Threat of obscurantism
It's undeniable that the so-called religious political parties are an ominous threat to the future of democracy in Bangladesh. These parties cannot be good for politics; neither can they ever be good for a religion. They are inauspicious for our general political milieu because they constantly endeavour to exploit people's religious sentiments in order to achieve their filthy political ambitions. Similarly, they are destructive for the religion, as they often do not hesitate to compromise the fundamental values of religion.
Moreover, they are extremely dangerous for a liberal democracy because they ultimately aim to subvert the democratic system to replace it with an authoritarian dictatorship. For instance, in 1971 when the Jamaat-e-Islami and other identical parties supported the brutal Pakistani offensive against innocent Bangladeshis, they didn't care about the luminous lessons of compassion, kindness and benevolence that our religion teaches us. Neither did they care about a safer democratic environment that we would enjoy in a sovereign state after liberating it from the savage Pakistani aggressors.
They only cared about their nasty political self-interest and didn't hesitate to trample the shining emblem of humanity that religion inspires us to uphold. They correctly realized that they could only thrive under the corrupt Pakistani regime that had become an ardent supporter of religious fundamentalism and an apt epitome of barbaric totalitarianism. History suggests that such parties often produce the detrimental seeds of evil and secretively give birth to religious terrorism and anarchy. These parties are aware of the fact that they can never attain state power by democratic means. As a result, they are always keen to formulate effective alternative strategies. Like a shrewd chameleon they are capable of changing colour in accordance with the need of time. I think these parties collectively exist as a 'Trojan Horse' in our political arena as they often have numerous clandestine agendas, which generally remain hidden under the facade of their visible roles.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments