From: Akbar Hussain <akbar_50@hotmail.com>
To: alochona group <alochona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 24, 2009 9:25:45 PM
Subject: RE: [ALOCHONA] News of HOPE! --be fully prepared to face noisy, nasty resistance
To all those who want Bismillah in the preamble of the constitution of Bangladesh need to understand the meaning of secularism. If we want that mosque and state are to be separated and which means that the state of Bangladesh will be ruled by modern laws and therefore religion has no place in running of the state. If this principle is accepted than Bismillah is a word directly associated with Islam logically can't be included in the constitution. When officially it's said that Islam is the state religion of Bangladesh than Bangladesh is not a secular state. Period. Therefore it's imperative that one has to prove whether Bangladesh is a secular state or not. Now a few blunt facts. To many people Bangladesh was destined to be a secular state at the beginning but the politicians never understood the meaning of secularism. Even Sheikh Mujib did not have the intellectual capability to understand the implications of secularism. Islam is a big business in Bangladesh and the politicians are not that stupid to miss the opportunity. Mullahs have termed secularism as Godlessness and they have the prerogative to declare someone secular as a murtaad who is punishable by beheading. The prime ministers and presidents of Bangladesh frequently make trips to Mecca although some of them talks often about secularism very loudly. This is hypocrisy, opportunism and stupidity. If we accept religion as a personal matter this controversy would not have been there today. But this is a far cry in Bangladesh . Because this is a heavenly business to form some capital to purchase a ticket to the heavens. There are only seven heavens and more than a billion people are on the queue.
Akbar Hussain
To: alochona@yahoogroup s.com
From: nistabdhota@ yahoo.com. au
Date: Sun, 24 May 2009 09:26:49 -0700
Subject: [ALOCHONA] News of HOPE! --be fully prepared to face noisy, nasty resistance
The concept of equality, fairness and freedom of religion doesn't befit the Bangladeshi version of ultra-secularism, one of the strongest proofs being the secularist-cults opposition of "Bismillah" in the constitution. The ugliest facade of the Bangladeshi version of ultra-secularism is to vehemently oppose Islam that is the faith of the majority. When they project the issue of equality, fairness and freedom of religion in support of their opposition to Islam, it's simply defrauding the people in which they are so cunning. See how they defrauded the nation by all those charming and exciting manifesto before the last election compared to the character they are exposing now. Our constitution, as it is now, safeguards all fundamental rights including equality, fairness and freedom of religion. Bismllah and Islam as the state religion in the constitution do not derogate the less from any fundamental rights of the citizens than underpinning them. Can the secularist-cults produce a single and simple extra benefit that they can add to the service of the fundamental rights by removing Bismillah and Islam from the constitution? Why does the removal of Bismillah and Islam from the constitution become vitally important? Does it serve the people of Bangladesh at all or just serves the political interests of the ultra-secularist cults???
From: Cyrus <thoughtocrat@ yahoo.com>
To: alochona@yahoogroup s.com
Sent: Friday, 22 May, 2009 7:36:41 PM
Subject: Re: [ALOCHONA] News of HOPE! --be fully prepared to face noisy, nasty resistance
From: "qrahman@netscape. net" <qrahman@netscape. net>
To: alochona@yahoogroup s.com
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2009 2:09:22 PM
Subject: Re: [ALOCHONA] News of HOPE! --be fully prepared to face noisy, nasty resistance
We need to go deeper than that. There are reasons why major political
parties left it alone. Despite our history of politicians abusing Islam
to advance their personal interest, majority of our population are
spiritual in nature and do not see the need to remove all token
presense of God in our lives. Islam is seen as an idea that promotes
good things in our communities.
For the same reason the US left "In God we trust" on dollar bills.
Those who are familier with US constitution know that it is Not a
Christian country. It has clear direction to seperate Church and State.
I am still flexible if I find any proof that removing those word will
bring positive changes to our country. I am yet to see it.
Islam is a pragmatic faith if understood properly. Prophet
Muhammad(PBUH) done similar thing to secure peace and end continuous
wars with pact of Hudaibeah.
We are not French and imposing a foreign value (strict secularism by
removing God) will end up bringing results and reactions similar to
1952 when we were forced to embrace a foreign language.
I am a fan of equal treatment and justice for all. Since BD laws are
not religious and secular in nature it is(Removing Bismillah) not
important for my country.
-qar
-----Original Message-----
From: Farida Majid <farida_majid@ hotmail.com>
Sent: Wed, 20 May 2009 02:53:11 -0400
Subject:
[ALOCHONA] News of HOPE! --be fully prepared to face noisy,
nasty resistance
From: farida_majid@ hotmail.com
To: alochona@yahoogroup s.com
Subject: RE: [ALOCHONA] News of HOPE! --be fully prepared to face
noisy, nasty resistance
Date: Tue, 12 May 2009 17:38:11 -0400
Sentimentalization of "bismillah" on the Constitution has begun just
as I aprehended. Anyone with eyes to read and understand plain
English would not have asked the following question: Why "Bismillah" is
a problem for you?
Please, can I invite all, yes, ALL of us to put a little effort
and improve our understanding of this important issue?
No single political party -- Awami League, BNP, or whatever --
can or should keep "bismillah" in the Constitution or expel it. By
the same token, its inclusion in the constitution by a Military
Dictator's whim was illegal.
However, "bismillah" is staying for the moment, as the Law
Minister indicated, not because of the AL goodness of the heart. The
act of including "bismillah" was done out side the legal realm covered
by the Fifth Amendment,1979. The present action is to activate (dismiss
the stay order) the High Court Judgment on 29th August, 2005 -- a
response to the Writ Petition # 6016/2000, Italian Marble Co. - Moon
Cinema Ha
ll.
This Judgment called for a repeal of Fifth Amendment that was
passed under the clout of Martial Law in 1979 and all 'illegal
acts' that subsequently validated the usurpation of power. The Fifth
Amendment, 1979, not only changed "the basic structure as well as the
character of the Constitution in its totality, but rather, uprooted the
Constitution; it was no amendment in the eye of law, but destruction of
the Constitution altogether, as such ultra vires to the Constitution. "
The above is a direct quote from the Judgment issued on the
Moon Cinema Hall case in 2005 by the bench consisting of Mr. Justice
ABM Khairul Haque and Mr. Justice ATM Fazle Kabir.
Anyone can check the authenticity of the quote. It was
one of the most masterful Judgments isued by the judiciary in the short
history of Bangladesh.
Farida Majid
To: alochona@yahoogroup s.com
From: qrahman@netscape. net
Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 01:44:43 -0400
Subject: Re: [ALOCHONA] News of HOPE! --be fully prepared to face
noisy, nasty resistance
Ms Majid,
Why "Bismillah" is a problem for you?=0
D
FYI, Awami League is keeping it.
Now I'll share some good news. Jamaat took your idea and removed it
from their party constitution.
What's next?
Let me give you some food for thought. The word "Awami" came from Urdu.
Let me see how you can "Update" it.
Apparently Jamaat is more "Flexible" about these "Minor" issues as long
it takes them to haven AKA "Power".
My bet is Jamaat will give in first.
Good luck.
-qar
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