In renewed search of faith
Mahmuda Islam appreciates a work on our immigrants
The liberation of Bangladesh witnessed a spectacular surge in immigration outside the motherland. Almost every part of Bangladesh, rural and urban, felt the effects of the new trend. But not much research was undertaken in the academic circles on this aspect of the new country. Professor Nazli Kibria of Boston University undertook research on the topic and has published her research findings in the work 'Muslims in Motion'. In this sense, she is a pioneer in the field of immigration from Bangladesh. In her research, she has the advantage that, though born of Bangladeshi parents, she has lived in many countries and could bring into her research a dispassionate and open mind with knowledge of a very broad spectrum of life. As a result, she has provided an illuminating academic analysis of the problems and issues faced by Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants in such host countries as the UK, USA, Malaysia and the Arab Gulf States. After giving an overview of changing Islam in the global context and migration of Muslims across the world, based on her examination of a varied dimension of international writings, she concentrates on the Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants in the aforesaid countries. Though the conditions and environment in these countries differ, she finds one common feature: Muslim migrants from Bangladesh are looked down upon as coming from a poverty-stricken country that depends on international charity. As she has found, “The global image of Bangladesh as a poor, corrupt, and hapless country is one that haunts those abroad, creating a lens through which they find themselves being assessed in the receiving societyâ€. This derogatory image and consequent neglect has created in the immigrants a feeling of isolation and inferiority of thinking and generated a failure on their part to integrate with the mainstream of social life in the host countries. Professor Kibria has brilliantly brought into focus this dilemma in the life of the immigrants. Consequences of this attitude manifested differently in different countries as conditions were different. In the UK and USA, the immigrants could settle down with families. As their children were born and their education and socialization became necessary, the immigrant parents in the UK and USA, having grown to adulthood in Bangladeshi society, wanted to keep their children away from Western influences. Since Bangladesh society is based on Islam, they decided to give their children Islamic orientation and, to set examples before them, they themselves started practising Islam of the Bangladesh variety in right earnest. While children were sent to public schools in consideration of the future of the offspring, they were also imparted Islamic education in part-time schools attached to mosques. But these second generation offspring of the original immigrants were not familiar and had no direct contact and participation with the Muslim culture in which their parents had been nurtured. Their direct contact came to be with a brand of Islam which Professor Kibria identifies as revivalist Islam, which she defines as “a surge of religiosity coupled with the expansion of Islamic movements that advocate a greater and renewed focus on religion in the lives of Muslimsâ€. This brand of Islam cuts across regional boundaries of Muslim cultures that differ from country to country. This second generation of Bangladeshis were also attracted to transnational Islam due to the poor image of their parents' country Bangladesh in the host country and failure to fall back on that culture. They became more Muslim and less Bangladeshi. The result is that they failed to integrate with the country where they were born. Nor could they adhere to their parents' society. Professor Kibria has gone deep into the issue with a clear insight and has shown the direction to which future research should be undertaken to find out a solution. Malaysia and the Gulf states do not allow immigrants to settle: the immigrants are there only to earn money and must come back home. They have no problem with children. But they face an Islam which is different from what they practise in Bangladesh. Though these host countries are predominantly Muslim, immigrants find differences. The government of Malaysia promotes its own brand of Islam, while Saudi Arabia promotes another variety. Returning immigrants are exposed to these differences from Islam in Bangladesh and their knowledge and horizons are broadened, but their response is different. Some want to emulate the host country brand while many cling to the Bangladesh practices without dissent. Professor Kibria feels that some changes in attitude on the part of the immigrants are definitely taking place and she considers these changes as revivalist. Much more research is necessary on this issue. However, she has correctly pointed out that the Western conception of Islam as “homogeneous and one-dimensional†is a misconception. Never in history have Islam and Muslim been identical and there was never any dearth of devout Muslims. There are primarily four schools of Islamic thought and all of them claim to adhere strictly to the Quran and Sunnah. Revivalists do not have any better claim on Islam. Moreover, revivalist Islam is also not homogeneous; there are differences in ideas and approaches. So Professor Kibria has correctly stated that to brand immigrants as proponents of revivalist Islam is simplistic. Bangladesh is recognized as a liberal Muslim country and is amenable to changes. Several decades ago, it was unimaginable that women would enter mosques and pray there. On the other hand, attempt, even supported by Jamaat, to introduce Khutba in Bangla failed.Millions of people attend Pahela Baishakh and Shaheed dibash celebrations and the sheer number of them is proof that those attending these celebrations include many who say their prayers and go to mosques on Friday regularly and are not less devout than the so-called revivalists. Professor Kibria has, however, correctly linked globalization on a secular plane with globalization on a religious plane. Globalization of Islam, termed in the West as revival of Islam, can be viewed as an offshoot of globalization on economic-political- neocolonial perspectives sponsored by the West. Doubtless, Professor Kibria is a pioneer in the field. The methodology she used is appropriate. She has laid bare a great volume of information and analyzed them with an inquisitive and investigative mind. The language is lucid and easy to understand. She has shown the way and others should now come forward to elaborate her endeavors.
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