[vinnomot] The obscurantist Imam is gone but watch out of the pseudo-secularists

The obscurantist Imam is gone but watch out of the pseudo-secularists

 

Shabbir Ahmed

 

The controversial Imam of Baitul Mukarram Mosque, which is also dubbed as the National Mosque of Bangladesh, Maulana Obaidul Haque passed away a few days ago in early October 2007. Many expressed their grief and condolences for his sudden demise.  As a chief Imam of the largest mosque in Bangladesh, he could have received respect and honor during his lifetime from all had he delivered only peaceful Fatwas based on the much hyped peaceful religion Islam.  Unfortunately, he preferred to be a political Imam.  For this, he was supported by Bangladesh Nationalist Party-Jamaat-i-Islami (BNP-JI) axis while he was criticized by the secular and pro-liberation forces for his lifetime controversial actions.  In the past, he made outrageous remarks against freedom fighters and all other freedom loving Bengalis, who freed Bangladesh from the clutch of military-theocratic rule of Pakistan.  This Razakar-minded Imam of Baitul Mukarram mosque called the freedom fighters as "Gaddars" meaning traitors.  At that time, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was in power (1990-1996).  The government remained silent.  Someone even filed a law-suit against him for his vicious remarks against the movement for the independence of Bangladesh.  It was not surprising at all that there was no action taken against Maulana Obaidul Haque by the BNP government.  Later, during the rule of Awami League, the lawsuit was activated and Maulana Obaidul Haque was most probably summoned by the court.  At one point, he was even removed from his positions in Islamic Foundation and Baitul Mukarram mosque.

A good number of secularists protested against Maulana Obaidul Haque's vicious role in inciting unrest against minority Ahmadiyas and his involvement with the fundamentalist Jamaat-i-Islami and extreme Islamic right wing party called Khatme Nabuwaat. It is difficult to suppress the political Maulana like Mr. Obaidul Haque because an apparently powerful group of so-called secularists are opportunists enough while confronting the fundamentalists fearlessly.  For this, the fundamentalist Maulanas such as Mr. Obaidul Haque gained strengths in Bangladesh under the direct/indirect patronization of the Pan Islamists and the pseudo-secularists.  They have gained influence so much so that an influential editor named Mr. Matiur Rahman of a widely circulated newspaper Prothom-Alo had to go to him and to his cohorts for begging pardon for publishing a simple cartoon on the name of a cartoon character.  An influential advisor of the present caretaker government went along with the editor to appease the fundamentalist mullahs under the leadership of Maulana Obaidul Haque.

It is true that as an editor of a newspaper, Mr. Matiur Rahman needed to take some steps to calm down the violent extremists on the streets incited by the Maulanas like Mr. Obaidul Haque. The gullible people of Bangladesh hold a general perception on Mr. Matiur Rahman as a brave editor.  Contrary to this perception, it was revealed that Mr. Matiur Rahman submitted to a communal and political Maulana Obaidul Haque in a cowardly fashion.  If it were done by a not-so-vocal and not-so-known editor of a newspaper in Bangladesh, none of the critics would have penned to expose his weak and meek character.  Even Mr. Matiur Rahman would not have subjected to criticism if his actions were not exposed as opportunistic and hypocritical one.

Maulana Obaidul Haque achieved his success a few days before his death by creating a situation on a trivial cartoon that compelled Mr. Matiur Rahman to abandon his so-called braveness and submit to the fundamentalists.  I watched in TV how strong Maulana Obaidul Haque and his fellow Maulanas looked in the Tauba (Repentance) Ceremony and how weak and submissive Mr. Matiur Rahman was in front of them.  Even though Maulana Obaidul Haque will not be able to offer any Fatwa to incite any more violence but his ideals of political Islam based on Sha'ria will be carried on by his followers as we saw some of them in TV.  The real secularists of Bangladesh should unite to confront these political Islamists if they wanted to rid obscurantism from the face of Bangladesh. At the same time, they should keep an eye on the college educated pseudo-secularists who pretend to be the defenders of secularism in Bangladesh. They do more harm than good for their opportunistic behavior.  Therefore, buyer be aware!

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