Bangladesh’s example: Give secularism, tolerance a chance in Pakistan

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Bangladesh’s example: Give secularism, tolerance a chance, says new body

Bangladesh

By Our Correspondent
Published: April 20, 2012

Religious intolerance and extremism need to be tackled.

KARACHI: While militants and ultra-right wing terrorists around the world are connected to each other, liberal and secular proponents of society remain unaware of each other’s presence and work, observed speakers at the launch of the Pakistan chapter of the “International forum for secular Bangladesh […]” on Wednesday.

The movement, at present, has chapters in around 17 countries and Pakistan has become the 18th addition to the list. Each chapter works with the aim to unite likeminded secular and liberal people in creating a global pressure group to eradicate the menace of religious intolerance and extremism.

“I’d definitely compliment the people of Bangladesh who have been successful in all respects to get rid of terrorism and militancy that was sponsored by Pakistan at the behest of our establishment,” said former attorney general and federal minister Syed Iqbal Haider who was made president of the forum’s Pakistan chapter. He spoke at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday.

“You are lucky that your Supreme Court repeatedly prohibited any pronouncement of a fatwa by any religious organisation and you are lucky that your founding father gave you four guiding principles incorporated in the Constitution: secularism, socialism, nationalism and democracy,” said Haider while juxtaposing it with the situation in Pakistan which, according to him, has been marred by the curse of religious extremism, ethnicity and sectarianism.

Haider gave the example of the people of Bangladesh, saying that if they can follow the path of secularism without deviating from the basic principles of Islam, there is no reason why we should be shy of taking on secularism which involves greater respect and freedom for everyone to follow their beliefs.

The executive president of the forum, Shahriar Kabir, had arrived from Bangladesh. “After independence from Pakistan, Bangladesh drew up a constitution with secularism as a basic principle in 1972,” he said, adding that later General Ziaur Rahman tried to bulldoze it. This was what General Ziaul Haq of Pakistan also tried to do.

He added that the brand of Islam that had been preached by Sufis in this part of the world was by and large liberal and needs to be promoted. In contrast to this, said Kabir, the brand of Islam that has been preached by the Jamaat-e-Islami, following the model of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, has nothing to do with the true spirit of Islam. He proposed the idea of an International Sufi Conference in Karachi which received nods of approval from his comrades.

Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo from Balochistan, Senator Afrasiyab Khattak from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Advocate Javed Qazi from Sindh, Advocate Zafar Malik from Punjab and Sheema Kermani from Karachi were declared the vice presidents of the chapter. Journalist Munazza Siddiqui was made general secretary. Prominent human rights activists IA Rehman, Tahira Mazhar Ali, BM Kutty, Naseem Akhtar, Karamat Ali and Professor Dr Tariq Rahman were included on the advisory committee.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20th, 2012.

 

[shelly]

Bangladesh’s example: Give secularism, tolerance a chance, says new body

Bangladesh

By Our Correspondent
Published: April 20, 2012

Religious intolerance and extremism need to be tackled.

KARACHI: While militants and ultra-right wing terrorists around the world are connected to each other, liberal and secular proponents of society remain unaware of each other’s presence and work, observed speakers at the launch of the Pakistan chapter of the “International forum for secular Bangladesh […]” on Wednesday.

The movement, at present, has chapters in around 17 countries and Pakistan has become the 18th addition to the list. Each chapter works with the aim to unite likeminded secular and liberal people in creating a global pressure group to eradicate the menace of religious intolerance and extremism.

“I’d definitely compliment the people of Bangladesh who have been successful in all respects to get rid of terrorism and militancy that was sponsored by Pakistan at the behest of our establishment,” said former attorney general and federal minister Syed Iqbal Haider who was made president of the forum’s Pakistan chapter. He spoke at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday.

“You are lucky that your Supreme Court repeatedly prohibited any pronouncement of a fatwa by any religious organisation and you are lucky that your founding father gave you four guiding principles incorporated in the Constitution: secularism, socialism, nationalism and democracy,” said Haider while juxtaposing it with the situation in Pakistan which, according to him, has been marred by the curse of religious extremism, ethnicity and sectarianism.

Haider gave the example of the people of Bangladesh, saying that if they can follow the path of secularism without deviating from the basic principles of Islam, there is no reason why we should be shy of taking on secularism which involves greater respect and freedom for everyone to follow their beliefs.

The executive president of the forum, Shahriar Kabir, had arrived from Bangladesh. “After independence from Pakistan, Bangladesh drew up a constitution with secularism as a basic principle in 1972,” he said, adding that later General Ziaur Rahman tried to bulldoze it. This was what General Ziaul Haq of Pakistan also tried to do.

