Jamaatis claim support from djinns and angels
Bangladeshis young and old are witnessing a second political revolution in the country to bring perpetrators of war crimes to justice. Slowly and yet inevitably, the world has turned its lens towards the Bangla nation, watching young protesters make a beeline towards Shahbag, or in fact any other congregation against Islamist criminals.
It so happens that Bangladeshis have turned against the Jamaat-e-Islami — the largest Islamist party in the minnow State. Jamaatis connived, facilitated and collaborated with Pakistani forces in murdering, raping and torturing millions of then East Pakistanis who fought a war of independence to create a separate Bangla state — where Bangla people had the right to freedom of language, religion and self-determination.
Since the proclamation of a death sentence to Jamaat vice-president Delawar Hossain Sayedee by a war crimes tribunal, the Islamists have unleashed another gruesome spate of terror and have left no stone unturned in persecuting the country’s Hindu minority just as they did during the bloody war nearly 40 years ago.
Only this time, we are in the age of social networking and easy access to information.
Scouring the web one night for everything Bangladesh, I came across something amusing, and at the same time, newsworthy.
As if Jamaat-sponsored terrorism wasn’t enough for Bangladesh, students and activists of the Islamist parties have been resorting to ludicrous propaganda, disseminated by means of blogs, social networks and even word of mouth.
Jamaat activists, along with their student wing cohorts at the Islami Chhatra Shibir claimed that the visage of a messianic Sayedee could be seen on the moon, in what reminded me of the pro-cleric supporters of Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979, who spread the same preposterous rumours about the then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Unfortunately for the Jamaat, the Bangladeshi public consciousness is in the 21st century and is forward-looking. Blind propaganda just doesn’t work anymore.
They have also created a Facebook page that describes stories of djinns and farishtas joining the Jamaat-Shibir interventions. The page has received over 100,000 likes and has emboldened the already unflailing resolve of the Jamaatis. Their induced delusion of divine intervention further emboldens their belief that they are supreme and indomitable.
The Jamaat has also accused of openly abnegating the Islamic character of Bangladeshi Muslims, espousing a theory which refuses to accept them as Muslims unless and until they associate themselves with the Islamist group.
In one such horrendous incident, Jamaat men in Joypurhat caught 16 Awami League activists, aged between 22 and 45, forced them into a mosque and then administered ‘tauba’ (oath of penance). They were forced to repeat the following:
It so happens that Bangladeshis have turned against the Jamaat-e-Islami — the largest Islamist party in the minnow State. Jamaatis connived, facilitated and collaborated with Pakistani forces in murdering, raping and torturing millions of then East Pakistanis who fought a war of independence to create a separate Bangla state — where Bangla people had the right to freedom of language, religion and self-determination.
Since the proclamation of a death sentence to Jamaat vice-president Delawar Hossain Sayedee by a war crimes tribunal, the Islamists have unleashed another gruesome spate of terror and have left no stone unturned in persecuting the country’s Hindu minority just as they did during the bloody war nearly 40 years ago.
Only this time, we are in the age of social networking and easy access to information.
Scouring the web one night for everything Bangladesh, I came across something amusing, and at the same time, newsworthy.
As if Jamaat-sponsored terrorism wasn’t enough for Bangladesh, students and activists of the Islamist parties have been resorting to ludicrous propaganda, disseminated by means of blogs, social networks and even word of mouth.
Jamaat activists, along with their student wing cohorts at the Islami Chhatra Shibir claimed that the visage of a messianic Sayedee could be seen on the moon, in what reminded me of the pro-cleric supporters of Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979, who spread the same preposterous rumours about the then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Unfortunately for the Jamaat, the Bangladeshi public consciousness is in the 21st century and is forward-looking. Blind propaganda just doesn’t work anymore.
They have also created a Facebook page that describes stories of djinns and farishtas joining the Jamaat-Shibir interventions. The page has received over 100,000 likes and has emboldened the already unflailing resolve of the Jamaatis. Their induced delusion of divine intervention further emboldens their belief that they are supreme and indomitable.
The Jamaat has also accused of openly abnegating the Islamic character of Bangladeshi Muslims, espousing a theory which refuses to accept them as Muslims unless and until they associate themselves with the Islamist group.
In one such horrendous incident, Jamaat men in Joypurhat caught 16 Awami League activists, aged between 22 and 45, forced them into a mosque and then administered ‘tauba’ (oath of penance). They were forced to repeat the following:
"We’ve become non-Muslim for supporting Awami League. We’re now promising to be Jamaat to become Muslim again. Those who support Awami League are Jewish and if we breach this oath, we will become non-Muslim again. Ameen"
Jamaatis have proved that not only will they not change their mindset and ideology from 1971, their ideas and tactics too are duplicitous and unoriginal. Fortunately for the 150 million-plus Bangladeshis, the political movement in their motherland is resolute, revolutionary and relentless.
But they must ensure this political insurrection doesn’t scar them like it did their fathers.
Jamaatis have proved that not only will they not change their mindset and ideology from 1971, their ideas and tactics too are duplicitous and unoriginal. Fortunately for the 150 million-plus Bangladeshis, the political movement in their motherland is resolute, revolutionary and relentless.
But they must ensure this political insurrection doesn’t scar them like it did their fathers.
Courtesy: NITI Central
