Religious extremism and our youth
SEEING a group of militant youths arrested by the security forces makes us ponder as to what positive contributions they could have made, had they not been led astray. As conscientious citizens, we need to act now to stop the rot before it gets out of control; failure to act could result in situation as is prevailing in Pakistan and in many other Muslim countries. We need to study why and how religious extremism enters into the society's mainstream, how it thrives and what measures we could take to prevent our youth from becoming extremists. This article would address some of these issues.
Religious extremism, leading to violence and acts of terrorism, is a phenomenon that is plaguing the Muslim community worldwide; Bangladesh is no exception. While the mainstream Islamic societies continue to abhor extremism and violence, there is a small minority support base that gives the extremists space to grow and flourish.
Denial of a cancer that is growing in the society's body could only lead to a catastrophe; but that had been our position for nearly a decade. While extremism grew in the society, our official position was that Bangladesh was a moderate Muslim state and religious extremism did not exist here. Acts of terrorism were blamed on the political opposition as a convenient scapegoat. When such acts could no longer be camouflaged under any pretext, and especially as the international pressure to act against the militants intensified, the government went into action. By the end of 2006, many of the perpetrators of the acts of terror were arrested and brought to justice. However, our efforts so far have remained limited to punitive measures against lower ranking activists, leaving the masterminds unidentified and undisturbed. Despite numerous arrests and prosecution, law enforcers continue to arrest more militants and unearth weapon caches. We are yet to fully understand how the militants are recruited, how they arm, train and organize. Extremist rank and file will continue to grow unless we have a strategy to fight them ideologically, politically, socially and culturally.
One of the root causes of the growth of religious extremism in the Islamic societies had been the absence of democratic traditions and institutions. While royalties and dictatorships suppressed democratic forces, religious leaders with political aspirations were propped up as a countervailing force, giving birth to what is now known as "Political Islam". For example, in Pakistan and Bangladesh, Islamic political parties, such as Jamaat-e-Islami, were showered with official favour during the military and quasi-military rules when democratic and left-leaning parties were suppressed.
Many of the foot-soldiers of extremist organizations in Bangladesh such as Jamaat-e-Mujahidin Bangladesh (JMB) and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami, Bangladesh (HUJI-B) were from rural, unemployed poor and had been recruited from obscure madrassas or mosque-based seminaries. Common threads for recruitment into extremist organizations were, therefore, poverty, joblessness, frustration and lack of exposure to modern education. We, therefore, need to address these issues of vital importance.
People suffering from endemic poverty and social injustice are easily attracted to organizations calling for a social revolution. Radical Islamic parties call for Jihad to establish an Islamic Caliphate, where equity and justice would prevail. Their slogans, however utopian those might be, attract a section of the Muslim youth. Islam in South Asia was based on spiritualism and humanism that encouraged multiculturalism and pluralism. However, it is increasingly being challenged by a strict, literal interpretation of Islam emanating from certain quarters.
We need to invest more in education in terms of money and infrastructural resources. Our education system should cultivate liberal views and shun narrow, parochial outlook towards other religions and cultures. Traditional madrasa education system, where a child gets to study only among his coreligionist and is exposed to a particular set of religious edicts, calls for serious evaluation. Government of Bangladesh has taken up a number of reform measures in respect of madrasa education, but how far those would be implemented in the face of opposition from the Islamists remain to be seen. We also need to create jobs for millions of young people unemployed or underemployed. Our education system is ill suited to face the challenges of the 21st century. It is tied to a past that produced useless clerks and nothing more. We need to update the system so that we produce technically skilled, ethically sound, well-informed youth who would take up challenging, well-paid and satisfying jobs. That would be one serious antidote to extremist ideas.
Youth in Bangladesh is deprived of many amenities that are considered essential for healthy growth of mind and body. We do not have enough parks and playgrounds, clubs and libraries, entertainment and recreation centres where young people could spend their leisure time in useful pursuit. As the saying goes, "An idle mind is a devil's workshop." Unless we keep our young people engaged in useful, challenging and satisfying activities, they would be prone to extremist ideologies. One who plays cricket, loves to play guitar, goes to a weekend camping is most unlikely to end up as an extremist.
Parents have a major responsibility to see that their children do not fall victim to extremist ideology. When someone is arrested for extremist activities, it comes as a rude shock to the parents. Parents often report that they were totally ignorant of the activities of their wards. While they were under the impression that their child was taking religious lessons, the child, in fact, was undergoing Jihadi indoctrination. While most of the JMB and HUJI activists were madrasa educated rural youth, in case of Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) the recruits were educated children of the urban elite. The parents often missed the warning signals; by the time they realized, the child had already been thoroughly indoctrinated. While it is neither possible nor desirable to monitor all the activities of the child, the parents should ensure that the child grow up with a well-rounded view of the world we live in.
While we deter the youth from religious extremism, we should not forget those who are already in jail on charges of extremist activities. Because these people are not criminal in the ordinary sense, their continued detention would only harden their ideological belief, and given the opportunities offered by the jail conditions, they are likely to influence other convicts in Jehadi ideology. We shall thus end up with a far greater problem. Therefore, we need to start a de-radicalisation programme in the jails to bring those convicted extremists back to the society's mainstream when they are eventually released.
