Minorities beware

David Cameron reached out to the Tory base by pledging to reduce net migration to Britain to the “tens of thousands,” disregarding the fact that what is needed is a smarter immigration policy, not one that focuses on numbers. Then again, it would be wrong to expect more from a government whose employment and fiscal policies are detached from reality as well, with numbers that are easy to sell being of prime importance.

The immigration issue has thrown up an unsavoury problem. The UK, undoubtedly affected by the premier’s promise, is yet to take in any Syrian refugees. That a government that was determined to intervene forcefully to save the Syrian people is now reluctant to help them is sickening.

This is the nature of politics. Syrians do not vote for UK politicians, Conservative supporters do. The voters cannot be trusted to tell the difference between a villainous asylum seeker with a spurious case and a displaced Syrian at the end of his tether. Real humanitarian aid in the form of humanitarian admission, and human rights, thus, take a back seat to ill-thought, illogical policies, and promises.

A team from the University of Kent’s Law School have swum against the tide. They have successfully argued atheism as grounds for protection. Much to Theresa May’s chagrin, an Afghan was granted asylum for religious reasons as a result, in a landmark case that could prove to set a timely and significant precedent.

The West, led from the front by the US and the UK, have carefully nurtured a foreign policy with an emphasis on intolerance, particularly of the religious variety. If they are going to actively cultivate hatred, they should take responsibility of those affected by the fallout from that. The US has desperately, sinfully, failed to do so, and this exception, while commendable, does not completely absolve the UK.

Britain has at least rightly gone where Bangladesh dares not. There are those amongst the educated and elite classes who accept and advocate the proposition that atheists are not human beings.

They can die, indeed, they can actively be put to death, and it would matter naught. An extension of this, alarmingly, seems to be the treatment of Hindus. It has correctly been denounced in the sternest terms, but active measures taken against perpetrators of the heinous crimes are conspicuous in their absence.

Despite the murderers of Biswajit Das being card carrying members of the ruling party, the implication is that attacks on minorities are carried out by the BNP-Jamaat axis of evil. This national narrative, believable and likely to be true, has become an incontrovertible truth.

The picture being painted, however, is a cosmetic one, its superficiality aiding and abetting the deplorable actions. There is a lot being said, but nothing that is being done. The omissions serve a purpose, as do the hollow words.

There is a correlation between the loud noises being made about the epidemic of the unspeakable violence and the national narrative. The lack of investigations and calls for them, of holding the authorities and the government accountable for failing in their sworn duty to protect the citizens and bringing those responsible to justice add to it.

The silence of actions speaks louder than the words, condoning these crimes. The law of any land and the personal beliefs of any individual confirm one undeniable principle: The termination, torture, or humiliation of any person is wrong. There are no caveats as to the class or creed of the victim. Failing to act in the face of this is a denial of this sacred tenet of human existence.

There is a clear political benefit to be had of the trials and tribulations of religious minorities, but none from putting an end to it all. Deriving this political profit, from the continued sufferings of innocent Bangladeshis, is a grave sin.

The complicity of the rest of the supposedly sympathetic citizens, the media, and the authorities in allowing this charade to continue is distasteful, unconscionable. There will be no accountability, though. The tired clichés will keep rolling for as long as there is mileage in them.

The irrefutable national narrative will be further solidified. Once there are no more Hindus to murder, assault, and rape, no more stories about these to print, no more compassion and outrage to be feigned, another group will be sacrificed to fight the enemy, then another. Cameron and May will consider themselves fortunate: They will not be in power by the time the Bangladeshi atheists start banging on their doors.