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You may know that Bangladesh is now going through the worst crisis in its history. This third largest Muslim country of over 160 million people was once one of the two parts of Pakistan which was created to give space to aspiring Muslims for a separate homeland.
However, the leaders of Pakistan had failed to realise the founding principles of the country leading to a war of secession and eventual break up in 1971; and the birth of Bangladesh as an independent state.
During that era, the nation became divided into two, those who supported the break up of Pakistan and those who did not. All the Islamic parties and Ulema of the country wanted to maintain the unity of Pakistan in order to be secured from Indian hegemony. On the other hand, the liberation war was led by the left-leaning secularists under the close supervision of Indian military and intelligence.
Since the independence, communists and ultra-secularists are working closely to uproot Islam from the fabric of the society and its moderate reference to the constitution and other spheres of life.
Although the previous efforts for de-islamisation were harmful, no doubt, but the present government, with the blessings of the powerful neighbour, for the first time in the history of Bangladesh, was formed as a direct result of communist-secularist coalition with an agenda to defame and degrade Islam. A large number of the cabinet ministers of the present government are atheist and was heavily involved in communist movements. They not only hate Islam but also want to wipe out the Islamic symbol and practices forever.
Needless to mention that almost 89% of population are Muslim; however, the situation today has become so dire that Islam, is treated in Bangladesh as if it is something alien or foreign . Young men are discriminated in the work place and on the street because of their practice of Islam and sporting of beard.
There are times when the teachers forced the Muslim pupils to take their headscarf off in front of other students or at times headscarf were torn apart on the street in broad daylight. This amounts to almost a ban on young women with hijab entering the school/college/university/work place. Many had to stop education or work to save their belief. Prayer facilities within the educational premises had been shut on health and safety pretext. For the first time Islamic Studies has been withdrawn from the curriculum during this government.
Police had been raiding mosques and other places of worships, mainly to harass Islamic dawah activists belonging to opposition parties and arresting over 20,000, many thousands were tortured and hundreds went missing or shot dead by the state intelligence and police. Alongside the government, a large section of journalists, intellectuals, writers and media outlets have been working day and night to fulfil their anti-Islamic agenda.
The process of de-Islamisation has reached its climax when recently the Muslims of Bangladesh were stunned by discovering most abhorrent blogs and facebook writings degrading Allah, the Prophet and everything Muslims hold dear. No one in the 1400 years history of Islam ever dared to vilify Islam to this extent A group of atheist writers and bloggers are promoted and protected by state to defame Islam and Islamic. Despite the order from the highest court and call from the Imams and Khatibs around to shut down those Islam-bashing websites, the government not only turned a blind eye rather used encouraged such bloggers in Shahabagh protest to chant vile slogans such as; ‘Hang Islamic leaders and scholars’, ‘ban the Qur’an’ and ‘Ban islamic organisations’.
When on Friday the February 22nd the faithful came out en mass to protest against such vulgar attack on Islam, the police attacked the peaceful procession and shot over a dozen to death. A number of Imams and Khatibs were harassed and beaten inside the mosques by the ruling party thugs and police and hundreds arrested. However, on Thursday the 28th February an unprecedented mass-killing of Muslim protesters took place all around the country and 74 people were mercilessly shot dead while protesting against the unjust sentence of death verdict imposed upon the most popular Islamic scholar, Mawlana Delwar Hossain Saydee.
Since last three years, the government had set up a highly controversial tribunal to prosecute the pro-Islamic opposition leaders under the pretext of crimes against humanity committed during the liberation war in 1971. The controversial tribunal had already sentenced two prominent ulema, Sheikh Abul Kalam Azad and Shiekh Dilowar Hussain Sayedee, to death by hanging for no other reason but for Islamic dawah.
The entire international community, international NGOs, Jurists, Human Rights organisations including the United Nations had severely criticised the trial process and termed it flawed and not in accordance with the international standard but the government took no heed as they just want to hang the Islamic leaders.
Presently, a public campaign has been orchestrated by intelligence and popular left-wing medias to ban not only the Islamic parties but also the businesses, banks and newspapers and media outlets owned by pro-Islamic block were attacked, smashed and burned down by the ruling party thugs watched by the police.
The picture above is a small part of the large and alarming reality; if our brothers in Ummah do not come forward to save 160 million Muslims and their faith from such onslaught and carnage, we will all stand responsible in the eyes of Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala.
Sources:www.islam21c.com
18 Comments
May bangladesh be a secular country and kill all jamat-e-islami leaders and hang them in public. Hindus r great. India is great.
