We're more secular than the West

I agree that our failure as a nation is laced with innumerable complexities. Hartals and tea-stall gossips are just a few of them and the inappropriate madrasah education is another in the list.

However, regarding education, it is unjust to pin point madrashas only. If madrashas are giving rise to religious fundamentalism, then we also need to acknowledge that some of the biggest mastans, corrupt political VIPs and well-funded student-wing members come from our universities and colleges. These secular institutions have little to do with Islam, other than teaching students bearing Islamic names.

It is a fashion these days to accuse Muslim countries of harbouring religious extremism. As such, to portray themselves as modern and democratic, some Muslims react by distancing themselves from anything religious. We hear a lot that our country is governed by fundamentalists, but consider the following:

(a) In the UK and many European countries, mosques are not allowed to perform azaan with loudspeakers whining outside (although, situation is improving now). Yet, in Bangladesh, our Hindu brothers have been performing Puja, Deewali and other religious ceremonies (and they have every rights to do so) that involve loud noise/music. For centuries, Hindus and Muslims have been living side by side in this country without any sectarian problem.

(b) If we tell some of those developed countries that their constitution/government is heavily influenced by religion, they will laugh at us while boasting that their countries are more secular. If so, how many British PMs were Muslims? How many US Presidents were non-Christian? How many Indian PMs were non-Hindu? How many non-Jewish PMs were there in Israel? You see, reality is quite different than what meets the eye.

(c) When someone writes something unconventional, our mullahs come out in force and demand action. Our government quickly kicks out that writer toward some European countries where they have their admirers. To outsiders, this appears as though religious fanatics in Bangladesh control everything and the government has no power over them. But look at it carefully and you will see a different picture. When our leaders face problems like this, they think that if we take side with this "one" writer to protect his/her "freedom of speech", we will upset thousands of people. But if we take side with those thousands on the street, at least some of them will vote for us. If our government wants -and it should- it can protect freedom of speech without making mullahs the bad guys.

I believe very strongly that "all" our madrashas need to reform and give some very serious thoughts on the subjects they teach. If all the madrasha-graduates have to run to university-graduate doctors whenever they get ill, then it doesn't appear very productive. Madrashas too should teach medical science and engineering. At the same time, if one is a Muslim but has very little knowledge of Islam, he/she is likely to have some very conflicting ideas.

Closing down madrashas and churches in the name of democracy and development will only bring cosmetic prosperity. Our country would be more productive, our societies would be much safer and our people would be more tolerant if we engage and work with all religions.

Instead of asking a Muslim student to write an essay on Eid, and a Hindu student to write about Deewali, ask both students to write about both Eid and Deewali.

Whatever some "creative minds" preach to their foreign admirers about Bangladesh, our country is under no greater influence of religion than those countries bombing people because they think they are more secular/democratic. If anything, we are probably better when it comes to tolerating different religions.