1. Actually I know nothing about the proposed "Gonoshraddha". I smell some conspiracy in the proposed idea. I however have found the debate interesting.
2. Mr. Q. Rahman, if you look up the word "pray" in the dictionary, you will find that one does not have to pray only to God or a god or a goddess.
3. Personally I have no problem in joining a group assembled in front of a graveyard of a great Muslim man for his "atmar magferat kamona". As a matter of it is very common in our society.
4. I am sorry to say that inviting one for beef or pork dinner is not comparable to urging one to remember the good deeds of a great person and pray for the liberation of his or her departed soul. It all matters how clean is your heart. Only the dead are the subjects of "atmar magferat kamona" or "shraddha".
From: QR <qrahman@netscape.net>
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, October 6, 2013 11:03 AM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] সরকারি নির্দেশে 'গণশ্রাদ্ধ' বন্ধ
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, October 6, 2013 11:03 AM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] সরকারি নির্দেশে 'গণশ্রাদ্ধ' বন্ধ
That's right. The word "Shaheed" is now a common property of all religious groups and has enriched all the languages of the Indian sub-continent without making any cognizance of the specific meaning provided in the Koran.
>>>>>>>>> Exactly. By showing the origin of the word, I tried to establish that point. It CAN be used in a secular way as well. However in a quest to prove as a "Lover of Islam" this ulama (From BAL party) gone a bit overboard. So these type of people (Who are powerful enough to stop a "Gono Shardho") should be more careful. No matter what kind of politics, religion (Or no religion) we feel close to, we should try to help our people. Such actions will alienate non-Muslims. "Dharma", "Crusade" and "Jihad" are also among the many such words rooted in religious texts. Sticking to the "true" meanings of such words would be religious fanaticism. Unfortunately that is what we are seeing in the discussion. >>>>>>> The discussion (At least my post) did not evoke any kind of fanaticism. At least three times I said, it is a non-issue. I ONLY shared my OBSERVATION. Also shared the back ground of the word. If you guys want to stick to your guns, feel free to fight the ulama (Most likely much more powerful with the BAL party) who stopped the program!! One more time, (From two responses I have seen) it is clear you have NOT read my post properly and made up your mind without understanding. This is call intolerance. In fact, my post actually supported most of what you and member Roy said. But seeing one verse from the Qurán causes a lot of grief (Even if it used to support you) among many members. Please think about this. :-)"Gonoshraddha" is purely a Hindu religious ritual. Including every one for this ritual irrespective of religious belief may not be liked by close relatives of the non-Hindu martyrs>>>>>>>>> OK. So why one initiated this? Would an average Hindu be excited if his Muslim neighbor invite him for a steak (Beef) dinner to show his neighborly spirit? I think all of us should be respectful to each other. Which is lacking among Bangladeshis (Also a disturbing level of intolerance of a different point of view). Ritual part set aside, the purpose though for such a mass performance is to acknowledge with deep gratitude the good deeds of the dead and also to pray (even atheists also 'pray'---another religiously rooted but now used as a secular term) for the peace of their departed souls>>>>>>>>>>> Maybe Bangladeshi atheists "Pray" (Which seems like a oxymoron/contradiction). I wonder WHO do they pray to? (Pardon my ignorance,please help me understand what you are saying). Either way, I respect the "Spirit" of your sentence. Paying respect to our fallen heroes is a great gesture (Not sure about the praying one). But our Ulama do not have enough broadness of mind (cannot ignore the political factor here) to let our people be more and more liberal. >>>>>>>>> This is a case of miscommunication. This man should have explained his point of view in detailed. Obviously he is powerful enough to stop a big event. if he was respectful to Hindu citizens of Bangladesh, he should have taken two minutes to explain himself. Shalom
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