The BNP needs to recognise that Hefajat is not a tool that they can utilize to gain power but a regressive force that may have plans to remove all opposition to it and reset Bangladesh on a course completely opposed to modernity in thoughts and actions. Awami League should realise the threat that Hefajat is and take appropriate measures in order to clip their wings before they become too powerful
Putting Hefajat-e-Islam�s demands under the scanner
Nurul Islam
A new force has revealed itself; a force calling itself Hefazat-e-Islam (HI) and they it seems, wish to take advantage of the differences between our two main political parties--the Awami League and the BNP-- to advance their own agenda. It is an association based fundamentalist Islamic group in Bangladesh which was formed in January 2010. Its leaders and followers are drawn from among some 80,000 Quami madrashas. The Quami madrashas and their hundreds of thousands student population pursue very
doctrinaire courses on Islam that feed directly into the growing of a fanatical or jihadi spirit among their pupils. Unlike the
government approved and funded madrashas where general education along with science education are also taught as part of the curriculum, the Quami madrashas impart to their students hardly anything other than very chauvinistic Islamic texts that tend to foster both a sense of isolation from the general student population in the country and make them easy preys for recruitment by jihadists.
The emergence of the Hefazat would not be so much watched but for its affinity to the BNP which ruled Bangladesh several times in its over four decades of existence. Previously, the BNP was considered as a constitutional party with no special or overdose of commitment to Islamism. But ever since the formation of the Hefajat and BNPs warm embrace of this obscurantist force, questions rightly started being asked whether the current BNP leadership is dangerously tilted towards sheltering and accommodating such fundamentalist forces. As a matter of fact, BNP during its tenure in power from 2001-7, formed an alliance with Bangladeshs major Islamic fundamentalist party, Jaamat-e-Islami and three of Jaamats leader were important cabinet ministers in the BNP led government in that period. Later the BNP-Jaaamat alliance was broadened with the inclusion of HI.
Political observers fear that once the BNP-Jammat-Hefajat alliance succeeds in going to power in Bangladesh through electoral politics or otherwise, the relatively moderate members of the BNP would soon be eclipsed by the Jaamat and the Hefajat. The way then would be well paved for these extremists to hold sway over the country.
I will be blunt about Hefazat-e-Islams lightly veiled agendathey could be really wishing to transform Bangladesh into Afghanistan and transform our people into Taliban type Muslims. In 2011, they held violent demonstrations against the womens equal rights policy of the government and in 2013 became headlines after holding large rallies asking the government to take action against the Shahbag protesters, who were demanding capital punishment of Bangladeshs liberation war criminals. In 2013 this group warned the government with a 13 point charter that included medieval demands like banning the right of women to work outside.
However, this is not to say that the present leadership of HI are already expressing themselves like the Talebans. But the danger lies in the future. If the HI comes to power by some means, then swiftly the real radicals in their ranks could unseat the less crazy elements and take over supreme leadership. This is what that happened during the Islamic revolution in Iran when the relatively less extreme initiators of it were replaced by the hard core militants or very extreme ones.
While my suspicions may seem somewhat exaggerated, one only needs to look at some of the demands they made recently to understand why they are so suspected. Of the 13 point demands made, the ones below are most worrying if one analyzes them correctly:
Stop free mixing of male and female and candle lighting: If what Hefazat is demanding is realized; it would mean the end of coeducation as well as equality amongst both sexes in the
workplace. For as long as coeducation and gender equality in workplaces exist, it will mean men and women will continue to interact.
Canadian research reveals that students at independent co-ed schools feel comfortable about who they are and have a healthy and positive attitude and self-image. While a gender unbiased workspace ensures respect for both sexes and an equal opportunity workspace.
To accept Hefazats archaic and unrealistic demand would
mean the end of such opportunities. Women around the country will find their employment opportunities reduced if not completely terminated.
The economy on the other hand would suffer as it would lose a large number of its skilled workforce. It is relevant to mention here that more than two thirds of the skilled workforce in the RMG sector- the largest revenue earner for the country- are females. A loss of such a large workforce would therefore effectively destroy the sector.
Make Islamic education mandatory from primary to higher secondary levels canceling the anti-Islamic women policy and anti-religion education policy:
Proper Islamic education is an absolute necessity for any Muslim. It allows an individual to be truly enlightened about our wonderful religion.
But to make it the mainstream would be disastrous for the future of our nation. Will Islamic education cover modern physics? Will it help our students balance their accounts? Or will it help them understand how we came to be as a nation. The answer to these questions is a resounding no. One should never fuse real life education and religious education into the same platform.
