Qasemi blames the current education system for the rise of militant activities and killings
The supporters of radical Islamist platform Hefazat-e-Islam’s Dhaka unit staged a demonstration in front of Baitul Mukarram national mosque yesterday to protest against terrorism and killings.
They were given permission to hold the programme under certain conditions including not to speak about the government-fixed Friday sermons, several Hefazat leaders said.
The hardline group, which since 2013 has been demanding capital punishment for blasphemous acts, was also barred by the police from holding protest programmes in Dhaka and Chittagong on July 29. The event was later rescheduled for yesterday.
A senior leader of the platform said seeking anonymity that the law enforcers and intelligence officials had held series of meetings with its leaders in the last few days.
“They first asked us not to stage any programme, but later allowed us on condition that we shall not talk about the Islamic Foundation’s sermon.
“For this, only the Dhaka city unit convener spoke at the programme today [yesterday],” he told Bangla Tribune.
The rally was held at the north gate of the national mosque after Jumma prayers amid tight security. The Hefazat supporters later brought out a brief procession and Joint Convener Abul Kashem administered special prayers.
The devotees were frisked by the law enforcers before entering the mosque, considering security as the militants also attacked a number of mosques in the recent months alongside conducting targeted killings across the country.
In his speech, city unit Convener Maulana Nur Hossain Qasemi blamed the current education system for the rise of militant activities and killings, and demanded that the Education Policy, draft Education Act and curriculum be revised.
He also called for concerted efforts against terrorism to bring peace.
The Islamist parties under Hefazat and several other religion-based groups including Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Andolan Bangladesh earlier threatened to wage tougher movement if the government did not scrap the Education Policy and remove “secularist and anti-Islamic contents” from textbooks.
Hefazat has criticised the anti-militancy fatwa signed by more than 100,000 scholars and clerics. It was prepared under the guidance of the police and Sholakia Eid congregation imam Maulana Farid Uddin Masuud and published in June.
It also came down heavily on the Islamic Foundation for circulating a sermon and making it mandatory for all mosques to be read out during Jumma prayers.
Hefazat supporters created a reign of terror in early 2013 during their series of demonstrations waged against the youths who had organised the Shahbagh movement to demand capital punishment of all war criminals and a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami. Its leaders termed the war crimes campaigners “atheists” and demanded that the government enact an anti-blasphemy law to try them.
Observers say Hefazat’s movement gave rise to the fatal attacks on a number of secular activists, bloggers, publishers and teachers that have taken place across the country since then.
Al-Qaeda affiliate in Bangladesh Ansarullah Bangla Team claimed responsibility for 13 attacks until April 25 that killed 11 people. Two youths who took part in one of the attacks were found to be students of Hathazari Madrasa, run by Hefazat.
On the other hand, a group militants claiming themselves an affiliate of the Islamic State took credit for 25 attacks since September last year that killed 44 people including 22 in the Gulshan restaurant attack on July 1.
After the July 1 Gulshan terror attack, Hefazat urged the countrymen to stand against militant activities. Such attacks are part of an international conspiracy against the Muslims and Islam.
“Those carrying out these attacks are the enemies of Islam, Muslims and humanity … Some anti-Islam quarters are trying to tarnish the image of the Muslims in a pre-planned manner,” Hefazat said in a statement on July 5.
The chief of Hefazat, a Qawmi masrasa-based platform, Shah Ahmed Shafi at least in one instance in 2014 had said that it was highly recommended for the Muslims to kill the atheists.
Shafi at a programme on May 28 this year said that peace can be established if the laws of the Qur’an and the Hadith are followed.
“There will be no crimes like mugging, robbery and criminal activities if the country is run in line with the Qur’an and the Hadiths. It will establish peace in the country,” he told an event in Sylhet.
On April 8, he asked the fellow Muslims to get ready for another tough movement against atheists. He said that the Hefazat supporters would not spare anyone who tries to defame Islam.
“No conspiracy will be tolerated on the soil of Bangladesh till the last member of Hefazat is alive,” he told a rally in Feni.
In March, Hefazat waged a fierce movement when the High Court was set to hear a petition filed challenging the legality of the state religion provision in the constitution. They alleged that the Hindus and secularists were conspiring against Islam. The group later thanked the government and the court for turning down the petition.
At yesterday’s event, Qasemi said that Islam has nothing to do with terrorist activities.
“We need to change the education system to uproot terrorism. Free thoughts in a human being are flourished through education. Our students are becoming terrorists for not getting proper education.
“To save the nation from this menace, the government must change the Education Policy, the draft Education Act and the existing syllabi in line with the Qur’an and Sunnah,” he said urging the Muslims to unite for establishing peace.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
