Rising tide of Islamism catapulted
Jamaat into the forefront; how is the U.S. reacting to this new reality
in Bangladesh?
By Jamal
Hasan
I have contemplated to write an essay on rising
tide of Wahhabi Islam in my birthplace, Bangladesh. But a succession of
events in Bangladesh in the last couple of months triggered by rising
fundamentalism has captured my time. In this article, I will objectively
analyze the spate of words delivered by a diversified bunch of people in
and outside Bangladesh to hammer down my thesis that Uncle Sam nurtured
Islamic fundamentalists quite unwittingly and now they are coming home
to roost. For the sake of brevity, I will only discuss the case of
Bangladesh leaving aside myriad of similar problems that had plagued
other Islamic nations.
The Washington Post on July 17, 2004 had
this front-page story with the title, "Interviews of Muslims to
Broaden / FBI Hopes to Avert a Terrorist Attack." The news goes on
like this…. "FBI agents have launched a series of interviews of
Muslims and Arab Americans in the Washington area and across the
country, hoping to glean information that could prevent a major
terrorist attack during the election year." The story also
disclosed the following, "this is not a general population. They
are identified by intelligence or investigative information," said
an FBI official who spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with
department policy. He added that the questioning did not signify that
the people were under investigation themselves."
Folks, juxtapose the above news story with a
revealing diplomatic dispatch that came to my knowledge only a few days
ago from a source in USA. The source said, a couple of weeks ago the
U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Harry K. Thomas in a meeting in Washington
DC praised the Islamic fundamentalist Jamat-i-Islami party. Quite a few
expatriate Bangladeshis, I was told, had attended the meeting among
others. I cannot exactly quote what Ambassador Thomas told the audience.
It went something like this, "We should not be concerned about
Jamat-i-Islami of Bangladesh. Our main concern is Shibir. Jamaat
came to power through democratic process." What an outrageous
statement! I was literally falling from the chair when I realized how
ignorant our Ambassador was about the organizational structure of
Bangladeshi jihadists! I thought if we continue to have such ignorance
and naďveté in our State Department, dozens of 9/11 would not be
totally impossibility. We need to do some homework before we venture to
speak on a subject, which is not our forte. Ambassador Harry K. Thomas
must know for a starter that Islamic Chhatra Shibir (or Shibir
as a short version) is a part and parcel of Jamat-i-Islami of
Bangladesh. It is the youth or student wing of the party, which is
definitely lot more militant and violent than its parent organization.
The Shibir activists have been notorious for cutting ligaments of
political opponents' hands so that the victims die slowly. In a sense it
was worse than beheading because the victim felt the pain while heading
towards death. The youth wing of the Jamaati outfit has been indulging
in such practices for more than a decade. These jihadists terrorized
college and university campuses all over Bangladesh. They had started
their bloody act after the military ruler the pseudo Islamist General
Hussain Mohammad Ershad took control of Bangladesh illegitimately.
Now some critics may say, U.S. policy in different
parts of the world is not coherent. They may argue, while USA did not
object to secular Algerian military's suppressing the Islamist political
party Front Islamique du Salut (FIS), which became widely popular
as far back as in the early nineties, the same USA is incredibly soft on
Bangladeshi Islamists. If our memory is not too short, a little more
than a month ago the same Ambassador opined in Dhaka that the Bangladesh
government should be allowed to end its term. The critics have a good
example of the other end of a double standard where USA has welcomed the
unconstitutional removal of a democratically elected government in the
recent past. Quite a few high officials of the U.S. State Department
welcomed the ouster of democratically elected Haitian leader
Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who could hardly finish his term. Now let us
dissect the validity of assessment of the two situations.
The Haitian leader, Aristide, might have been a
left-oriented politician or he could be a bit of anti-Western. However,
it is crystal clear he was neither Islamist, nor did he have any
ambition to destroy Western civilization. On the contrary, Bangladesh's
garden variety Islamists of all hue and color cannot be trusted, period.
They are part of a mysterious global cobweb of Ummah that has the
ultimate agenda to destroy the West, including the United States of
America.
USA's kowtowing the Bangladeshi Islamists is a
continuation of a now defunct Cold War policy. One-time religious
extremists of different nationalities were very much needed to combat
global communism. USA and some other Western nations supported and
nurtured Islamic fundamentalists quite blindly because it served their
purpose. In 1971, the members of Jamaat-i-Islami of Pakistani in
occupied Bangladesh killed scores of innocent secular Bengali
intellectuals cold-bloodedly. At the time that gross human rights
violation was not a big factor for many Western countries. As long as
the Jamaatis acted against Soviet hegemony, that was okay for them. That
is why, immediately after liberation some ringleaders of al-Badr
(military wing of Jamaat-i-Islami) fled to USA and UK and had been
living in those countries quite peacefully. But the tragedy of September
11 had changed the situation drastically. Nowadays, they cannot do
everything as freely as before. Quite a few mosques in USA and UK had
been found to be tied to al-Qaeda jihadists. Although Bangladeshi
Islamist leaders living in Western land are by far smartest in the crop,
but little do they realize that it may not be too difficult to unearth
the subtle linkage among all the jihadists of the world?
