How Islamists have hijacked Bangalees’ freedom struggle.

By Syed Kamran Mirza      

After their (Islamists and neo-Muslim League) heinous attempt of distorting the ‘beacon of supreme leadership’ which had unquestionably unified the Bangalee nation in 1971 for their ultimate struggle of independence, now those Islamists have been successful to a good extent hijacking Bangalees’ (common and ordinary Bangalee patriots) sacred sacrifice for the freedom fighting of 1971. Now, it is hardly surprising to see the Islamist apologists’ claim that many devout Islamists fought 1971 freedom fighting. Good question is who then fought against our glorious War of Liberation (Muktijuddho)? Who were those anti-freedom Razakars/Al-Badr/Al-Shams people? We need to question what was the actual role of those devout Muslims (Maulanas, Karri, Hafej, Imams, Madrasha students, Jamat-e-Islami, Muslim League) of the then East Pakistan ? Who exactly killed our freedom fighters (Muktijoddha), killed our Bangalee intellectuals, guided Pakistani soldiers to the villages and bazaars of innocent freedom loving Bangalees where those marauding Pakistani soldiers rampantly looted and burned houses and bazaars? Who had played the ever-known ‘Islam-card’ to demolish Bangalees’ hope and aspiration of freedom?  

If we look back to the history of pre-1971 Pakistan , we can very well remember that it was the same ‘Islam-card’ played again and again by those Pakistani rulers to fool the gullible oppressed Bangalees.  If we recollect our memory of 24 years of Pakistani period—we can find

that the common slogan of all Pakistani rulers was: “Save Pakistan to save Islam”.  Anytime some patriotic Bangalee leaders raised their voice for Bangalee’s rights, immediately they were randomly branded as anti-Islamic elements and anti-Pakistani. Their common slogans were: “Islam is in great jeopardy” (Islam khatra mae hai) or “save Pakistan to save Islam”.  

God-fearing Muslims vs. Islamists:  

Bangalees’ freedom movement of 1971 was the culmination of the twenty four years of struggle for Bangalees’ basic rights, and struggle for self-emancipation from those Pakistani rulers and political and economic oppressors. This freedom movement was no way against any religion including Islam. But it was the Pakistani rulers and their local stooges who gave the false picture that—Bangalees were not so good Muslims, hence they wanted to destroy Pakistan only to destroy Islam! At that time of 1971’s struggle Bangalee nation was divided into so called good (pukka, pro-Pakistani) Muslims versus ordinary patriotic Bangalees of all religions (who wanted independent Bangladesh ). Therefore, this movement had divided all Bangalees into two main groups. These groups were: (a) Freedom-loving Bangalees (God-fearing ordinary Muslims, Hindus, Buddhas, Christians, secularists, leftists, unbelievers etc); (b) Islamists (all political Muslims, including supporters of Jamat-e-Islami, Muslim League, Bnagalee pukka-Muslims, Maulanas, Imams, Madrasha students, and other blind supporters of Pakistani junta). Among these two groups (‘A’ and ‘B’) only the group-A fought freedom fighting, and the group-B fought against the Bangalees’ freedom movement and vehemently supported Pakistani occupational force.  

Now, when some totally ill-informed, confused and politically motivated Bangalee shamelessly claim: “It is true that the majority of Bangladeshis are God-fearing Muslims. But at the same time one should not forget that these same God-fearing Muslims comprised the majority of the Freedom Fighters of 1971…”, we need to know exactly what they meant by the phrase, “God-fearing Muslims”. It is highly confusing and deceiving to those new generations of Bangalees, as to, which God-fearing Bangalee they actually meant in their random phrase!  

Do they mean that all the freedom fighters were Muslim devotees with strong faith or Islamists? There is a gulf of difference between God-fearing ordinary Muslims and Islamists. To my knowledge, no true believers (read pure-Muslims/Islamists) sided with Bangalees’ emancipation struggle, rather they all supported Pakistani rulers and aided in every way to crush Bangalees’ dream of independence. It was ordinary God-fearing Muslims (group-A Bangalees, who were simply the sons and daughters of ordinary Muslim familes, who never studied Koran and Hadiths, or never studied in the Madrashas), Hindus, Buddhist, secularists, leftists, atheists etc. fought along with those defector freedom loving Bangalee police and soldiers. All of them had just one single identity, and that was “BANGALEE IDENTITY. Their identity was neither Muslim nor non-Muslim; they were all Bangalees. Their religious faith was not any important issue then. Freedom fighters never wanted to give or accept any color of religion to their struggle. Rather they talked in one common voice and that was—“we are Bangalees fighting for our emancipation from the oppression of the Punjabis. The main driving force behind this struggle was ‘Bangalee Nationalism’.  

But unfortunately, it was Pakistani ruling junta and our local traitor Bangalees (Jamaatis, Muslim Leaguers, all maulanas, karri, hafej, madrasha students, most imams, etc) were giving the untrue color of religion Islam for their ulterior motive. Again the same old Pakistani ‘Islam Card’ was vigorously played in 1971. They widely and openly declared: “Those who are fighting Pakistani soldiers are the enemy of Islam and agents of India . They are all Hindus or not so good Muslims. They are trying to destroy Islam by destroying Pakistan . No true Muslims can destroy Pakistan . We will fight to our death to protect Pakistan , the home of Islam. We will live if Pakistan lives! Islam will survive if Pakistan survives!” These were their common slogans in those tumultuous days of 1971. If the readers can find various newspapers from 1971, they can surely verify my assertions!  

