basic needs are met, all disease will die. But if the disease itself is preventing to go there – we better pay some attention now. Denial and indulgence on “patriotic military” have taken Pakistan on the verge of failure – may be we should learn from that. Our military recruitment is not fundamentally any different from Pak Military. Proof of huge infiltration in Pak Military does not require a journal article!
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“In the context of Bangladeshi politics “Moulobadi” unequivocally refers to the Islamic Fundamentalist. Literature, newspaper, political dialogue will support this contention. If your objection is academic ….. ”
Indeed, my objection is academic – and it’s something the purists of the Bangla language should keep reminding us. That literature, newspaper and political dialogue sees only one type of moulobad says as much about the impoverishment of all our literature, media and political dialogue as about moulobad.
“The authors did not suggest bringing in sedition charges against them; that is your extrapolation.”
It’s actually a policy prescription. If anyone in this country prescribes – in word or action – union with another country, they ought to be charged with sedition. Ami asholey jatiyotabadi moulobadi, always have been.
But it won’t help us defeat the current brood of Islamists.
I agree that the general consensus is that BNP was involved with the 500 bomb blasts – but once again, some hard evidence would be nice. If I listened to general consensus about these things in Bangladesh, I would have to believe so much bull**** about so many people, it’s not even funny. So I’ll wait for the proof either way.
Nowhere have I decided to be indulgent towards a “patriotic” military. Far from it. My writing has been very critical of them on many respects, and I mentioned two in this very article. Their role during 1/11 was deplorable and hardly befitting the nationalist feelings they claim to espouse. However, I find it hard to fault them with a lack of secularism or to seriously indulge the fear that they have been taken over by hardline Islamists.
“I was thrilled that in your review of a HIR article, you almost hold them to the category of refereed journal publications.”
I am a little confused about the status of HIR myself. I would be grateful if you could clarify whether they are peer-reviewed or refereed or not. What I do know is that they say this on their website: “The HIR is more a source of analysis than a source of news or editorial commentary. Its main purpose is not to present facts previously unreported elsewhere.”
If that is not their main purpose, some citations as to where the facts in this article were previously reported would be deeply appreciated. I believe I am not holding them to a higher standard than they are themselves.
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Bangladesh is a secular country. It has a substantial number of Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Tribals besides Muslims. I think it is enshrined in Islam and also the US constitution drafted by Thomas Jefferson that all men are created equal.
Islam is a religion of peace like others and we must first ensure that our fellow brothers and sisters of other religions, sects and tribes feel safe and secure in this land of theirs too and are equally represented in all branches of the statecraft.
No one should dare ever to propagate hate crimes and discrimination against other religions. I find it demeaning to use the word `minorities` for our fellow brothers and sisters of other race, colour, creed or religion.
The US is the greatest example of a secular country on earth and we share a lot of things in common with the US. We won the War of Independence like them and we also have a two party system.
If we are truly secular there will be a day in the future when we will proud to have a PM irrespective of race, colour, creed, belief other than Islam in future by the dint of her or his merit.
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Mohammad Reply:
May 1st, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Secular US President Barack Obama took oath keeping his left hand on Bible. Can you imagine our PM taking oath keeping hand on Quran ??? She took oath swearing by the constitution . What does Bible has to do with US Presidential oath ? Swearing by the Bible to become secular !!!! A great example !!!!!!!
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Ripa Reply:
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:08 pm
That is an age old tradition. If the President or PM is a Christain or a Muslim or a Hindu or a Buddhist I see no conflict if he holds the Quran or Bible or other Holy Books in his/her hand. Mainstream Americans are secular by nature but have trust in their own religions. Some don’t. That is the beauty of democracy. There is no system in the world that can replace democracy. All were tried in the past but failed.
God and politics are immiscible. Otherwise, you invite a Taliban like scenario running for shelter here and there to save your a–!
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If BD has to become totally “secular” then that secularism has to begin from the PM’s office. If a PM goes to Hajj or Omra, they must go there privately in their own personal expense, not with $millions of STATE FUNDS or followed by State cameramen, flaunting religious acts on news media.
Religious acts must be made separate from state, if we have to have a secular state, then we must have secular vacations for PMs and MPs, not state-funded Religious Extremist acts.
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Rekha ma’am :: very well said “like the usa we won the war of independence” nay, like the usa we also declared the war of independence i.e prior to waging the war our war of independence was declared & then war was waged. independence was grabbed from the jaws of the fire storm war of independence, it was definitely not a free gift on a platter!!!
usa & we are the ONLY 02(Two) unique nations to hv achieved our independence in such courageous & openly declared manner that i know of, will anybody kindly correct me if i’m wrong in this concept??? so, the religious acts regardless of omrah/haj or similar religious rites MUST be done in; without fanfare,peace,piety and definitely not thru the lens of the TV Cameras!!!
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poor article by Sajid and Carl and a good review by Dhakashohor. It is unfortunate that someone who has had western education and Carl supposedly from Harvard University could come up with such a poorly scripted piece of work with no proper references and sources, just full of blank statements and finger pointing.
Religious extremists are part of every society, however in Bangladesh they have always been marginalised by the vast majority. It is based on my own interactions with Bengalis from different strata of society that I can strongly say that the vast majority of people irrespective of their educational background do not discriminate based on religion. Bangladesh is a great example of a secular Muslim nation, we have holidays for Buddha Purnima, Christmas, Janmastami.
Sajib, unfortunately is simply trying to cash in on the new form of ant Semitism in the west called Islamophobia and is trying to paint himself as some sort of enlightened intellectual.
And people like Mainul, who fall for it and conveniently blame everything on outside forces, entities instead of focussing on the real issues at hand.
People talk about rule of law, how can you have rule of law when a democratically elected government undermines the separation of the judiciary??when known criminals are given a clean chit just because they are from the ruling party? when criminals distrupting education of students in the universities are given a clean chit because they belong to the ruling party?
This is what we need to be focussing on…rather than the stupid notion of Islamic extremism to please the West!
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ts not a new form of antisemitism. it shares more with zionism. which is why i call it jionijom.
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[...] seculars or their opponents, in Bangladesh. Thus we get inanities linking secularism with burkha sale. Fortunately, we also get very nuanced arguments that are solidly grounded in the Bangladeshi [...]