Sense & Insensibility
Removing sculptures will not bring food on your plate
A section of people in this country who have taken the responsibility of "protecting" their religious beliefs on their own shoulders are doing so of their own volition. No one has told them to do so, but then again there would be no problem if they would educate themselves with the history first and then try to preach and practice the essence of religion, remaining within the entire gamut of the society they belong to. It is essential they take into consideration the ethnic, socio-political and cultural matrix that shape the mosaic of that society because no group can progress and prosper by remaining hostile to society.
Therefore, trouble begins to brew when some zealots mislead youngsters and incite them to rebel against certain accepted cultural practices, norms and values of the society they live in. The elders cleverly talk of divine directives but we know that, in reality, they have their eyes fixed on the throne where they want to sit some day. The zealots brainwash the youngsters by telling incredulous tales picked from various unconfirmed sources and goad them into carrying out acts of violence against the citizens of the state.
The youngsters are constantly fed with the false notion that their religion is under threat and that they would have to fight the "enemy" and give their lives, if necessary. The youngsters are told of many divine gifts awaiting them in the afterlife, which, to a poor, jobless young man often sounds more lucrative than the temporal life full of misery. The zealots hardly organise vocational training programmes for the youngsters and engage them in economic activities to help improve their socio-economic conditions. They only exploit the anger and frustration of the poverty-stricken young men for their own gain.
What does history tell us? History also tells us that whenever a group of people wanted to seize the throne of the country they used religion to force the common people to subjugation. The poor and illiterate fear the power of the unknown more than they fear the laws of the land. Hence, the powerful rulers of the past often presented themselves as representatives of the Omnipotent on earth. The histories of Egypt, Rome and the Middle East is strewn with such stories. We all know what had happened to Caligula and Nero.
The exploitation of the people of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in the name of religion by the rulers from West Pakistan is but a recent history written in blood and sweat. While the Pakistani rulers delved in debauchery and deceit of the worst kind, they foamed at the mouth while talking about religion being under threat. And they never missed an opportunity to call the people strongly practicing and promoting Bengali culture as non-Muslims.
Does religion, with its divine sanctions, really need some half-literate people to protect it? History tells us that it does not. All major religions have survived on earth for millennia without the help of such frenzied zealots. Then why some people are always bent on implanting such notions in the brain of others in the name of protecting religion? It is obvious -- only to perpetuate their hold on power.
It is happening in Bangladesh too. In the name of protecting religion the zealots have divided the country into two camps - 1) their kind and 2) other kind. According to them, none in the other camp follows religious rituals as strictly as they do, hence, those people are either full or half heretics, hence they ought to be either brought into their camp or sent to graves to suffer eternal damnation. They are implanting this grotesque concept in the brains of thousands of young men and women of the country.
In such a state of ignorance their young followers confuse idolatry with appreciating sculpture. In such a state of confusion they are joining the zealots in demanding dismantling of all the sculptures in the country. Amazingly, they are getting more and more vocal everyday. They are bursting with energy to launch country-wide wave of destruction and anarchy. And unless they are stopped they would possibly succeed in attaining their goal.
But you know what? We have never seen such huge energy and such huge potential diverted against real evils that grip our society today. We have never seen the zealots coming out on the streets demanding an end to acid violence. We have not seen them preaching to young men during religious congregations about the evil practice. We have not heard of them bringing out processions against drug peddlers or phensidyl smugglers. We were not told that the zealots organised anti-trafficking rallies and held community meeting in vulnerable areas.
More questions. Do they sit down with the drug addicts to de-motivate them with advice and real help? We never heard of such social services offered by the zealots and their followers. Again, do they ever come out strongly against the illiterate people who dish out anti-people fatwas to make the victims suffer physically and mentally? Do they speak against the evils of child marriage, dowry, divorce and rape? Do the zealots and their followers offer voluntary services in our efforts to reduce child and maternal mortality?
We know some imams of mosques have been included in awareness building programmes, which are initiated by the government. But we want to know what the so-called politico-religious leaders who threaten the country with dire consequences for not removing the sculptures are doing as part of their commitment to society where they breed and survive today.
We believe the government has to draw the line for such zealots who are trying to bake their cakes in the oven as long as it is hot. They have political ambition behind whatever they are doing today. The government should stop them by all means. Can we help those poor, illiterate young men by organising more vocational trainings to become worthy citizens? They should be told that removing sculptures will not bring food on their plates.
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