EU calls for end to attacks on Bangladesh's religious minorities
AFP (10.10.2001)/ HRWF International Secretariat (15.11.2001) - Website: http://www.hrwf.net - Email: info@hrwf.net - The European Union Wednesday appealed to Bangladesh's new government to take "strong action" against attacks on religious minorities.
"Many NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and other organisations have contacted the European Commission (EU) expressing their concern over the current level of violence, especially against (religious) minority groups," the EU envoy in Dhaka, Antonio de Souza Menezes, said in a statement carried by the Bangladesh Observer newspaper.
Religious minorities in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say they have faced numerous attacks since the country's October 1 general election. A coalition group of Hindus, Buddhists and Christians said minorities were being targeted because they were judged to be supporters of the defeated Awami League.
The Prothom Alo daily newspaper said Wednesday that large numbers of Hindus had reported attacks, including rapes. It said many Hindus have already fled Bangladesh, while others were preparing to do so.
The EU envoy said he had raised the matter with leaders of the Islamic-aligned Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which, with its allies, is set to form the new government later Wednesday. "I strongly urge the new government to take immediate actions to stop it and maintain law and order in such areas where attacks are taking place on minorities and their property," he added.
The BNP has denied its supporters are involved in such incidents and Zia has condemned violence against minorities, saying Bangladeshis of all faiths should be treated with respect.
The defeated Awami League, led by outgoing prime minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, has agreed to work to protect minority communities around the country.
Elections reflect rising Islamism
Religious Liberty Prayer List (11.10.2001)/ HRWF International Secretariat (12.10.2001) - Website: http://www.hrwf.net - Email: info@hrwf.net - Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) has traditionally been a land of moderate Islam where secular Bengali culture is celebrated just as much as the Muslim faith. However, the October election results show a concerning trend towards more radical Islam.
The Awami League, which lost power, is supported by Christians and moderate Muslims for its secular politics. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), in coalition with some very radical Islamist groups, has taken power in a convincing election win. One of those groups, Jama'at-e-Islami, is a fundamental Islamic reform movement, operating also in Pakistan (where it was established in 1941), in India, Sri Lanka and Kashmir. Whilst they are all members of the one ideological family, they function independently within their own nation states.
Jama'at-e-Islami has the clear objective of 'seeking the good pleasure of Allah by striving to establish the Islamic order in its entirety.' Their strategy for achieving this revolution is to involve the intelligentsia and youth in a highly organised religious-political movement that aims to create a truly Islamic society and state. Another Islamic party in the newly elected government coalition is the Islami Oika Jote party. Whilst a much smaller group, they hold to an even harsher belief of strictly enforcing Shari'ah (Islamic) Law.
The scale of the swing is concerning. Five years ago, the secular Awami League won 146 seats, but is now down to 62. Back then, the radical Islamist Jama'at-e-Islami party won only one seat, but has 16 now. It appears that the BNP's coalition with the Islamist parties was a vote winner. Bangladesh's new BNP Prime Minister, Begum Khalida Zia, herself a zealous Muslim, has said however that the creation of an Islamic state was not an election promise and that she is committed to maintaining secular politics.
Christians, along with many intellectuals and progressive Muslims, have been shocked by the extent of the BNP's sweep to power. Some analysts are speculating that the people have followed the advice of Muslim religious leaders, some of whom are Taliban trained. They also consider that Islamic fervour fuelled by the build up of USA forces in the region, in preparation for a military strike on Afghanistan, may have influenced the vote. On Friday 21 September, some 10,000 protestors went to the streets in Dakha after Islamic prayers, for anti-American, pro-Afghan, pro-Islam demonstrations.
Christians are only a small minority of some 400,000 (0.3%) in a population of around 130 million. The regional crisis with its language of holy war and Muslim solidarity is a threat to the security of Christians in Bangladesh, and they (and other minorities) are being attacked and harassed following the elections.
Bangladesh coalition party vows Islamic state
by Syed Ahmeduzzaman
Reuters (04.10.2001)/ HRWF International Secretariat (05.10.2001) - Website: http://www.hrwf.net - Email: info@hrwf.net - Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami party is already flexing muscles inside the coalition that will form the next government with a long-term plan to turn the country into an Islamic republic.
Jamaat's prime objective is to drop secularism from state policy, implement Islamic statutes and gradually turn overwhelmingly Muslim Bangladesh into an Islamic republic.
