In pursuit of Truth: History and Significance of 21 st February; A less...

In pursuit of Truth: History and Significance of 21 st February; A less...: Bangladesh got better prestige and glory when UNESCO declared 21st February as the International Mother Language Day. It is also making sign...

What is Atheism?

What an atheist think !

Atheism is the lack of belief in a deity, which implies that nothing exists but natural phenomena (matter), that thought is a property or function of matter, and that death irreversibly and totally terminates individual organic units. This definition means that there are no forces, phenomena, or entities which exist outside of or apart from physical nature, or which transcend nature, or are “super” natural, nor can there be. Humankind is on its own.

The following definition of atheism was given to the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Murray v. Curlett, 374 U.S. 203, 83 S. Ct. 1560, 10 L.Ed.2d (MD, 1963), to remove reverential Bible reading and oral unison recitation of the Lord's Prayer in the public schools:
“Your petitioners are atheists and they define their beliefs as follows. An atheist loves his fellow man instead of god. An atheist believes that heaven is something for which we should work now – here on earth for all men together to enjoy.


An atheist believes that he can get no help through prayer but that he must find in himself the inner conviction and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to subdue it, and enjoy it.


An atheist believes that only in a knowledge of himself and a knowledge of his fellow man can he find the understanding that will help to a life of fulfillment.


He seeks to know himself and his fellow man rather than to know a god. An atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An atheist believes that a deed must be done instead of a prayer said. An atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty vanquished, war eliminated. He wants man to understand and love man.


He wants an ethical way of life. He believes that we cannot rely on a god or channel action into prayer nor hope for an end of troubles in a hereafter.


He believes that we are our brother's keepers and are keepers of our own lives; that we are responsible persons and the job is here and the time is now.”

(Collected)

'Killing one human is killing whole humanity' versus 'killing human in the name of Religion'

Ancient Indian Map 

It is only 2400yrs ago, when Alexander had reached the other side of Indus River, his attention turned him to ask his Persian wife, ‘Roxana’ and other Persian soldier, ‘who lives across the river?’ Persian replied ‘Hindu’ lives across the river.  Persian and Arab also popularized to the west by calling it ‘Al-Hind’. Literally ‘Hindu’ was a secular word used to mean all inhabitants across the Sindhu river, later it was popularized by Greek by saying ‘India’ – a concept of geographical location bound by hills, rivers, sea and forest ; a geographical map from today’s Pakistan to Myanmar’. At around 2300yrs ago, Asoka the great adopted Buddhism philosophy and propagated India’s rich culture and philosophy to the world. There is a parable that Buddhist separated from mainstream Vedic followers far later of Asoka’s period. Later, Turks invaded this land at around 12^th century and introduced a great philosophy called Islam and they incorporated the philosophy with local culture. Then Mughals came by defeating Sultanate at 1^st Panipath battle and introduced Persian language and architecture along with more moderate Islam. At 17^th century British established its colony in India and integrated western philosophy and culture with India’s rich religious and cultural heritage. When Islam came, a certain section of lower caste Hindus embraced Islam to get rid of atrocities by higher caste, some high class Hindus embraced Islam to get good ranks in Mughal Empire, others embraced Islam due to Sufi influenced and a certain section of Hindus were forced to embrace Islam by Delhi sultanate or Mughals. During British period, similarly some lower caste Hindus embraced Christianity due to violent upper caste people, others adopted it to get some materialistic advantages, but a section of people become Christian to get divine grace of Lord Jesus Christ, one of my most loving character. British colonial brought Christianity along with science, technology and above all gave a modern map of this land. At 1947, India was partitioned based on religion – India for Hindu and Pakistan for Muslim. The idea of partition was mainly driven by a majority section of Muslims who didn’t want to stay with Hindus. However, a section of Muslim under Moulana Abul Kalam Azad chooses to live with Hindus. Within 24 yrs of partition, the idea of Pakistan was shattered when East Pakistan wanted to separate from Pakistan due to economic and cultural oppression of West Pakistan. The foundation of Bangladesh was secular, non-communal, cultural and democratic principles. People who didn’t want these ideas of new nation had opposed to liberate this new nation. Most of them migrated or flew to Pakistan. Therefore, Muslims who don’t want to share Bangladesh should migrate to Pakistan, similarly, the Hindus who don’t want to stay with Muslim, should migrate to India.

