No aggression in the name of religion

After the July mass uprising that led to the downfall of the autocratic regime of Hasina on August 5 last year, numerous groups have emerged in the country with various demands. Though some of the demands are rational and legitimate, many were deployed mainly to create chaos. Again, some of these groups are aggressive and try to present themselves as the sole agents of certain ideas and thoughts. Several religious groups have also emerged with demands for establishing religious laws, Islamic shariah to be precise, and removing anti-Islamic practices. The rise of the so-called Tawhidi Janata is such a group which has also come out in different parts of the country. 

It is true that during the suppressive and intolerant regime of Hasina, any legitimate move to place a demand was brutally suppressed on the plea that an anti-state or anti-liberation force ignited the demand or protest. So, it was really difficult for many to press their justified causes and seek remedial steps. Such oppression has also intensified disappointment and anger against the previous regime. As the July mass uprising removed these barriers to a large extent, many think they could do whatever they like. In reality, some are also doing things on their own whims without caring about others. The weak enforcement of law and order by the Yunus-led interim government also created room for these disturbances by these groups, including the so-called Tawhidi Janata.

The Arabic term Tawhid means the oneness of Allah as the supreme creator and lord in Islam. In other words, it is Monotheism which is the core foundation of Islam and a precondition for being a Muslim. The Islamic principle of Tawhid strongly disapproves of any form of partnership with Allah. Anyone who associates anything with Allah in any form as another god or lord is known as a Mushrik, and the act is a matter of grave crime and sin in Islam. The Islamic clerics and scholars have also outlined several activities as acts of Shirk or partnership with Allah.  

Now, the term 'Tawhidi Janata' literally means a group of people who strongly believe in Tawhid or the oneness of Allah and also denounce any kind of partnership with Allah. Labelling a group of people in this way by themselves, however, is quite troubling and misleading. It indicates that those who don't endorse the group and its activities are not believers in the oneness and supremacy of Allah, and so they are not true Muslims. This kind of inference is not only dangerous but also unacceptable. In Islam, there is no such rule or obligation that the Muslims have to declare themselves as Tawhidi or endorse a group of people who claim themselves as 'Tawhidi Janata'.

What is the so-called 'Tawhidi Janata' doing? Last week, they attacked supporters of baul singer Abul Sarkar in Manikganj. The singer was recently arrested in a case over derogatory remarks about religion. Earlier in September, a group of people stormed the grave of Nura Pagla in Rajbari and set it ablaze. They also exhumed Nura Pagla's shrouded corpse and burned it on the street. Early this year, a person who harassed a female student at the Dhaka University campus was garlanded by a small group under the banner 'Tawhidi Janata'.

Throughout the year, several shrines across the country were attacked and vandalised by those who claimed to be 'Tawhidi Janata' in the pretext of anti-religious activities. There is no denying the fact that a number of shrines in the country are infamous for objectionable activities like drug abuse in the disguise of religious rituals. Some are also used by local goons for moneymaking. It does not mean that someone has to vandalise the shrines. Instead, they need to ask the administration to curb these misdeeds and keep the shrines free from all types of aberrations. 

Again, some religious extremists also attack the gatherings of bauls (Baul Sadhu Sanga) in different places of the country, alleging the bauls for disrespecting Islam and practising a distorted culture. Though harassing the bauls is not new, incidents have intensified in recent times, which is quite alarming. It is also not unlikely that supporters and activists of the ousted regime are in the group of 'Tawhidi Janata' in disguise to destabilise the country with the backing of a neighbouring country. So, the government needs to take strict measures against these mischief-makers for taking law into their own hands. Islamic scholars also need to stand against such aggressions in the name of religion. 

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