The main reason of our people becoming violent over petty issues is WE do not feel we have a country that respects law of the land. I see students closing national highways or calling for strike to get basic services from our governments. Here I am not criticizing our current government only rather talking about how our leading political parties (And government institution/bureaucracy) works. Until laborers in garment industries breaks few buses or obstructs major highways, they do not even get salaries regularly in many cases.
Therefore, it is easy for some of us to point finger at some people who are violent but without knowing WHY they are acting this way will not cease violence in our country. Last forty years many leaders had chances to establish rule of law in various institutions but they chose to tear down dignity of those institutions or fill them up with political workers instead (Most of the time dumb asses who only know to say yes sir or yes madam). So from judicial department, utilities departments, public universities, government owned factories etc are filled with people (Most but not all) who are incapable to do their duties. Gradually people do not even expect these institutions to protect them or be at their services. Rather they are afraid of police, WASA, Dhaka university etc and people who work in them.
Violence against alleged "Blasphemy" should not be blamed on those misguided people only. Rather all establishments who failed to do their BASIC duties. Sadly this is not the first time we witness this. (I am afraid) until we make fundamental changes this will not be the last incident either. Blaming so called "Fundamentalists" is easy and convenient (Guess Jamat-e-Islami is under radar for various ego-political reasons) but they are NOT the ONLY cause behind it. I have seen many political leaders of so called "Secular" parties abusing Hindus and Islam when it is convenient.
Now comes to "Idea" of freedom of speech. I strongly support the concept of free speech BUT I am afraid most of my countrymen do NOT understand it. For example, if I pick on a specific member of this forum and say this person stole money from me, he/she will have some options about responding to it. One possible option is to provide information and proof showing it is just a slander but not true. Another option is to expose me as a compulsive lair. Another possible option is to suit me in court of law for slander and libel.
Freedom of speech means sharing "AUTHENTIC" information or criticizing any person/institution based on FACTS. Lies, slander, libel is NOT part of the concept of "Free speech".
I know non-Muslims or non-practicing Muslims do not understand this as it is an unique "Living relationship" and "Living LOVE" we have for the man who was described as "Mercy to the worlds". Those who studied his life dispassionately knows true nature of prophet of mercy (May peace and blessings be unto him). I think it is obscene to attack person (With falsehood) who died 1400 years ago.
Therefore, it is not "Practical" to expect we are not going to react to slanders and libels against our noble prophet (PBUH). Thankfully most people do tolerate abuses against a great man like prophet Muhammad (PBUH) but in this large community there are people who are less effective to control their emotions. So we see violence.
A true tolerant community needs a strong court system and law enforcement institutions (That is easily accessible) to protect "Tolerant nature" of that community. Just like countries need to have srong army to protect peace. So NOT only Hindus pay the price, many more powerless Muslims, Chrsitians, tribal people ALSO face oppression in this "Golden Bengal" of ours.
I am encouraged by criticism of Islam or prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by non-Muslim Zionist scholars like Bernard Lewis who probably knows more about Islam than 99% of Muslim population. I have followed some of his works and he is well known for criticizing Muslims. But I have not seen him spreading blunt lies against Islam or Muhammad (PBUH). I do not agree with some of his "Interpretations" but that is "Free speech". So I do not have to agree with him (Albeit I respect his scholarship) in everything.
At the same time, I do not respect well known hate mongers against Islam and Muslims. That is not intolerance but supporting truth and justice.
That is why I wrote in my last post that, until we become united to invest in our institutions (last two decades political parties were reluctant to make any fundamental changes to our colonial style institutions) people of all religion will suffer. I bet you anything, you will find MANY incidents of Muslims facing similar oppressions in this country for being in the wrong place in the wrong time every year.
It is WRONG to teach people that freedom of speech means you can spread lies about great people. Just a reminder, many countries all over the world (Including ours) made it illegal to criticize founding fathers of those countries. Why do you think it is OK to spread hateful lies against one of the greatest men who ever lived?
I am not making the last claim out of my faith only. I have studied his life (Yes critically as well) enough to know he was truly a messenger of mercy. I have been studying works of well known atheist Aroz Ali Matubbar for a while and amazingly his complaints were not against Islam in most parts but he detested how we practice Islam. I think I said similar things in this forum plenty of times. Aroz Ali even distributed his property according to Islamic philosophy!!