Nothing offensive…just copying and pasting your own comment:
May Bangladesh be an Islamic country and kill all Hindu, atheist, communist and awami league leaders and hang them in public. Muslims are great. Bangladesh is great.
This is totally false. Bangladesh should be a secular country and all communal fanatics of islam should be killed India will always help great Hindus of Bangladesh who were always tortured, i support what is going on and totally eradicating islam from bangladesh.
Jai Hind.
we muslims are really strange today!!
whats happening to countries like this is not understandable. how can a country with over 80 % of muslims be dominated by non muslims. if this is the case, whats happening to them is their fault. i have been asking myself question about how the ruling party won the elections in a country with over 80% of muslims!! let check ourselves and solve our own problems. Allah SW said “… we will not change the conditions of a people until they change themselves”. until we return to Allah and his messenger this condition will remain!! muslims suffering in countries were they are a minority is understandable but not in countries were they are the majority!! lets not sleep and take our destiny in hand.
Couldn’t agree more.
Is this about Ethiopia?
I read the article, and it all looked about the situation in my country Ethiopia, except the names and the ullama are yet to be sentenced. Muslims are about half the country’s population. Remember us in your dua.
This report is the truth
For those who said there is nothing going on in Bangladesh click on the link for back up of this report.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr-9DRuU8ak&feature=em-uploademail
THe current crisis raises several points in my mind.
Firstly this is a game about winning the next election. Ever since AL came to power they have been wiping out any possible opposition to their rule. The BDR massacre gravely weakened the army (so reducing the chance of a military coup ever happening again) and bolstered Indian control of the borders. The banning and public vilification of Islamic parties (and I don’t mean JI here) meant they were weakened and removed from public influence. At the same time each and every opportunity was used to push Bangali nationalism (independence day, boishaki) paving the way for the current phase where any one seeming to voice opposition to the government is conveniently labelled as a ‘razaker’ and removed from play.
With the next general election 18 months away and knowing that the main opposition BNP has always relied on JI for grass roots support (the ummah still love Islam), and knowing JI’s weakness regards the razaker issue, AL (and I’m sure with the assistance and master minding by the old and new colonial powers) has cleverly embroiled JI leaders with all the war crimes accusation and has demanded constitutional changes for the party to remain in the political arena. With JI potentially out of the picture, BNP will remain weak and AL will be due for another landslide victory.
Secondly I agree that Islam is under threat in Bangladesh. I don’t mean a ‘secular’ form of Islam- that is exactly what is being pushed by AL just like the world over. What is under threat is Islam as a way of life which can solve the problems of Bangladesh- the poverty, the corruption, the insecurity, the brain drain, the foreign interference. We seem to be losing sight of these real issues- indeed no one is giving any solutions to these problems. Rather we have the same liberal secular democracy being peddled as we have here in the west and look how that’s doing! It is a politics of fear just like it is here in the West. To give an example the imam of a masjid that I went to whilst in Dhaka was arrested last Friday. Why? Because he was asked to make dua for the atheist blogger (Thaba baba) who was killed and he refused.
The dirty divisive politics of AL/BN needs to end without doubt. The war crimes of 1971 have to settled once and for all in fair trials- I don’t see either AL or BNP delivering that.
Sadly I don’t see JI giving any alternative- unfortunately they seem to have lost confidence in Islam themselves and have compromised time and time again, allying themselves with BNP who themselves give no solutions. Only yesterday I read of a high level secret meeting between AL, JI and the military in 2008 (imbd.blog.com/?p=790).
So what hope for the future. The future looks bleak without a new politics based on Islam with sincere leadership.
wake up!
It is not from Islam to participate in kufr secular politics to bring about an Islamic State. Rather knowledge, education of the deen, learning, acting and inviting to it. Being patient, advising the rulers and it is the Creator, Allah that will decree the Islamic society we all wish to live in when we are ready, when generally and a large portion of the Ummah return to the original understanding of Islam. Awami League is oppressing the general practising Muslims and particularly the Jamati Islami, as they see them a threat just like BNP. Even though no Islamic political party will ever make a country an islamic state. Awami League is made up of nationalists and atheists and hypocrites and Kuffar. They allow their supporters to demonstrate, yet Jamati or BNP are not and are killed ob the streets. Wake up! They are killing the oppositions to silence any competition. This has now become an Islamic practicing Muslims problems and not just Jamati. They are our brothers, it is upon us to help them.
our so called scholars are not the most politically astute!