While in case of Bangladesh, the U.S. foreign
policy direction did not change drastically from the Cold War period, in
the Afghanistan theater that is quite a different scenario. Immediately
before the start of the Afghan War, the U.S. Administration skillfully
aligned itself with the anti-Taliban (and anti-al-Qaeda) Northern
Alliance force. This force was again had been closely linked with
Russia, some countries of the former Soviet Union and India. In short,
the new scenario was just the opposite of what went on during Afghan
Mujahedeens' war against Soviet occupying force a decade ago. This new
alignment worked well and apparently, the result was better than what
happened in the recent Iraq war. The ultimate result is the diminishing
power of the Talibans and al-Qaeda, the entities, which are
ideologically very close to Bangladesh's Jamaat-i-Islami.
Jamaat-i-Islami of Bangladesh evolved from the
womb of Jamaat-i-Islami of Pakistan. Do the readers care to know that
the Pakistani Jamaat was responsible for massacring minority Ahmadiya
more than forty years ago? Therefore, the Jamaatis traversed a bloody
path to the present stage. But can they be trusted? Primarily the
Jamaat-i-Islami of Bangladesh is a purely Wahhabite outfit which has a
global agenda to conquer and rule the world under a Utopian Caliphate.
Till their final goal is reached, the Bangladeshi Jamaatis, the most
patient and conniving among the bunch, are ready to wait for hundred
years if the need be. It is unique that this is the same party, which
resisted the birth of a nation, could become part of the national
government today. It is also ironic that two notorious war criminals are
gracing the present Bangladesh cabinet today. But that hardly ruffles
feathers amongst amnesiac Bangladeshis.
USA has acted reactively in the Afghan theater
aligning itself with the former Soviet Asian Republics. Some of the
leaders of the newly born Asian countries neighboring Afghanistan are
former communists. Nevertheless, the United States had no problem
forging a unique coalition with new partners in its global war on
terror. Conversely, in case of Bangladesh, the United States showed a
cold shoulder to almost all the secular nationalist and left-oriented
political parties. It is such a big blunder on the part of USA, the
price she may have to pay in the future could be quite heavy.
Before the October 2001 parliamentary election,
according to some Bangladesh watchers, USA's favor tilted towards
Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Khaleda Zia's late husband General Ziaur
Rahman was US's favorite. Conversely, Awami League with all its baggage
of socialism, nationalistic protectionism did not become an attractive
choice for America. The 1996 parliamentary election in Bangladesh was
closely watched in Europe. Some German South Asia analysts felt that
many U.S. policymakers did not have much liking for Sheikh Hasina. The
main reason for this view, according to the German analysts, Sheikh
Hasina being a daughter of the "pro-Socialist" Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman could move the country back to a socialistic model in a cinch. Of
course, this apprehension later turned out to be totally baseless.
Hasina was no less capitalist than many of the current leaders of the
Third World countries.
Dealing with familiar faces is typically the most
viable option in bilateral relations. USA had a history of distrusting
secular nationalist forces of India and Bangladesh. That is why, even in
post-9/11 climate the victory of Indian National Congress in the last
Indian Parliamentary election was greeted with a lukewarm support in US
capital. Even a moderate daily like Washington Post was far from
being soft on the new victors. In the backdrop of global war on Islamic
terrorism, siding with Hindu nationalists of India may not be an
illogical step. But, there is hardly any justification for linking with
a Wahhabite Islamist group like Jamaat-i-Islami of Bangladesh.
Jamaatis are the people who are undoubtedly
cold-blooded, calculative, cruel, sneaky, manipulative, pragmatist,
brutal, determined, patient, flexible and adaptive to change. While the
U.S. failed to read the mind of the Jamaatis, they were glad to be back
in business in full swing. The smartest decision for the Jamaat-i-Islami
was to forge a coalition with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party before
Bangladesh's general election. During the time of 2001 election, the
Islamic fundamentalist party leaders could not imagine that Prime
Minister Khaleda Zia would be a manna from heaven. Who could have
imagined that she would metamorphose to be "more Catholic than the
Pope"!
