Religion in politics: It harms less, but does no better

It merits reminding that AL was reborn (during Pakistan) from Awami Muslim League only to give the party a secular hue and it is simply unthinkable that for wooing voters, as Mr. Hanif conjectured, AL needs to shake off secularism which is embedded in its rebirth. What this rude awakening of Mr. Hanif for? Mr. Hanif's proposition rather smells a rat as he has struck at the very root of AL which as if has maligned Islam with secularism and voters have turned their back to it. How could Mr. Hanif forget that AL as a single party drew more votes in the last general elections compared to BNP with secularism as one of its main focus? That AL's debacle was, in many instances, the deliberate outcome of alleged machinations could not be ruled out. Re-election in the Munshiganj constituency of Mahiuddin as manoeuvred is a glaring example.

Secularism is one of the most glorious ideals which this nation was born with and proud of having had it enshrined in the constitution, and people of this nation until 1975 witnessed no clash between secularism and religion, in particular of the Muslims who are massively in majority as the people know that religion is a personal matter and has nothing to do with the State (functions). There was no instance that secularism had affected any individual's religious rights or rites, neither had it interfered in the dispensation of State curricula. Religion is a divine aspect and an individual will face his divinity to have his reward or retribution on count of what he leads his life like, whether according to the precepts of the scriptures and observes his religious rites in personal life or not. The State's duty is to safeguard the religious rights equally of citizens of every faith without any prejudice, as also to educate the people that they are all equal in their Republic, that there is no word as majority or minority in the policy of democracy.

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After creation of Pakistan its founding father Md Ali Jinnah, sensing the default of religion based state, declared "Muslims should cease to be Muslims, Hindus should cease to be Hindus in Pakistan, and they would all be known as Pakistanis". All people of Bangladesh should be known as Bangladeshis, not to be identified as Muslims or Hindus or Christians. And that would spontaneously breed peace and harmony among the people of different faiths as that would also allow them to feel and find (them) equal before the State or equally treated by the State. Those are the fruits of secularism and its perspective is much wider in national dimensions and humanity in particular. As we know every man is born with equal rights. And being born on the same land under the same sun why should the State need to divide ourselves as majority and minority, and with religion of the majority as the only religion of the State, why should we let the minority feel discriminated against in their own homeland with scare and insecurity to their life and property?

But the die was already cast by late President Ziaur Rahman by deleting secularism from the constitution, and the last nail was put by HM Ershad, another military ruler, by incorporating Islam as the State religion that dealt a blow to the sentiment and trust of the people of other faiths. In fact since then the image of Bangladesh as a nation of sterling communal harmony has been on the wane. What now persists is in words of our leaders in office. Paradoxically, they have to extend almost blanket security to Hindus in particular while they observe their biggest religious festival. While the Muslims observe theirs with jubilance and without any care and scare, why the Hindus can't?

May I ask a naïve question, "Did the nation leap forward to prosperity or its people changed from worse to better because of incorporation of a State religion or the ostentations the State observes it with?" After 35 years of independence we still lag behind as a "least developed country" and have teeming millions under grinding poverty, uneducated, unclothed, unemployed and half fed. Dishonesty, moral decadence and corruption have eaten into the vitals of the whole nation and the nation got the derisive rank "most corrupt country" five times in a row.

What we need is solidarity of people with democracy in its truest term in practice and paving the way for participation of all people regardless of their religion or ethnicity in the political and economic activities of the country if to achieve the desired development and retrieve the image of the country as a liberal (Muslim) democratic nation.

Mr. Mahasen, a regular contributor in the letter column of the DS is a very mellowed person obviously with authority in English having lived through partition of British India, Pakistani exploitative rules of 23 years, and our war of liberation in 1971. He has witnessed the events of blood bath (pre and post partition), especially of 1971 in the Pakistani rulers' and soldiers' committing genocide on our people and rape of our mothers and sisters. That was all carried out in the name of protection of Islam, and in their vilest acts that Islam never permits, they were aided by no other people but those who belonged to religious political parties. So a man like Mr. Mahasen was not expected to assert that secularism (tolerance, patience etc) is very much in Islam and need no point it out separately. Why then, apart from Hindus who are often reported to be persecuted, even evicted (following last general election they fell easy prey) and deprived from some services of the Republic, the minority Ahmediya community is under constant threat of being subjected to destruction of their properties, to be declared as non-Muslims? As a result our pride as a liberal democratic country has now become a charade. Mr. Mahasen also said, "Now religion has entered politics (all over the world)". If he wanted to mean the world of Muslim countries of the Middle East we have reason to discard and disdain their politics. Except Iran almost all other Muslim countries have monarchy or absolute rule people have little right to freedom of expression. Turkey is a Muslim majority country with secularism and it is now vying with other European countries because of its envious development. Indonesia, Malaysia did not name their countries Islamic, but their secular attitudes are pulling them forth to become economic giants.

Already the Islamic outfits zealots want to turn this country into a land of Sharia law, that is a total Islamic country, and you have witnessed their militancy on Aug. 17 when they displayed their acumen and strength to achieve their end. With religion (Islam) entrenched in our politics we would invite crudity instead of enlightenment and the ill-bred bigots to dictate us how to live, what to follow, and to keep our women within the four walls just as the Taliban regime had enforced on the people of Afghanistan. Look at the ethnic strife-torn Islamic Pakistan which is now coming down heavily on the madrasha education for their products made Pakistan known as one of the terrorist countries. And if we pander more to the wishes of the religious zealots we will have to see, among other things as above, the total demise of our thousand year old cultural moorings and activities, that sustain us with vivacity even in the hostile ambience.

A H Dewan is a freelance contributor.