By The Numbers
Thus far and no further
THE removal of baul sculptures from the roundabout in front of the Zia International Airport by the Civil Aviation Authority, under threat from religious bigots, has aroused a deep sense of anger among the conscious people because of the government's indirect encouragement to bigotry.
A sculptor tasked with the project on the basis of designs approved by the concerned government body erected the sculptures, which were almost nearing completion. Now, in the face of threat from the religious bigots, the government has backtracked and removed these on the lame excuse that the sculptures were not built as per the approved designs. But the real reason for which the government tore down the sculptures is crystal clear.
Emboldened by this success, Mufti Fazlul Haque Amini, the chairman of the Islami Oikya Jote, has threatened to demolish all sculptures and statues in the country, even if those are dedicated to our glorious war of independence. He also branded the Shikha Anirban at Dhaka Cantonment as anti-Islamic.
The religious bigots in Barisal have also demanded that construction of a sculpture named Bijay Bihanga, being set up in the city marking the liberation of Barisal from the Pakistani occupation army in 1971, should be stopped immediately. Barisal Mayor, Shawkat Hossain Hiron, said that the demand of the bigots was illogical as the design of Bijay Bihanga was earlier discussed with and approved by the religious leaders.
Their next targets will be other monuments and sculptures in the country erected in commemoration of our glorious war of independence, including the Aparaja Bangla and central Shahid Minar.
Everybody will clearly remember the pitched battles that some radical Islamist groups fought in April with the police for two consecutive days around the Baitul Mukarram National mosque to protest against certain provisions giving women equal rights in the National Women Development Policy (NWDP).
A large number of students from madrasas across the city participated in pitched battles with the police. They acted on instructions from their teachers who were staying inside the mosque. At that time, their leader Amini also threatened the government, saying: "If our demands are not met, the fire ignited today will spread like wildfire across the country."
The radical Islamist groups also went rampant and brought out a procession in the city, almost without any resistance, to protest against the Sector Commanders Forum's move for trail of war criminals, defying the state of emergency.
A group of madrasa students vandalised the office of the vice-chancellor of Dhaka University on October 18, demanding cancellation of the university authority's decision not to allow admission to students who did not study English and Bengali of 200 marks each in their HSC or equivalent courses.
When the Taliban destroyed two Bamyan statues in Afghanistan in 2001, there was an outcry across the world, as the statues carved in the third century were considered to be the world's tallest standing statues of Buddha. But the Taliban government in Afghanistan decreed that the statues, that had survived for over 1,500 years, were idolatrous and anti-Islamic. Religious bigots also destroyed statues of Buddha at Swat in Pakistan in 2007 under instructions from their leader Mollah Fazlullah.
Islam only prohibits idolatry, but this prohibition is not applicable for the sculptures and statues erected to showcase national pride, culture and heritage. Erection of sculptures portraying culture and heritage is in no way a defiance of any tenets of Islam. In fact, there is hardly anything antithetical between religion and culture, while many aspects of culture are rooted in religion.
A clear distinction also exists between a sculpture and an idol. Sculptures are commemorative of history and heritage while an idol is an iconic object of worship that prevailed in the pre-Islamic faiths.
The demolition of the baul sculptures, dedicated to the humanist ideology of the great mystic poet Lalon Shah, in the face of threat from the religious bigots, should not be seen as an isolated instance. It is a potent reminder of the greater threats to our rich culture and heritage, as the bigots have already threatened to shut down Pahela Baishakh and observance of Ekushey.
The radical Islamist political groups, who have positioned themselves as a counter-force to culture and enlightenment, want the country to be fashioned according to their dictates and to be eventually turned into a theocratic state. The issue of the baul sculptures, of course, is not Islamic but political use of religion. Religion is misused to implement their ulterior political designs.
The conscious people across the country are really incensed as the government has capitulated in the face of threat from the religious bigots and torn down the baul sculptures. This disturbing development of the religious bigots multiplies the need for correcting all the mistakes so far made by the government in tackling these elements. This government must not show weakness in tackling them, as it has no obligation to the vote bank.
Having come this far because of tolerance from the government, the religious bigots are now raising their heads in an extremely disturbing way. These elements have got no appeal for the great mass of people as they always hide behind religion to achieve their nefarious political agenda. Therefore, the conscious section of society must raise their voice against such malignant acts of bigotry and proclaim strongly: "Thus far and no further."
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