"But we are not in a hurry," its chief, Moulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, said. "We don't expect anything to happen overnight but pursue a slow but steady policy towards total Islamisation of the country."
Nizami said Jamaat opposed Bangladesh's decision to allow the United States to use its airspace, ports and other facilities in a likely offensive against Afghanistan.
U.S. President George W. Bush has said Afghanistan, or more precisely its purist Islamic Taliban rulers, must be punished for harbouring Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the September 11 suicide attacks in New York and Washington.
"We cannot support the United States using Bangladesh territory for attacks on any Muslim country," Nizami told Reuters at his office.
"I can tell you that we are not extremists, fanatics or communal. But we are surprised that both the Awami League and BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) have offered unqualified support to the U.S. for their possible attack on Afghanistan," Nizami said.
"Islam means peace"
Jamaat leaders insist Islam and fundamentalism are not synonymous. "Islam means peace, fundamentalism means a kind of extremism," one leader said.
The party made a strong showing in parliamentary elections this week, securing 16 seats compared to just three at the previous poll in 1996.
Nizami credits the gain to his party's coalition with the biggest winner, Begum Khaleda Zia's BNP, which has bagged 185 of 283 parliament seats unofficially declared so far.
Khaleda, together with Jamaat, said she hoped to form a government in a week's time.
Nizami said the BNP and Jamaat shared common policies regarding religion and government, and had joined forces to eliminate their common enemy, the Awami League of outgoing prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Nizami said Hasina's government acted against Islam. "We want total Islamisation...but before that we must create a truly conducive atmosphere," he said. He did not explain.
Nizami said both the Jamaat and BNP gained from the alliance and that he believed the Awami League would never be able to regain power so long as the pact holds.
The election, held under a non-party caretaker government, handed down a crushing defeat for Hasina.
Hasina accused Jamaat of having opposed Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan through a nine-month bloody war in 1971, which killed an estimated three million people in what was then known as East Pakistan.
She also accused many Jamaat leaders, including Nizami, of collaborating with the Pakistani army in the massacre of Bengali nationalists during the war, charges Nizami rejected.
"The Awami League has paid a price for its falsehood and for trying to hoodwink people," he said.
"Our success is that we could substantially cut back on the Awami League's strength in parliament and ensure its defeat in the election."
Jamaat, virtually pushed into oblivion following Bangladesh's independence, resurfaced during the rule of General Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda's husband, who was killed in a 1981 army mutiny.
The Jamaat leaders and workers have since regrouped and participated in all three parliamentary polls since 1991, when Khaleda was elected the first woman prime minister.
Interview with a church leader
WEF (14.02.2001)/ HRWF International Secretariat (16.02.2001) - Website: http://www.hrwf.net - Email: info@hrwf.net - We present you a recent interview with an evangelical church leader from Bangladesh. For obvious reasons, his name cannot be published. The interview was conducted by Johan Candelin, director of the Religious Liberty Commission. It gives some good insight into what is happening in Bangladesh, a nation that is 85-87% Muslim. Note that the attitude of the "Islamic fundamentalists" referred to is not necessarily the same as that of popular Islam in Bangladesh, which in many ways is a tolerant Islamic society.
Q.: How would you describe the religious liberty situation for Christians in your country?
A.: Officially we have religious freedom in our country. Our constitution says that "the state religion of the republic is Islam, but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in the republic." It also says "every citizen has the right to profess, practice or propagate any religion; every religious community or denomination has the right to establish, maintain and manage its religious institutions. No person attending any educational institution shall be required to receive religious instruction, or to take part in or to attend any religious ceremony or worship, if that instruction, ceremony or worship relates to a religion other than his own."
Unofficially, we have limited religious liberty. Recently there has been a tremendous rise of Islamic fundamentalism. They are demanding an Islamic constitution and Sharia [Islamic] law. They are also expressing their venom against minority religions groups, especially against Christians and Hindus. In fact, they are keeping the minority groups in a state of trauma.
Q.: How would you describe the religious liberty situation for other religions in your country?
A.: Some believers of other religions (Hinduism and Buddhism) were persecuted and terrorised so that they would leave the country and go to India or neighbouring countries, and their land and property would be confiscated by the majority community. The minority communities are also considered as a 'vote bank' for the progressive political parties. They are also decisive factors in the elections, so the fundamentalists terrorised them to leave the country. The government acknowledged that on average about 550 people from the minority communities leave Bangladesh each day.