Immediately after coming to power, BNP-Islamist
coalition's first step was to sack forty senior police officers; many of
them did not even attain the retirement age. The new government alleged
those officers were not efficient, they were corrupt, and were leaning
towards Awami League. In reality, those officers were the individuals
who were not Islamists, some of who were freedom fighters and despised
the Jamaatis. The BNP-Islamist coalition's ascension to power opened the
floodgate of Islamizing the security services of Bangladesh. In today's
Bangladesh, the chameleon Wahhabites' omnipresence can be felt
everywhere. After the targeted purging in National Security
Intelligence, Defence Forces Intelligence, Customs Department, Border
security and many other auxiliary services, Jamaati influence in the
whole country's security apparatus have been increased manifold. In
addition, Bangladesh army's rank and file is well represented by fresh
Madrassah graduates who were deprived to go through the channel of
secular education. Jammatization has also touched Bangladesh's
diplomatic corps as well. The latest appointment of Golam Arshad, a
staunch Jamaati, as the Press Minister in Bangladesh Embassy in
Washington DC is a glaring example of how much the anti-liberation force
has penetrated into the power structure of Bangladesh government. Like
the aliens of the TV series "The Invaders," the sympathizers
of this Islamist outfit can be found in all facets of Bangladeshi civil
society. Some security experts were baffled to realize that for many
years the Jamaatis have successfully penetrated the U.S. Embassy in
Bangladesh. The moles were well placed there too!
When Sheikh Hasina was in power, there were a few
attempts on her life. At the time, many analysts suspected Islamists'
hand behind the attacks. Ironically, Khaleda Zia did not have to face
such nuisance. Not a single attack was targeted against her. Critics of
her sarcastically comment, "A darling of the Islamists cannot be
the bull's eye of the fanatics."
Slowly and steadily, Bangladesh is inching forward
to becoming an intolerant Islamist state. Gross human rights violation
is a very common scene. The primary enemies of the state are the secular
and liberal intellectuals. Secondly, the authority would not tolerate
anybody who would bring the "unpleasant" subject of Bangladesh
Genocide and war crime of 1971. With each passing day, increasingly
liberal intellectuals and academicians are getting death threats by the
mullahs. The fundamentalist government claims they do not have any clue
about the origin of the threat. When Dhaka University Professor Dr.
Humayun Azad's throat was almost slit by Islamic extremists, the
investigative farce led to the arrest of a few Awami League
sympathizers. Most recently, Dr. Humayun Azad again received a death
threat along with Dr. Muntassir Mamoon and Dr. M.M. Akash and a few
other university professors. Dr. Muntassir Mamoon, the academician has
been a researcher of Bangladesh Liberation War also. In the eyes of
Bangladeshi Islamists, this type of individual has no right to live in
"Jamaat-i-Islamic Bangladesh." Some observers say, anytime
anyone among the liberal intellectuals may be slaughtered at the hand of
Bangladeshi Islamic terrorists. I hope this dire prediction by the
pessimists in Bangladesh never come true but there is no telling what
lies ahead for those who were declared murtaad or apostate in
recent days.
Jamat-i-Islami leaders try their best to appear
squeeky clean in front of the world audience. In order not to antagonize
Uncle Sam, they are hardly vocal against U.S. foreign policy.
Nonetheless, wolf cannot hide beneath sheep skin. The Bangladeshi
Jamaatis' connection to global Jihadists is hardly a rumor anymore. Let
us take into account the Al-Haramain fiasco. On September 23, 2002 seven
aid workers of Arab origin were arrested in Dhaka on suspicion of
trafficking in children. All of them worked for Al-Haramain Islamic
Institute, a Saudi funded charity. The arrest brought an internal
tension inside Bangladesh government. The Islamists, notably the Jamaati
cabinet members were not pleased to see Arab aid workers being
prosecuted by Bangladesh government. One fine morning the arrested
foreigners were hurriedly taken to the airport and were deported out of
the country. Some observers were convinced a Jamaati minister played a
crucial role in deporting the arrestees. Today, the Al-Haramain charity
is suspected of funding al-Qaeda. The U.S. Treasury Department moved to
block the charity's assets of the U.S. branch. Another high profile
Jamaati leader had been alleged to be involved in maritime arms
smuggling helping the cause of South East Asian Islamic militants. For
reason unknown, the same leader is not welcome into USA.
