Consequent upon the impudent utterance of rabble-rouser and one of the most foul-mouthed Awami League leaders, the chucked out Posts and Telecommunications minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui’s most presumptuous remark on the annual pilgrimage Hajj, the fifth of the fundamental Muslim institutions and the Holy Prophet of Islam—-who has been universally admired by the greatest scholars and sages of the Orient and the Occident—-a wave of indignant remonstrance ran high as reaction, albeit there is no dearth of uncouth high-flying leaders in the ruling Awami League (AL).
One of the top leaders of ruling AL, Siddiqui, who was visiting New York as part of the Prime Minister’s entourage to the UN General Assembly, also criticised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajib Wazed Joy in particular and journalists in general. He made the remarks while exchanging views with expatriates of Tangail living in New York at a hotel. Regarding the holy Hajj, the minister said, “I strongly oppose the Hajj and Tablig Jamaat.” Addressing the expatriate Bangladeshis, he asked, “Why do you mention about Joy again and again? Who is Joy? Joy is nobody of the Bangladesh government. He is nobody for taking decision of the government.”[Vide-observerbd.com/ 2014/09/29/46219.php] Disapproving of journalists and the media he said, “Those who attend talk-shows, are basically talk-men. They jabber in front of cameras as they have nothing to do.” He even used offensive words to refer to the persons who join talk-shows. [en.prothom -alo.com/ bangladesh/ news/54397]
Hefajat-e Islam Bangladesh’s Narayanganj unit leaders on October 03 declared a Tk 5 lakh bounty on Siddiqui’s head for his comments on Hajj and the Prophet. Addressing a rally Hefajat-e Islam organised in Narayanganj city’s DIT commercial area, the leaders said the sole punishment he deserved was “beheading in public”, as reported in the Daily Star dated October 04, 2014.
However, Siddiqui said he had no qualms about his comment, and in an interview with the BBC he emphatically said he would never seek apology for that.
There was neither gobbledygook nor any gibberish in Siddiqui’s speech; without mincing words he explicitly used plain phrases. Siddiqui is not any Tom, Dick or Harry to be unaware of which way the wind blows; critics suspect there may be “method” in his deliberate faux pas. Critics question whether or not it was a studied scheme of a game plan to create or inflame anti-government commotion and havoc to tell the US and Western masters that the opposition parties in general and the BNP in particular are Jihadi terrorists. It did not work. Another unanswered enigma is why there was inordinate delay in removing Siddiqui, which should have been done 12 days ago.
Daud Haider was imprisoned during the reign of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1973 for writing a heretical poem denouncing Islam. Later on the then AL government forced him to leave the country and take refuge in Cacutta, India, and finally in Germany. Two decades later feminist author Taslima Nasrin was forced out of her country in 1993 during the first term of Begum Khaleda Zia as Prime Minister because of Nasrin’s sacrilegious attack on Islam in obscene language. In her so-called novella Lajja—-described by eminent film director Mrinal Sen as “rubbish”—-she plays with the fire of inter-faith hatred which could incite communal hostility. In Calcutta she further angered conservatives in 1994 which led to violent commotions there which compelled the Indian government to drive her out of India. A couple of days back it was inferred according to a BBC interview that Siddiqui would follow in the footsteps of Haider and Nasrin for seeking asylum in India. [dailynayadiganta.com/ 15 Oct 2014]
But the Sheikh Hasina government does not want Siddiqui to stay in India, and it has already communicated a message to New Delhi to this end, a highly placed source in the government has told The Daily Star on October 16. Policymakers in the administration fear that his stay in India might create an unwanted situation in the country, as the “AL government is often seen as a pro-India”. And if Siddiqui stays there, it might be further used to establish that sentiment, according to the source. Also, this might send a signal to religious parties and organisations that the government is supporting Latif. The latest development comes amid reports that the government does not want Latif, who sparked controversy by making derogatory comments on hajj and Prophet Muhammad, to return to the country, at least for now.
Irrespective of a what one creature like Rushdie or two pigmies like Nasrin or Siddiqui cry or chatter about Islam and its Prophet owing to their pitiably inadequate familiarity with the works of giants, universally recognised scholars and intellectuals of the world like Thomas Carlyle, Edward Gibbon, Reverend Bosworth Smith, Alphonse de LaMartaine, Mahatma Gandhi, Bernard Shaw, Comrade M N Roy, Karen Armstrong and many other renowned non-Muslim personalities have analysed and critically eulogised the Prophet of Islam.
While the BNP deserves a word of praise for its mature and sound handling of the situation arising out of the highly sensitive issue by limiting its reaction to statements, the government should waste no time in bringing the culprit home and prosecute him for due judicial trial because he has hurt the cherished passion and reverence of the people for their spiritual faith.
Source: Weekly Holiday