Q.: How is the religious liberty situation for Christians now compared to 2-3 years ago?
A.: The ruling government is a progressive government supported by the religious minorities. So the situation is better than over the last twenty years. But in the government machinery there are bureaucrats who are really fundamentalists, but now they are wolves under lambskin. Whenever they get an opportunity to harass the minority communities, they do not pass it up.
Q.: What things are better now than 2-3 years ago?
A.: The intelligentsia and the ruling party is in favour of religious liberty and human rights.
Q.: What things are worse than 2-3 years ago?
A.: As stated, we are noticing a tremendous rise of religious fundamentalism. They are taking arms training abroad and possess the latest weapons. Lots of petro-dollars are also pumping into the country to support and promote fundamentalism.
Q.: Has your country enacted any new laws concerning religious liberty during the last 2-3 years? If yes: what are they? If yes, did these laws make the religious liberty situation better or worse in what way?
A.: The government tried to enact a new law called the "Social Welfare Activities Law 1998". This bill has been shelved. If this bill becomes a law, then the government, on pretext of an allegation, could jump on the churches and dissolve all their synods, boards or the executive committees, confiscate their properties and bank accounts, etc. As a result of our pressure it has been shelved.
Q.: Can you compare your situation to the UN Declaration of Human Rights (article 18): "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance." Are there parts of this statement that Christians in your country do not share?
A.: We could say that officially the government respects the UN declaration of human rights (Article 18) but unofficially they do not practice it. Probably one percent of the population are aware of this UN declaration. About 2 years ago we tried to obtain this declaration from the UN office but they could only provide us a single copy. We printed 10,000 copies and distributed it.
Q. Do you see any threats to religious liberty coming up in the near future in your country? If yes, describe them.
A.: If the present opposition political party comes in power (the election is scheduled for this year), they will again introduce the "blasphemy bill," which is a prototype of that in Pakistan. This bill has also been shelved in the parliament since 1993.
Q.: Is there any sort of disinformation (in newspapers or mass media) that bears upon discrimination against or persecution of Christians?
A.: Petro-dollars from abroad are sponsoring two vernacular newspapers, who are intimidating the religious minorities by writing false and fabricated stories.
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Fatwa ban angers Islamic extremists
WEF (14.02.2001)/ HRWF International Secretariat (16.02.2001) - Website: http://www.hrwf.net - Email: info@hrwf.net - Present-day Bangladesh was part of British-ruled India until 1947. After independence, the new state of Pakistan consisted of two wings, West Pakistan and East Pakistan. East then suffered under the colonial-style exploitation of the wealthier, more powerful but less populated West Pakistan. Another devastating civil war brought independence to East Pakistan in 1971, which became Bangladesh. Although Bangladesh founded its new constitution on democracy and secularism, Islam was declared the state religion in 1988 and is strongly linked to the
national identity.
On 31 December 2000, two high court judges handed down a verdict banning any fatwa (a holy order which all Muslims must carry out) or legal opinion, not delivered by a court. The judgment also asked Parliament to enact a law to punish severely anybody issuing a fatwa. A lawyer who was influential in the case rightly pointed out that 'a fatwa is unconstitutional and against people's fundamental human rights'. (In rural Bangladesh, Muslim clerics frequently issue fatwas based on Sharia Law, and thus often victimise women in issues such as marriage and divorce.)
The extremist Islamic Unity Alliance immediately denounced the judges as apostates and threatened to launch a nationwide campaign against the verdict. After clashes between Islamic and human rights groups in Dhaka, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh issued a six-week stay on the High Court verdict.
Now in February, protests and violence have escalated. Islami Oikyo Jote, a radical Muslim coalition, declared a one-day general strike and called for anyone supporting the ruling to be 'punished by death'. When other protesters clashed with demonstrators who supported the fatwa ban, one policeman was murdered and 15 others were seriously injured by the pro-fatwa protesters beating them with sticks. Elsewhere, protesters blocked a major highway. In Dhaka, a pro-fatwa rally also demanded a ban on non-governmental organisations, which it said violate the spirit of Islam. The government is standing firm, vowing not to allow Islamic fundamentalists to 'retard development and social justice' by issuing 'provocative, undemocratic and unlawful' fatwas to 'achieve their ulterior motives'. Bangladesh has a small Christian minority of 0.4% with much growth amongst evangelicals in recent years.
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