He added that the brand of Islam that had been preached by Sufis in this part of the world was by and large liberal and needs to be promoted. In contrast to this, said Kabir, the brand of Islam that has been preached by the Jamaat-e-Islami, following the model of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, has nothing to do with the true spirit of Islam. He proposed the idea of an International Sufi Conference in Karachi which received nods of approval from his comrades.

Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo from Balochistan, Senator Afrasiyab Khattak from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Advocate Javed Qazi from Sindh, Advocate Zafar Malik from Punjab and Sheema Kermani from Karachi were declared the vice presidents of the chapter. Journalist Munazza Siddiqui was made general secretary. Prominent human rights activists IA Rehman, Tahira Mazhar Ali, BM Kutty, Naseem Akhtar, Karamat Ali and Professor Dr Tariq Rahman were included on the advisory committee.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20th, 2012.

pak map is wrong as it shows kashmir as its part where it should be india's

WTF . how they can dare to compare Bangladesh with Pakistan , these blood bastards alwayz sucking pakistan then talk about exremism . freaks

in 10 years, BD will be ahead of Pak in all counts. in many HDI counts its already better than pak and even india.
so please shut it

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

WTF . how they can dare to compare Bangladesh with Pakistan , these blood bastards alwayz sucking pakistan then talk about exremism . freaks

It has been said by Pakistanis and published in Pakistani media itself. So please stop your rant.

 

[Lighting_Fighter]

WTF . how they can dare to compare Bangladesh with Pakistan , these blood bastards alwayz sucking pakistan then talk about exremism . freaks

watch your mouth!

 

[SherAli]

This ad nauseam "extremist" garbage is really getting out of hand

 

[Dance]

said Haider while juxtaposing it with the situation in Pakistan which, according to him, has been marred by the curse of religious extremism, ethnicity and sectarianism.

.

Um yeah because Bangladesh is not even close to being religiously, culturally, and ethnically diverse as Pakistan is. Homogeneous societies are always more peaceful compared to diverse societies.


Anyways I do agree with the idea of secularism, we should look towards Turkey as a good model.

 

[genmirajborgza786]

It has been said by Pakistanis and published in Pakistani media itself. So please stop your rant.

Pakistan rather follow the turkey or malaysia model sorry dude but a country who's cricket tours are decided by their supreme court is no worthy example, & if Bangladesh is doing better then Pakistan good for you, Pakistan could care less ! got it

 

[Luffy 500]

If I am not wrong Express tribune is an extremist secular media outlet and can be termed as a US/Indian Dalal just like our
Daily star and prothom Baler Alo expect it has a much more militant version of secularism than daily star. This guys advocate
LGBT rights in PAK and also supports drone strikes in PAK. Like daily star these guys are completely detached from the
mainstream PAK society.

Current BD is not a good model for PAK. It is being run by Indian dalals and have been completely isolated from the muslim world as well as US. BD is going through the worst phase in its history. A muslim can never be secular and secularism is a form of
abomination in the muslim world and as far as tolerance is concerned BD was tolerant before this BAL dalals came to power
and we don't need secularism to prove tolerance to Hindu India.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Pakistan rather follow the turkey or malaysia model sorry dude but a country who's cricket tours are decided by their supreme court is no worthy example, & if Bangladesh is doing better then Pakistan good for you, Pakistan could care less ! got it

For your info Cricket tour is not decided by Supreme court. Instead it has been asked Government to respond why this tour should not be called illegal as Pakistan is not safe for foreign nationals. It describes Bangladesh High court has some still credibility unlike in Pakitan where judges position has been demoted even far below to the generals ... to keep on carrying out dictatorship, corruption in its army.

Not everything is suitable for everyone. As Bangladesh can not become USA now ... same way Pakistan can not also become Turkey or Malaysiya now. Better think and start with Bangladesh then think about something else. Bangladesh will remain as one of the top 5 fastest growing economy up to 2050 as predicted recently.... Where is Pakistan in it...??? No where. Pakistan has lot to learn from Bangladesh. If Bangladesh would have emerged as an independent country in 1947 it would have been long ahead then both Pakistan n India. Bangladesh has almost catch Pakistan despite loosing 24 years and 2 decades due to devastation of the war of 1971.

 

[darkinsky]

we saw the tolerance today

EDIT: oh ET again,nuff said, move on

 

[Luffy 500]

CaPtAiN_pLaNeT Bhai, Express tribune here gives reference to Shariar Kabir, a well known indian agent. PAK also has its fair
share of traitors and express tribune is one. These guys even supports drone attacks, can you believe that. I have been reading
tribune for couple of months now and whenever BD come in their news its always how great BAL is doing and how secularism is
saving BD etc. They give such a picture as if BD is becoming an asian tiger and milk and honey is flowing through our streets.
ET also has an agenda to promote BAL type indian Dalali in PAK and I don't want any other muslim country to suffer like BD.
There is hardly any difference between TOI propaganda and ET when it comes to BD. Spend some time on ET and you would know.

