I agree with Mr. Bose's first paragraph, and with the first line of the second paragraph.
While I can see that Awami League is up to banning Jamat, which they probably will do in a few weeks, I do not think banning any political idea would do any good in reality. I am against banning.
What the secular forces need to do is to be genuinely secular and educate the mass to be secular, especially in terms of separating religion from the state. Of course, they should not do anarchy, nor should they allow anarchy in the name of politics. I see barbaric behavior from all sides of the political spectrum; and I am worried and frustrated about Bangladesh.
Sukhamaya Bain
====================================
From: Soumitra Bose <soumitrabose@gmail.com>
To: mukto_mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>; "notun Bangladesh"" <notun_bangladesh@yahoogroups.com>; chottala@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2013 10:06 PM
Subject: [mukto-mona] Shahbag issue now turning!
To: mukto_mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>; "notun Bangladesh"" <notun_bangladesh@yahoogroups.com>; chottala@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2013 10:06 PM
Subject: [mukto-mona] Shahbag issue now turning!
Been watching the recent debate and turns on the Shahbag movement. The present demand now is to ban religion based parties in politics. The demand has emerged from the streets and is therefore extremely powerful from peoples' content & value point. I would like to submit three important points for consideration. 1. The moment Jamat wil be banned there would sprout a myriad of political formations with different names and the process of banning all of these would push the government in a never ending wild goose chase in implementing the law- this has been the experience with Islamic militant organizations in Pakistan and India. 2. In the history of the world and in contemporary politics no religious based political formation exists independently without the support or supplementing by some other secular political party. In Bangladesh it is BNP, and no law can ban it. The Islamic state was promulgated not by Jamaat but by its the then so called arch-rival the Jatio Party. 3. These religious parties take shelter in religious places and hegemonise the thought of the innocent momins. These are funded by foreign fundamentalists who may or may not use the same political line in their own country.
Thus there is a implementational hindrance that can never be circumvented. What probably is required is a very high task of continuous cultural movement against this phenomenon and banning religious usage or religious artefacts from the political discourse. ISLAM actually offers the best bedrock for that because this probably is the only religion which through the scriptures has banned using religion and/or dragging religious artefacts in mundane administration or politics. The Pathan and Mughal rule of India successfully implemented that as is now proved by recent historians. Come politics they never allowed religion to creep into policy making. [old histories by Hindu writers are all communalistic barring Romesh Dutt and Ramesh Mazumdar] Any political formation should be taken to court for using religious symbols and artefacts in politics.
Thus there is a implementational hindrance that can never be circumvented. What probably is required is a very high task of continuous cultural movement against this phenomenon and banning religious usage or religious artefacts from the political discourse. ISLAM actually offers the best bedrock for that because this probably is the only religion which through the scriptures has banned using religion and/or dragging religious artefacts in mundane administration or politics. The Pathan and Mughal rule of India successfully implemented that as is now proved by recent historians. Come politics they never allowed religion to creep into policy making. [old histories by Hindu writers are all communalistic barring Romesh Dutt and Ramesh Mazumdar] Any political formation should be taken to court for using religious symbols and artefacts in politics.
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