 Interestingly, if we synthesize all the historical facts, it wouldn’t be wrong to summarize, ‘the same people of this land have incorporated Islamic culture, architecture, cuisine as well as western culture, science, logic and religion with their own culture, cuisine, language and customs’.  However they fail to maintain philosophical harmony because of religious arrogance, egotism and power, though sharing same blood, common ancestors and so on.

The conflict of two major religions:

The major religion of Bangladesh is Islam – the second largest in the world, the minor religion of Bangladesh is Hinduism – the third largest in the world. 87% of Bangladesh believes in monotheism, 12.5% of Bangladesh believes in pantheism (source: CIA – the world fact book). One has originated in Arabian land, another one had evolved in its soil for centuries. However, the ancestral cultures make the bridge between them irrespective of their different beliefs. But some religious radicals who don’t practice any religion properly have misguided the mass. Moreover, the political and government system has also instigated to violate the minor religious group. The democratic secular government has failed several times to protect the multicultural and pluralistic view of the country which was the logo of Independent Bangladesh.  To concentrate on the conflict of the religions, I want to cite like Shashi Tharoor from Swami Vivekananda words regarding philosophical conflicts: “We tend to reduce everyone else to the limits of our own mental universe and begin privileging our own ethics, morality, sense of duty and even our sense of utility. All religious conflicts arose from this propensity to judge others. If we indeed must judge at all, then it must be ‘according to his own ideal, and not by that of anyone else’. It is important, therefore, to learn to look at the duty of others through their own eyes and never judge the customs and observances of others through the prism of our own standards.”

Growing Intolerance among Educated Mob:

Hindu woman was beaten at Savar, Gajipur

Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man.  A person receives education not only from school, but also from the street and home. So these three schooling system should be perfect to manifest our inner values. But if the education makes a man blind, sectarian, violent, and religious egoist, then one should abandon those educations. On contrary, I have seen the illiterate farmers, industry workers, drivers, and poor people of Bangladesh who have struggled with life. They don’t have headache for philosophy, they are very simple minded, they love their neighbor irrespective of caste, creed and religion. However, the educated gang(both from Madrasa and School system) has always used them and instigated them for violence; the educated mob used their religion to satisfy their ego, emotion and tried to control the total political atmosphere. One day, I heard from the main mosque of Chittagong, ‘Krishna did sex with his own Mami-radha’, another time, ‘ Ranju saheb, you are a practicing Muslim (Tablig), how can you be the best friend of Suman Saheb?’ , few time, ‘ Bangla will be Afghan, we will be Taliban’ and once Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) uttered before me,’ Hindus are only 10% in BUET, I can’t sanction one week durga puja holiday for entire BUET’. So the sort of people who practice these types of radical ideas and placards in street, professor’s chair, corporate chair are educated indeed. Even I am surprised to know that the banned organization – Hizboot E Tahrir was established and funded by British (UK) Bangladeshi. Therefore, if the violent sectarian ideas are carried out in Vice Chancellors office of the topmost university of a country, the bright future of that country is just a daydream indeed.