 

[genmirajborgza786]

For your info Cricket tour is not decided by Supreme court. Instead it has been asked Government to respond why this tour should not be called illegal as Pakistan is not safe for foreign nationals. It describes Bangladesh High court has some still credibility unlike in Pakitan where judges position has been demoted even far below to the generals ... to keep on carrying out dictatorship, corruption in its army.

Not everything is suitable for everyone. As Bangladesh can not become USA now ... same way Pakistan can not also become Turkey or Malaysiya now. Better think and start with Bangladesh then think about something else. Bangladesh will remain as one of the top 5 fastest growing economy up to 2050 as predicted recently.... Where is Pakistan in it...??? No where. Pakistan has lot to learn from Bangladesh. If Bangladesh would have emerged as an independent country in 1947 it would have been long ahead then both Pakistan n India. Bangladesh has almost catch Pakistan despite loosing 24 years and 2 decades due to devastation of the war of 1971.

who are you to say what Pakistan can or cannot do ? & for your kind information Pakistan has an independent judiciary as for Bangladesh it can be in the top five or bottom five for i all care, Pakistan has better example to learn from, hey look man be happy with your Bangladesh, you don't have to worry about Pakistan, it can take care of itself , bhai please keep Pakistan out of it & Pakistan has better examples to follow like turkey & malaysia, Pakistan has nothing to do with Bangladesh
thanks but no thanks

 

[Black Widow]

BD can become developed nation in 10th years if it get true guidence. coz
1. it has small area so implementing idea will be fast.
2. Bengalies are not radical. they are liberal by nature.
3. Bengali are intelligent.

 

[Black Widow]

hey look man be happy with your Bangladesh you don't have to worry about Pakistan, it can take care of it self , bhai keep Pakistan out of it & Pakistan has better examples to follow like turkey & malaysia Pakistan has nothing to do with Bangladesh

Inferiority complex. Pakistani can not digest bengali growth? common guys you can learn from anyone. Given a chance bengal can come above malaysia and turkey.

 

[idune]

It describes Bangladesh High court has some still credibility unlike in Pakitan where judges position has been demoted even far below to the generals ... to keep on carrying out dictatorship, corruption in its army.

After all that we have known since Awami regime came to power

http://www.defence.pk/forums/bangla...adesh-justice-system-into-kangaroo-court.html

Judiciary most corrupt: TIB | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

you still think Bangladesh judiciary has credibility?


Cornering, taunting and supressing majority Muslim population and their aspiration are what Awami regime is doing, by no means "secularism" . May be by Indian definition and Awami League definition because it fits their agenda to be in power. How such repressive imposition in the name of "secularism" which majority Bangladeshis detest could be example of another country?

Not everything is suitable for everyone. As Bangladesh can not become USA now ... same way Pakistan can not also become Turkey or Malaysiya now. Better think and start with Bangladesh then think about something else. Bangladesh will remain as one of the top 5 fastest growing economy up to 2050 as predicted recently.... Where is Pakistan in it...??? No where. Pakistan has lot to learn from Bangladesh. If Bangladesh would have emerged as an independent country in 1947 it would have been long ahead then both Pakistan n India. Bangladesh has almost catch Pakistan despite loosing 24 years and 2 decades due to devastation of the war of 1971.

In discussion of so called trumped up secularism, how does even economy matters? I see you are very bullish on Bangladesh economoy which I and every Bangladeshis would like. But rather than being senselessly out of touch and subscribe to Awami propaganda fed bulish forecast and BS, one has to be in touch with reality.

You talk about top 5 fastest growing economy, top 5 fastest growing among what? With diminishing competetiveness and rising cost, did Bangladesh even figured out how we are going to maintain current export market let alone expanding it? Have you not seen export target being missed and energy price biting into economy? Did the regime figured out how to even maintain manpower export let alone expand it? Manpower export which had been one of the main growth engine came to abrupt halt and remittance growth looks to be laveling out. We simply can not jumping into future without living at present . Chest thumping talks are cheap but living in the reality is much harder. Unfortunately there are many who like to subscribe to bullish slogan without realizing its purpose and that is one of the obstacle for our real growth.

Every nation has its own way of thinking and progress. Nations can learn from each other many different things but what practiced as "secularism" in Bangladesh is not one of them.