As’salamu Alikum, alhumdulilah this is a very good article.
One brother comments that” our so called scholars are not the most politically astute!”
We always assume when someone has got secular education then they are up to date with society other wise they are backward. We made those comments due to ignorance of our Islamic education. SubhanAllah if we look at the history of Islam, the Islamic scholars were the most powerful interms of understanding of all aspect of life.
We need to comprehend, the scholars understand the word of allmighty Allah, it’s not a small thing. I think we should respect our scholars. May Allah make us one of them who are in the right path. Ameen
Ultra Secularim feulled by Nationalism
The Prophet (saw) said: “He is not one of us who calls for asabiyyah, (tribalism/nationalism) or who fights for asabiyyah, or who dies for asabiyyah.” [Abu Dawud]
very disturbing events unfolding…
Mashallah and excellent article from a qualified and well informed author.
I find the comments to this article very disturbing. Firstly, if you don’t believe the believe Bangladesh is going through a process of di-islamisation check out the filthy reality of the Shabagh Movement in Bangladesh: http://abbasnoman.tumblr.com/post/43319157192/shahbag-protest-anti-islamic-propaganda-behind-the
Secondly, if members of the Jamaat are truly ‘war criminals,’ they should be tried fairly in a open court. The International Criminal Tribunal (ICT)’s standards to ensure a fair trial is laughable even by standards in the animal kingdom! The Bar Human Rights Committee of England Wales (BHRC) issued this statement.
‘The Bar Human Rights Committee of England Wales (BHRC) expresses its concern that the International Criminal Tribunal in Bangladesh (ICT) is failing to meet international fair trial standards. In particular, the BHRC expresses urgent concern following the alleged abduction of a defence witness, Shukho Ranjon Bali, (“Bali”) in front of the International Crimes Tribunal on Monday 5th November 2012.’
http://m.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/in-bangladesh-the-flawed-path-to-accountability/article4466192.ece/?maneref=http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2013/03/bangladeshs-war-crimes-trials
Allah knows best.
Farhana Hoque, your family may not have problems with Islam, but that does not speak for everyone else. Unfortunately there are people in bangladesh who do have a problem, that’s reality, and there is a difference in being Muslim and actually practising Islam.
Electrician
As Salaam Alaikum,
Alhamdulillah, we have an open forum of communication. Salaat & dhikr as precribed in the Quran. We cannot be cowards, waiting on the acceptance of kufr, we accept the Acceptance of Allah. When we are striken, we strike back with equal force & effectiveness in defense of our Faith.
We should not force them to be Muslim, we may not submit to their oppression. Band together under the banner of Islam. Follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW.)
Any Different?
Ok so your affiliation to Jamat al-Islam has nothing to do with this? The Jamat, Awami League BNP and all similar secular democratic parties are the same. The Jamat are getting punished and banned only because of their own actions (im not talking about razakar). If Jamat or BNP were in power they’d do the same! None of you secular parties are independant but puppets of India and the West. It’s a shame that our so called scholars aren’t the most politically astute!
Strongly disagree with the article. My family is from Bangladesh; they never have issues with practicing Islam.
Before spreading this type of subject please confirm what is truth behind the veil…
Sorry, could not agree with the author even a bit. My family lives in Bangladesh, they never complain they have problem with practicing religion. The two leaders were war criminal. Majority of Bangladeshi population are muslim. Do you think that they are stupid? They are not practising Islam? If you think otherwise then you are in the darkside. Religion has been nakedly politicize in Bangladesh for several decades through these controversial so called leaders. Still they are trying to speead lie about banning Quran & prevent people to practice their religion! Astaghfirullah. I think non-Bangladeshi should research deeply before commenting against Bangladesh. May Allaah give us the right knowledge and guide us on the straight path.
Murtad Haseena the Ridiculer of ALLAHA and his MESSENGER(s.a.w.s)
The hypocrites fear lest a Sûrah (chapter of the Qur’ân) should be revealed about them, showing them what is in their hearts. Say: “(Go ahead and) mock! But certainly Allâh will bring to light all that you fear.” (EMQ At-Taubah, 9: 64)
“No one who abandons a Muslim whose honour is violated and his/her pride injured, except that Allah will abandon that person when he or she is in need of help. And there is no one who helps a Muslim whose honour is violated and his/her pride injured, except that Allah will help that person when he or she is in need of help.” (HR. Abu Daud no. 4884, Ahmad no. 16368)
May ALMIGHTY give cancer and fear to this MURTAD rulers,who are against our own muslim brothers and sisters.