Intolerance leads to the persecution of Hindus

Execution of minority in Bangladesh

It is believed that 2.4 million Hindus were butchered by Pakistani Military in 1971. I don’t want to go in details. I don’t want to scrutinize every single communal violence against Hindus like : 11 members including a child of four days in Banskhali, Chittagong was roasted alive at 2003 by Muslim neighbor, 200 Hindu women was gang raped by Muslims in Char Fashion, Bhola in a single night (Source: The Daily Star, Nov.16, 2001). I don’t want to recall the gang rape of Sheema Chowdhury, I don’t want to remind you the pain of 80 yrs old Kamala devi, I don’t want to repeat the memory of 60 fishermen houses that ware burned down last year in Chittagong. Even I don’t want to discuss the incidents of recent Hathazari atrocities, where Madrasa students have massacred thirteen temples, Hindu houses, business shops of Hindus and their factories over two days and the media, government , security forces, police and so called liberal people were the audience. I don’t know what type of civilized country it is that has allowed such atrocities without any reason, attacking the properties of people, gang rape dwomen, and forced to leave their ancestral house etc.

I want to recall you about 1992. About 25000 houses, 3600 places of worship and 2500 commercial establishments were destroyed in Bangladesh due to severe mob attack in different districts of Bangladesh on December 6, 1992 and onwards. During this holocaust many people were killed, 1925 injured and 2600 women were raped and abducted. Many of the abducted young girls are believed to have been shipped and sold in Muslim countries in Middle East for prostitution and slavery. Property worth nearly 2000 million taka was either destroyed or looted (source UN refugee agency – Minorities at Risk project, Bangladesh and Janamejayan word press). Even, my family lost 100 acres of farming land and was forced to flee from our ancestral village.

Double Standard of Bangladeshi Media and People:

Who the fuck I am to Judge?

The most irony of so called educated people of Bangladesh is their double standard behavior. Even our print and electronic media are also biased. They have covered any single incident at Kashmir and Palestine. They feel happy to publish any single news on Gujarat riot, Babri Mosque demolition or Israeli aggression. They feel responsibility to bring out the death of any smuggler in the border. Not only media, but also so called educated patriots have serious headache for Muslims in Kashmir and Palestine and all over the world. The media will never bring out the atrocities on minority oppression in lime light instantly so that the administration feels pressure to take action. Some so called educated liberal argued that if it comes to the media, the violence may spread all over the Bangladesh. But the question is that why the media don’t think the same when they have covered the news of Gujarat riot, Babri Mosque demolition, Iraq and Afghanistan crisis, Kashmir, and Palestine?  Even, if they publish it, either it will be distorted or fictionalized. Here is the proof -  Prothom alo - 11th February' 2012: the hindu temple demolition in Chittagong .

Again I should ask the reader a question, ‘Countrymen first or Foreigner first?  If foreigner will get more preference, then the need of state is definitely inessential.  I have one more question to the reader. Isn’t this sort of patriotism the last refuge of a scoundrel?  Answer should be yes. Because, the person who shows patriotism for his ego satisfactions are definitely scoundrel.

Burning Bangladesh

A tribal still love to pray burned Buddha statue!

When I was in Bangladesh, I found a lot of mediocre educated persons who were truly lovable, who did never think like sectarians. But after coming to USA as well as looking at social media, I feel that the educated persons are becoming more communally racist than the less educated people. If Bangladesh will burn at near future, it will be for abroad Bangladeshi and so called educated radicals in the country. When I found my own countryman introduced himself to an unknown Pakistani as brother, and made a bridge of heavenly love by avoiding his own countryman, then I feel insecure of my future generation.  Moreover, the rise of few irrational, educated and radical people who wants to draw a communal constitution by giving second class status to the minority, are daggering the  heart of the existence of Bangladesh. If the trend is going on the same pace, I can see another violent rise- up of East Pakistan.

Conclusion

Future Pluralism of World Culture - My Dream

Every religion might have some sectarian ideas. The question is that whether you want to prioritize the radical ideas or humane ideas. It totally depends on your thought level. But if most of the people practice and sanction the radical ideas, then it brings curse to the whole community. If you violate the humanity in one part of the earth, the earth will take revenge on your community on the other part of the world. At last I want to finish  my write up by quoting from Swami Vivekananda – “Sectarianism, bigotry, and it's horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful Earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal”.