Sadly people without proper education in theology makes absurd comments about religious figures and even lesser educated people lead the wave of protest (Sometimes violent protest) against it. If we successfully build strong institutions, we'll see a more tolerant and liberal country in Bangladesh.
Lastly my humble request if you wish to "Respond" to this post, please read it one more time first......
Shalom!!
From: Subimal Chakrabarty <subimal@yahoo.com>
To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sun, Apr 8, 2012 7:13 am
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Fw: Demand for the Blasphemy Law
Sent from my iPhone
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2012 8:24 AM
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [mukto-mona] Fw: Demand for the Blasphemy Law
Jiten Roy
--- On Fri, 4/6/12, Jiten Roy <jnrsr53@yahoo.com> wrote:
--- On Fri, 4/6/12, Jiten Roy <jnrsr53@yahoo.com> wrote:
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Sunday, April 8, 2012
Re: [mukto-mona] Fw: Demand for the Blasphemy Law
Just want to add my two cents on this topic.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) left this world more than 1400 years ago. He is not there to defend his good name against lies, slander or libel. Therefore many Muslims feels strongly (Myself included) we have to do something to get those facts straight. However different people reacts differently to some of these "Hate campaigns". I prefer to provide authentic information to replace lies and hate campaigns, others protest it peacefully. Some of them do not have confidence that symbolic protests will stop these abuses, so they resort to violence. Islam is similar to other religions but also unique in some ways. Our love for our prophet is deeper than most ties we have in this material world, so this "Unique" bond leads SOME of us to protect the good name like we would protect the good names of our mothers or motherland.
-----Original Message-----
My sincere question to Mr. Hannan: who creates the turmoil? Who instigates them?
I was a student of DU when Daud Haider wrote a so called blasphemous poem that was published in the daily Sanbad. The Sanbad office was burnt down. Daud Haider was allowed a safe passage out of the country. His village home was burnt down though. There was a big demonstration. We were on the sidelines. I got an opportunity to read the poem thanks to one of senior Muslim students. He was a religious person. But he enjoyed the poem and reading it again and again. The poet has not spared any prophet. Krishna, Buddha, and Jesus were included. My friend was saying to us,"Why did the mollas do that? Simply by writing a poem a poet cannot do any harm to a religion. But the way the way mollas reacted put shame on us. "
10-15 years I met Daud Haider in one of my Muslim friends' house. I asked him,"Do you repent for having written that poem?" with a firm voice he answered,"No." Age has not changed his conviction. I don't know if my senior friend Siraj bhai has changed. But I still believe what he said: the mollas overreacted for nothing.
Now I understand that it was all politics against secularism and general students and common people were only tools and tool men were the instigators.
What Mr. Hannan feels is simply that these 'religious people' are to vulnerable to criticism though they are free to criticize those who don't subscribe to their religions. These 'religious personalities' have long enjoyed special privileges. It is against human right to protect a certain group of people who nurture and propagate wrong concepts about the Universe and live like parasites in the name of religion.
On Sat, Apr 7, 2012 at 5:14 PM, S A Hannan <sahannan@sonarbangladesh.com> wrote:
Dear Mr. Jiten and others,
My best regards. Human logic differs. I sincerely feel that attack on religious personalities ( particularly on Prophets or founders of all religion) create turmoil and this should be handled by a law stipulating deterrent punishment's far as I know there is blasphemy law in some form in some western countries. Even our penal code does not allow insulting religion or their Prophets or founders. Only thing is punishment is low and it is not applied. I only propose that punishment should be stern and in such cases government should file case as they do in case of murder.
Shah Abdul Hannan
From: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com [mailto:mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Jiten Roy
When I hear demand for a law to protect the integrity of the God (or His messenger) from highly educated people, like Mr. S. A. Hannan, I keep wondering where their logical thinking abilities are. Don't they understand that, by asking for such a law, they are, in fact, questioning the almightiness of the God? This is not such a complicated logic. Is it?
If it comes from an uneducated religious person, I could understand but, mere fact that, such thought can emanate from highly educated people also - really puzzles me.
In my view – there is only one reason for the Blasphemy Law, and that is to block all criticisms of the subject. You do so when you are not confident about the integrity of the subject, and you are afraid that it will not withstand criticisms. If your faith is genuine, it should withstand all criticisms. Where am I going wrong?
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