Officially declare Qadianis (Ahmadiyyas) as non-Muslim and stop their propaganda and all conspiratorial ill-moves:
Different sections of people have their right to practice their own religion as long as they do not attack the believers of other religions. That is one of the greatest virtues of democracy along with the right of self-expression and the free flow of ideas and ideals. To prevent a certain sect (in this case the Qadianis) from expressing themselves means to subjugate and oppress a minority. Ideas that remind me vividly of Adolf Hitler who, before beginning the act of annihilating six million Jewish believers, stripped them of all their basic human rights as well as prevented them from following their beliefs.
Stop setting up sculptures at intersections, schools, colleges and universities across the country:
These Sculptures define who we are, what we are; what our history is. These sculptures tell the story of our great Liberation War, our glorious Language Movement and reflect our respect and gratitude to the freedom fighters.
They tell the story of our rich heritage, of a civilization thousands of years old. These sculptures help us identify ourselves with our race. If Hefazats claim is to be facilitated, we will have to essentially destroy our own history, our own identity; essentially stripping us off from part of what is our identity. Much like the Talebans who destroyed the ancient Buddhist statues in Afghanistan despite appeals by the UN Secretary General not to.
Stop anti-Islam activities by NGOs across the country, including in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and evil attempts of Christian missionaries for conversion:
The NGOs across the country in combination are responsible for the livelihood of millions of impoverished Bangladeshis across the country. They provide services ranging from basic healthcare , legal advice to the poor, housing, education and also raise social awareness against issues such as oppression against minorities, sexual harassment and human trafficking.
An ending of their activities would have devastating effects on the people they help as well as a reduction on the standard of living of the people as a whole whom they service.
As for the evil attempts of Christian missionaries for conversion, I would like to point out that it is within their democratic rights to preach a religion which is one of the largest in the world. Besides, since when has an attempt to conversion been considered evil? Unless, one is trying to convert one to follow Satan.
Now, if the above demands were indeed met, as one can clearly conclude from the analysis, it would mean a serious derailment of the process of normal socio-economic development the nation has been pursuing for decades.
We would be dooming our minorities, our women as well as our economic, social and historic future while at the same time eliminating our glorious past history. We would lose our identity as we would be forced into becoming a society not essentially inspired by our own values and cultures.
A process could start to transform us into another Afghanistan like entity where sectarian violence is considered legal; violence and oppression against women is considered religious rights handed down to men. Our dear motherland could become a possible breeding ground for practitioners of extreme philosophies a situation where we may become a potential target for anti-terrorist forces.
I know that my predictions sound grim, that my fears may be laughed at by many. But no one, not even the United States with its army of think tanks could calculate how fast the Shah of Iran would be overthrown and Iran transformed from a modern, westernized nation into a hyper radical, conservative one.
We now stand at a crossroad where our actions will decide and write our future. Over the coming years, the decisions of our political leaders, be it the opposition or the ruling government, will decide whether we will be known as the Peoples Republic or Bangladesh or not. Our ultimate branding will depend entirely on them.
Abraham Lincoln once quoted the Bible, saying, A house divided against itself cannot stand, the same stands true for our Republic today; for we are a divided people at the moment, fighting like hungry and ravished wolves over the pray that is the seat of power of this country.
The ruling government, and the opposition parties (excluding the Islamists) cannot afford to be consumed by petty differences anymore. The BNP needs to recognize that Hefazat is not a tool that they can utilize to gain power but a reactionary force that may have plans to remove all opposition to it and reset Bangladesh on a course completely opposed to modernity in thoughts and actions. Awami League should realize the threat that Hefazat is and take appropriate measures in order to neutralize them before they become too powerful.
Both parties must put aside their differences and create a single impenetrable wall that Hefazat and other too orthodox forces cannot breech.
A wall that acts as a single well-oiled offensive machine that works from the grassroots level to the highest point of the pyramid to halt the spread of too orthodox ideas. Both parties must work in unison to create public awareness as to what Hefazat entails and what their underlying motives could be.
Will our sisters, mothers and wives be forced to go into imprisonment on grounds of immodesty or any allegation of lapse of their character or immoral behaviour would lead to death via stoning? Will our history stand tall as an example to the world as to the capacity of humanity to make sacrifices to preserve freedom? Or will our books be burned and our history and identity be lost like Ozymandias works?
Will democracy and the Republic that is Bangladesh survive? Will we continue to shine as a glowing example of a rising economy and secular liberalism? Or will we vanish quietly into the night as an isolated, xenophobic and outdated oddity? Questions, the answers to which will depend on the actions of our leaders in the coming years.
The writer of Bangladesh origin teaches Politics and Government at the University of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
