MAUDUDI, JAMAAT & BANGLADESH
Bangladesh National Party (BNP) was formed as result of power hungry Ziaur Rahman's dream of becoming the "liberator of Bangladesh" and replace Mujib in the history of Bangladesh. To achieve that objective, connivance with Jamaat, Razakar, Albadr and Bangladeshi radical Ullema was a compulsion of Ziaur Rahman. After liberation of Bangladesh, Pakistani ISI was looking an entry point to control Bangladesh. In BNP-Jamaat combination it found the best ally.
BNP-JAMAAT - WILL THEY HEAR?
BNP Chief Ms Khaleda (leader of opposition) declined to meet the President of India during the latter's state visit to Bangladesh this week. Such behavior on the part of Ms Khaleda not only speaks volumes about her political compulsion, but also gives her true face as fountain head of Jamaat.
SECOND LIBERATION WAR
Bangladesh is in turmoil. Shahbag has taken a conscious stand in favour of capital punishment for the main war criminals. In doing so it has come in direct conflict with Jamaat. Jamaat and its student wing have been fighting for amalgamation of religion and state. That is why they were against the liberation of Bangladesh and tried to cripple the liberation war by unlashing all types of major criminal activities. From Islamic point of view they were and are correct. On the other hand, Shahbad represents a policy to separate religion and state. Shahbag is correct from the present international socio-political perspective as much water has flown down the Buriganga in past 14 hundred years.
DILEMMA OF ULEMA
Among the non-believers, the Western Christians and Jews in general used to have ignorance and indifference about Islam prior to 9/11. But after 9/11 they have become paranoid about Islam and Muslims. On the other side, majority Hindus of Indian sub-continent have been harbouring distaste and hatred towards Muslims since centuries. Many Hindus consider Muslims as crude, shallow, religion-centric and violent people who plundered their temples, violated their women and converted people at the point of sword or under the grinding heels of Dhimmitude. Whatever bad feelings the Hindus may have about Muslims, the Hindu religious scriptures do not support them to do so in specific terms. However, the majority Hindus continue to show hatred towards Muslims even today. In spite of this there are many Hindus who maintain a very cordial relationship with Muslims. The religion of Hinduism, however, follows the most notorious 'caste system' within it with all shades of untouchability, hatred and oppression even today.
SORRY, MR RUSHDIE
As per the news report from Kolkata (India), Mr Salman Rushdie was not allowed to visit the city on 1st February 2013 for promoting the film based on his novel 'Midnight's Children'. The over-enthusiastic and "look-at-me Islamo-philic" Chief Minister of the Indian state, Ms Mamata Banerjee, has asked her police not to let Mr Rushdie enter Kolkata. The reason is obvious as Ulema consider Rhusdie's writing to be blasphemous. Moreover, Rushdie is an apostate from Islam. The Sharia (Laws of Allah) is specifically cruel for such person. Some years back Ms Taslima Nasreen was bundled out of Kolkata for her blasphemous writings. The ruling dispositions of West Bengal have been too eager to pamper the Ulema. In both cases, decisions were taken so that Muslim sentiment is not hurt. Let us examine what that Muslim sentiment is.
PAKISTAN - A SAD COUNTRY
The very basis of Pakistan was religion. Before independence, the power house of Muslim League (ML) was mainly concentrated in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and the then Bengal with Bombay-based Mr M A Jinnah at the helm. The conflict between Congress and ML on the issue of partition was that of mind set. Congress leadership grew out of middle class Indians with progressive out look for democracy and secularism. But the core of ML leadership was basically the Muslim aristocracy. This Muslim aristocracy mobilised the common Muslims of undivided India to compensate for their loss of power following 1857. Congress played many dubious games with ML and the latter did some crude and brute show of power. ML leaders were obsessed with the fear that in undivided free India, minority Muslims would be subjugated by the majority Hindus. They also could not reconcile with the fact that they were no longer the rulers of India.
MAHA KUMBHA & HOLY DIP IN FILTHY WATER
The Hindu religious festival (ritual) "Maha Kumbha" has started on 14th January 2013 in Allahabad, India. It is a 12 yearly event. About 1.1 crores of Hindu devotees are expected to take holy dip in Trveni Sangam in Allahabad. Hindus consider Trveni Sangam, the confluence of three rivers, viz Ganga, Yamuna and under-ground Saraswati, a very holy place.