Religious extremism that leads to money laundering, arms smuggling, terrorism and other criminal activities are a serious threat to national security. Like many other Muslim societies, Muslim youths in Bangladesh too are increasingly vulnerable to the extremist ideology of armed Jihad. Bangladesh's widespread poverty, poor education, large-scale unemployment and a burgeoning youth population create an ideal condition in which such ideologies thrive. Therefore, we need to take effective countermeasures to protect our youth our most valuable assets. A deliberate, well-planned, multi-dimensional strategy to fight the scourge of extremism is the answer.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=132688
Religious extremism, leading to violence and acts of terrorism, is a phenomenon that is plaguing the Muslim community worldwide; Bangladesh is no exception. While the mainstream Islamic societies continue to abhor extremism and violence, there is a small minority support base that gives the extremists space to grow and flourish.
Denial of a cancer that is growing in the society's body could only lead to a catastrophe; but that had been our position for nearly a decade. While extremism grew in the society, our official position was that Bangladesh was a moderate Muslim state and religious extremism did not exist here. Acts of terrorism were blamed on the political opposition as a convenient scapegoat. When such acts could no longer be camouflaged under any pretext, and especially as the international pressure to act against the militants intensified, the government went into action. By the end of 2006, many of the perpetrators of the acts of terror were arrested and brought to justice. However, our efforts so far have remained limited to punitive measures against lower ranking activists, leaving the masterminds unidentified and undisturbed. Despite numerous arrests and prosecution, law enforcers continue to arrest more militants and unearth weapon caches. We are yet to fully understand how the militants are recruited, how they arm, train and organize. Extremist rank and file will continue to grow unless we have a strategy to fight them ideologically, politically, socially and culturally.
One of the root causes of the growth of religious extremism in the Islamic societies had been the absence of democratic traditions and institutions. While royalties and dictatorships suppressed democratic forces, religious leaders with political aspirations were propped up as a countervailing force, giving birth to what is now known as "Political Islam". For example, in Pakistan and Bangladesh, Islamic political parties, such as Jamaat-e-Islami, were showered with official favour during the military and quasi-military rules when democratic and left-leaning parties were suppressed.
Many of the foot-soldiers of extremist organizations in Bangladesh such as Jamaat-e-Mujahidin Bangladesh (JMB) and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami, Bangladesh (HUJI-B) were from rural, unemployed poor and had been recruited from obscure madrassas or mosque-based seminaries. Common threads for recruitment into extremist organizations were, therefore, poverty, joblessness, frustration and lack of exposure to modern education. We, therefore, need to address these issues of vital importance.
People suffering from endemic poverty and social injustice are easily attracted to organizations calling for a social revolution. Radical Islamic parties call for Jihad to establish an Islamic Caliphate, where equity and justice would prevail. Their slogans, however utopian those might be, attract a section of the Muslim youth. Islam in South Asia was based on spiritualism and humanism that encouraged multiculturalism and pluralism. However, it is increasingly being challenged by a strict, literal interpretation of Islam emanating from certain quarters.
We need to invest more in education in terms of money and infrastructural resources. Our education system should cultivate liberal views and shun narrow, parochial outlook towards other religions and cultures. Traditional madrasa education system, where a child gets to study only among his coreligionist and is exposed to a particular set of religious edicts, calls for serious evaluation. Government of Bangladesh has taken up a number of reform measures in respect of madrasa education, but how far those would be implemented in the face of opposition from the Islamists remain to be seen. We also need to create jobs for millions of young people unemployed or underemployed. Our education system is ill suited to face the challenges of the 21st century. It is tied to a past that produced useless clerks and nothing more. We need to update the system so that we produce technically skilled, ethically sound, well-informed youth who would take up challenging, well-paid and satisfying jobs. That would be one serious antidote to extremist ideas.
Youth in Bangladesh is deprived of many amenities that are considered essential for healthy growth of mind and body. We do not have enough parks and playgrounds, clubs and libraries, entertainment and recreation centres where young people could spend their leisure time in useful pursuit. As the saying goes, "An idle mind is a devil's workshop." Unless we keep our young people engaged in useful, challenging and satisfying activities, they would be prone to extremist ideologies. One who plays cricket, loves to play guitar, goes to a weekend camping is most unlikely to end up as an extremist.
Parents have a major responsibility to see that their children do not fall victim to extremist ideology. When someone is arrested for extremist activities, it comes as a rude shock to the parents. Parents often report that they were totally ignorant of the activities of their wards. While they were under the impression that their child was taking religious lessons, the child, in fact, was undergoing Jihadi indoctrination. While most of the JMB and HUJI activists were madrasa educated rural youth, in case of Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) the recruits were educated children of the urban elite. The parents often missed the warning signals; by the time they realized, the child had already been thoroughly indoctrinated. While it is neither possible nor desirable to monitor all the activities of the child, the parents should ensure that the child grow up with a well-rounded view of the world we live in.
While we deter the youth from religious extremism, we should not forget those who are already in jail on charges of extremist activities. Because these people are not criminal in the ordinary sense, their continued detention would only harden their ideological belief, and given the opportunities offered by the jail conditions, they are likely to influence other convicts in Jehadi ideology. We shall thus end up with a far greater problem. Therefore, we need to start a de-radicalisation programme in the jails to bring those convicted extremists back to the society's mainstream when they are eventually released.
Religious extremism that leads to money laundering, arms smuggling, terrorism and other criminal activities are a serious threat to national security. Like many other Muslim societies, Muslim youths in Bangladesh too are increasingly vulnerable to the extremist ideology of armed Jihad. Bangladesh's widespread poverty, poor education, large-scale unemployment and a burgeoning youth population create an ideal condition in which such ideologies thrive. Therefore, we need to take effective countermeasures to protect our youth our most valuable assets. A deliberate, well-planned, multi-dimensional strategy to fight the scourge of extremism is the answer.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=132688
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