For the last several years, a number of
law-enforcement officials from Bangladesh have been trained in America
under a bilateral agreement between the two countries. Bangladeshi
police and army personnel have the opportunity to be trained in USA
under a program called Anti Terrorism Assistance Program (ATAP),
sponsored by the United States Department of State. Law enforcement
officers under Bangladeshi Islamic fundamentalist dominated government
also got the chance to be trained by U.S. anti-terrorism experts. But
the expertise obtained abroad cannot justifiably be implemented at home
in some cases. Although Bangladesh's Islamist dominated regime liberally
utilizes all tools of modern security needs, it "failed" to
identify the perpetrators behind the death threats against secular
intellectuals. Moreover, harassment of the moderate Bangladeshis
continues unabated. Their telephones are routinely tapped, overseas
phone calls are carefully scrutinized, and their Internet activities are
closely monitored. While this scenario exposes the symptom of a police
state, Khaleda Zia and her Islamist coalition partners are yet to
identify the whereabout of a notorious al-Qaeda type Bangladeshi
warlord, the so-called Bangla Bhai. This Bangla Bhai has
been continuing a rein of terror in a great part of the North Western
Bangladesh. In fact, he is almost running a parallel puritanical Taliban
like rule. The local law enforcement authority was found to be
supportive of the Islamic terrorist's terror tactics. What does that
mean? The Talibanization of rural Bangladesh has just got started.
Actions speak louder than words. That is what we are seeing in western
districts of Bangladesh. The police there are in cahoots with Jagrata
Muslim Janata cadres, the army of Bangladesh's Mullah Omar- Bangla
Bhai.
Recently, a German Radio Bangla Service
broadcaster got a first hand experience of encountering the deadly Bangla
Bhai's cadre. The Deutsche Welle reporter had been aggressively
pursuing his investigative reporting on the Bangladeshi al-Qaeda from
his Köln office. While visiting Bangladesh a few weeks ago, he had the
bone chilling experience of being face to face with a group of Islamist
goons in the heart of the capital city. That happened in the broad
daylight. He was threatened not to continue his anti-Bangla Bhai
reporting from the German Radio. The Deutsche Welle higher ups did not
take the threat lightly. They took up the matter with the highest
authority at the German Foreign Ministry. It happened at a time when
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer was planning a tour to
Bangladesh. He was well briefed about the situation. The DW authority
was hopeful Mr. Fischer would raise the issue while he would be talking
to his Bangladeshi counterpart.
While any civilized society always takes death
threat issue against its citizens very seriously, Bangladesh had proven
to be playing a manipulative game of judicial deceiving. We can recall
another episode of investigative caricature happened when a few movie
theaters in Mymensingh city were bombed a year and half ago. It was
becoming more evident that the homegrown Bangladeshi Islamic zealots
were becoming less tolerant of movie theaters where "immoral
things" were being played. After the December 2002 movie theaters
bomb blast in Mymensingh, Shahriar Kabir, and Dr. Muntassir Mamoon were
arrested. Shahriar Kabir is an internationally known human rights
activist and a notable researcher of Bangladesh Genocide. Who else can
be the best scapegoat? Both Dr. Mamoon and Shahriar Kabir were brutally
tortured at the hand of Bangladesh law enforcement personnel who were
already brainwashed by the BNP-Jamaat clique who are at the catbird seat
in Dhaka since October 2001.
In a Voice of America interview broadcast
on July 19, 2004 Dr. Muntassir Mamoon, Professor of History of Dhaka
University said, "I have been threatened to be killed for, what
they say, anti-Islamic activities." Dr. Mamoon said, "I have
not been saying anything anti-Islamic, although I have always opposed to
fundamentalism." Dr. Muntassir Mamoon said, "Unless relevant
actions are taken against these terrorist outfits who have been
threatening journalists and intellectuals and have already killed some
journalists, the situation can take a serious turn and Islamic
fundamentalists will gain ground in Bangladesh." Professor Mamoon
also said, "The good sign is this that people throughout the world
have recognized that no good could be done to religion through
fundamentalism and terrorism."
A few days ago, in a Charlie Rose Show Dr.
Rohan Gunaratna of the Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies in
Singapore said, "The future clash will not occur between
civilizations, rather the clash will happen within a civilization and
that will be the Islamic civilization." Dr. Gunaratna further said
the clash within Islam would be between the moderates and the
extremists. He urged the United States to strengthen the hands of the
moderates. The other day, U.S. President George Bush while visiting
Turkey spoke about the need for secularization of Muslim societies.
Against this backdrop, the Bangladesh situation is completely a hopeless
case. Strengthened by state patronization of the Islamists are heading
towards a collision course against the marginalized secular and liberal
creed of the society. The possibility of a bloodbath in the near future
cannot be ruled out completely. Without knowing the dire consequence,
the U.S. is now patronizing the BNP-Jamaat axis in Bangladesh as they
have done so in the late seventies and early eighties in Afghanistan
when they armed the Mujaheedins to their teeth. The proverbial
chicken came home to roost in Afghanistan in the 1990s. There is no
telling; the same may also happen in Bangladesh. Therefore, Caveat
Emptor!
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