Why No Right To Reject Islam And Criticise Of Militancy In Bangladesh? By Hasan Shantonu

Hasan Shantonu

For writing articles,on blogs about so called criticise of Islam how many have been arrested in Bangladesh, a South Asian country, in the last ten years, many people may not know the exact number. But this time, at least twenty more author, blogger, publisher, cartoonist and politician were arrested.

Many of them have been arrested for expressing their secular opinions on facebook and blog. Latestly, police arrested a bengali publications 'Ba-Dwip's owner Shamsuzzoha Manik with two others on 15 February, 2016 from capital city Dhaka, for publishing a book named, 'Islam Bitarka' (Debate on Islam) allegedly contained 'derogatory remarks on Islam and the Prophet'.

We saw many brutality on history of Islam for rejecting it. Immediately after Prophet Muhammad's death, several tribes wanted to leave Islam and return to their preferred religion. In a conflict known as the Riddah (apostasy) Wars, they were slaughtered in such places recalled as 'Garden of Death' and 'Gulley of Blood' during the first caliph Abu Bakr's aggressive and violent campaign to force submission (and keep the tribute payments flowing back to Mecca, of course). Within months, a great many people were dead, including muslims who had memorized the Quran.

As Abu Bakr, Muhammad's closest companion, explained in a letter at that time, his prophet 'struck whoever turned his back to him until he came to Islam, willingly or grudgingly.' Thus did Abu Bakr promise to 'burn them with fire, slaughter them by any means, and take women and children captive' any who left Islam (al-Tabari v10 p.55-57).

According to the Islamic extremists, those who turn their back on Islam are to be executed. This is confirmed by the words and deeds of Muhammad. The only freedom of belief in Islam is the freedom to become muslim. Islam is the only religion that has to retain its membership by formally threatening to kill anyone who leaves. This is according to the example set by Muhammad.

We criticise all extremism with the name of any religion. But we have to say, Islam is the most intolerant religion that preaches non-believers should be killed if they don't accept it. Clearly it's not a 'religion of peace'. It teaches that non-muslims are less than fully human.

Muhammad said that muslims can be put to death for murder, but that a muslim could never be put to death for killing a non-muslim. The Quran never once speaks of Allah's love for non-muslims, but it speaks of Allah's cruelty toward and hatred of non-muslims more than 500 times.

Now, it's not the era of Abu Bakrs or another caliph. Bangladesh is not a country of middle east that will be presided by 'Sharia law'. Bangladesh is secular by birth. It's muslim mejority, but many people of this country are secular and some of them are atheist.

The atheists, who have rejected Islam and their other religion are being murdered by Islamic fundamentalists or be arrested by police. Why they have no right to reject Islam or any religion? Why free speech under fire in Bangladesh? Is this the Bangladesh we wanted?

As human beings, we all have our own values, beliefs and attitudes that have developed throughout the course of our lives. Our family, friends, community and the experiences we have had all contribute to our sense of who we are and how we view the world.

Religion is persons own trust. Any one can believe in religion, another may not. It is the individual's own decision. But the state should be equal for all. In Bangladesh, Islamic extremists killing the secular writers, bloggers and publishers one after another. Extremists looking for some secular to kill, including me. On the other hand, police arrests the seculars. In this situation, from where the secular will get security for freedom of expression?

In past, police arrested The Daily Prothom Alo cartoonist Arifur Rahman on 2007, who did a cartoon story titled 'Naam' (name) that 'hit' religious sentiment of people. He has been jailed for a month after the government said his drawings had 'insulted' muslims.

In 2013, police arrested blogger Asif Mohiuddin, Subrata Adhikari Shuvo, Mashiur Rahman Biplob and Rasel Parvez for thier secular views published on blogs. 9 October 2014, police arrested a youth from Rangamati district for reportedly 'hurting religious sentiment of muslims' by posting 'derogatory content' on facebook.

Police also arrested a schoolboy on 30 September, 2015 for posting 'offensive remarks about Islam' on facebook from Maghura district. He was a student of class nine.

In September 2015, two people were arrested in Satkhira district over alleged posting of a facebook status critical of hajj. They were Mohan Kumar Mondal, chief of a local NGO named 'Leaders' and Shawkat Hossain. A senior Bangladeshi politician Abdul Latif Siddique, who criticised the annual Hajj pilgrimage made by Muslims to Mecca has been arrested in Dhaka.

Those arrests were made under a law, 'The Information, Communication and Technology Act of 2006', also known as 'ICT Act' (It started on 2006, so I've mentioned the numbers of arrests last ten years). Nearly thirty cases are currently being tried before a specially constituted cyber-crimes tribunal and hundreds more are under investigation. The law has been amended twice.

Under the laws section 57, anyone can be prosecuted for publishing material on the internet or in digital form that is 'false and obscene'. The law also stipulates that such material must not lead to a 'deterioration of law and order order, prejudice the image of the state or a person, or hurt religious belief. Conviction can lead to between seven and fourteen years imprisonment. We consider the section as an attempt to curb free speech in the country.

Hasan Shantonu is a Journalist, a media researcher, writer, columnist. Dhaka, Bangladesh; he can be reached on: 

hshantonu@yahoo.com
Twitter: (@hshantonu) Facebook: Hasan Shantonu

SOURCE: Hasan Shantonu