DHAKA, Bangladesh
A lack of proper knowledge about religious teachings and unrestrained emotions are posing a threat to communal harmony in Bangladesh, according to analysts.
"People who actually don't follow true teachings of religion disturb ethnic harmony and tolerance and are wrongly motivated by whimsical emotions," Muhammad Khalilur Rahman, a famous Islamic scholar in the country, told Anadolu Agency.
Refering to recent incidents of communal violence in the northern district of Rangpur which claimed six lives, he said isolated incidents do not represent the decades-long inter-faith harmony in the country, including among Hindus and Muslims.
An image of the Muslim holy book Quran on the lap of a Hindu deity during the festival of Durga Puja went viral on social media sparking outrage among the Muslim-majority population.
In protest against the alleged desecration of Quran, some angry Muslims vandalized dozens of Hindu temples and set fire to their houses and property.
Over 100 cases have been filed at various police stations across the country, and dozens of suspects have been arrested, including the prime suspect who placed the Quran in the temple. The trial and investigation are still ongoing.
"Islam never supports violence against any minority group and allows religious freedom for all," Rahman said, adding that it is clearly stated in the Medina Charter –- the first written constitution in Islam and the first documented case of constitutional law –- which provided a basis for a city-state between Muslims and Jews in the medieval Muslim city of Medina.
He added that the 57-clause charter, which is also the Muslims' first written state policy adopted by Prophet Muhammad, clearly mentions that minorities will have the same level of freedom as the majority and that none will have supremacy over others.
"This is the universal Islamic state policy," Rahman said, adding that a state decree was issued during the era of the second Muslim caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab, stating that "all places of worship of the minority people would be protected."
Almost half of the world was under the Islamic Caliphate during Umar's rule, Rahman said.
"In Bangladesh, we have been practicing the same principle for many generations. But, sometimes a few uneducated, wrongly motivated, and stubborn people act against communal harmony as promoted by those with vested interest who want to propagate against Islam and Muslims and are willing to brand them as terrorists," Rahman said.
Role of communal leaders, Imams
Abdullah Mahmud, an assistant professor at Dhaka University's Department of World Religion, told Anadolu Agency that Bangladesh is an ideal example of communal harmony. "However, unexpected incidents do occur from time to time that embarrass us."
He said: "All religious leaders should come forward to raise public awareness about religious intolerance. The Imams (prayer leaders) who lead thousands of mosques in this Muslim-majority country can play a significant role."
"Imams should clearly mention during Friday sermons that communal violence is strictly prohibited in Islam," he said.
"We believe our Imams are the best, and most of us follow their guidelines," Mehedi Hasan, a university student in Dhaka, told Anadolu Agency. "They can play a leading role in creating an environment of tolerance."
More safety
Kajal Krishna Banerjee, a senior citizen of Hindu community and a professor of Dhaka University, told Anadolu Agency that they want a secure Bangladesh for all people.
"We are terrified of the recent communal unrest and a series of attacks against us. I hope that the government will punish the perpetrators," he said.
Banerjee added that the spirit of the freedom movement was to establish the rights of all people. "Attacks on our innocent people and vandalizing and burning down their houses and properties go against the goals of our 1971 Liberation War."
"Such communal violence, which we saw once in 1972 and again this year, infuriated me greatly. Now we feel frightened. Government must ensure a more secure and safe environment for all minority groups," the professor at the country's leading public university said.
Following the violence in October, a group of youths organized a rally and human chain in the capital Dhaka under the banner of Peoples Activist Coalition to protest Islamophobia campaigns.
"Since the October violence, some vested quarters have been relentlessly campaigning against all Muslims in Bangladesh," according to a written handout distributed at the rally.
In a recent statement, the Hindu Law Reform Council, a local organization dedicated to protecting the rights of Hindu minorities, condemned the attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh and the subsequent attacks on minority Muslims in neighboring India's Tripura state.