I can swear with 100% surety that no pure-Muslims (read Islamists) fought for the freedom of Bangladesh in 1971,  rather they all fought against Bangalees’ freedom. A Muslim who read Koran and Hadiths with full understanding could not side with the freedom fighters, no way. To any pukka Muslim, ummatic unity is the top most responsibility. During the entire period of Bangalees’ freedom fighting in 1971, I had visited countryside of several districts (Comilla, Mymensingh, and Chittagong ) and found 100% of the local madrashas were having Razakar or Al-Badr’s camps conspicuously situated. I have not heard or seen any true imam, maulana, or madrasha student who sided with the Bangladesh liberation struggle, never. I have not heard about any madrasha which had supported Bangalees’ cause, or did not have any connection with the Razakars.  

Yes, there could be some Bangalee pious Muslims (who was bearded, prayed five times etc.) whom people called Maulana or Moulavi Shaheb (out of sheer respect) who did support Muktijuddho, at least by his heart, and his support to Muktijuddho was very clandestine. Most of all those rarely participating so called maulanas were never true Maulana, nor they had madrasha title like Kamil, Dakhil or Fazil. Presumably they did not know, or believe inner/core teachings of Islam. In their hearts they were Bangalee first then Muslim by their faith only. Such educated Bangalee Muslims (who were believers) could have participated in the 1971 freedom struggle very secretively, but their numbers were very rare to count. On the other hand, many of such so-called maulanas were openly serving Pakistani Junta by becoming “Shanti-Committee Member” or “Razakar commander” only to crush Bangalees’ dream. How can we forget that? Even many of our somewhat pious guardians (older parents who voted for Pakistan in 1947) did not support freedom fighting wholeheartedly, and always talked against our freedom movement. This was my practical experience with most of our elders.  

Role of Bangalee Maulanas, Imams and Mosques:  

To my knowledge almost all of the Bangalee Maulanas and pure mullahs supported Pakistani Junta to save their favorite (Peyerer) Pakistan . Many Maulanas such as the famous pir of Sharshina, Barisal and others continuously issued various Islamic fatwas to support Paki Junta’s atrocities towards innocent Bangalees. Fatwas were issued that—“Islamic soldiers of Pakistan who are engaged to save Pakistan in order to protect Islam are entitled to enjoy Bangalee women; Bangalee women are Halal (legitimate) for them.” It was this Islamic group which orchestrated the very mechanism of kidnapping Bangalee women only to supply women slaves to satisfy sexual lust of those marauding “Islamic heroes” of Pakistan . We can refresh our amnesic memory to remember again that at least 250,000 thousand Bangalee women were brutally violated by those Pakistani heroes of Islam. Throughout the entire erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh ) in almost all of the mosque congregations, the Imam prayed: “Allah Pakistan ko hefajot kare” (“Allah save Pakistan ”).  

I was stunned when I found my childhood Islamic teacher (Maulavi Huzur) was praying during Friday Munajat (Supplication) : “Hey Allah Pakistan ke rakkha koro” (O God save Pakistan ). My childhood Islamic teacher was very good, kind, and compassionate human being and I used to respect him like my father. But I found him serving local Razakars with all the information about freedom fighters’ activities of our area. He managed to hand-over two local freedom fighters (who were his own student) to the Razakar commander. When I asked him why he was playing such inhuman role, he replied: “I am only serving Islam by protecting Pakistan .” This was the exact mindset of most Bangalee Islamists in 1971. I do not know, nor have I heard any single incident where any Bangalee Imam had openly prayed for Muktijoddha (freedom fighters) or Muktijuddho (freedom fighting) inside any mosque of the then East Pakistan. Readers may correct me if I have missed that!  

Pakistani ruling junta’s clever technique of “Islam-card” was played very successfully to have most Bangalee Islamists brainwashed, and also to motivate all Muslim countries that Bagalees were up there in East Pakistan to destroy Islam by the help of Hindu India. They would propagate in the manner: “This Bangalees’ so-called freedom movement was nothing but the Indian conspiracy to destroy Pakistan which is synonymous of Islam”. This was the most valid reason why 100% of Muslim nations did support Pakistan ; and never supported Bangalees’ freedom struggle. Because both Pakistan and local Banagalee Islamists did the vigorous colorful propaganda that “those so called freedom fighters of East Pakistan were nobody but some bad Muslims, Hindus and Indian stooges.”

Islam card played by Pakistani occupied force and their local collaborators (Islamists) was successful in misguiding the entire Muslim world. That is why, Bangalees never got any support or sympathy from any Muslim country during the painful nine months of 1971. Brainwashed by their Pakistani masters, local Bangalee Islamist goons unleashed a rein of terror in the Pakistani army occupied territories. Their first victims were Bangalee Hindus and other non-Muslims. They burned, killed and raped any Hindus or non-Muslims they found in their path.     

The Shock of Islam:  

Freedom loving common Bangalees, leaders of the freedom struggle, and all freedom fighters got terrible shock from the Islamists during most of the entire1971 period. They got their lesson of lifetime (we thought!) by the treachery of those Bangalee Islamists, as well as, entire Muslim world. Freedom fighters and all freedom-loving Bangalees used to be frightened or panicked when they saw any bearded maulana and true Islamist in front of them. All Muktijoddhas (freedom fighters) used to hide their identity from these Islamists for very good reason. Because, no freedom fighter could trust these Islamists since they could be either Razakar commander or informer of Pakistani junta. During the nine months of 1971 (March 26-December 15), common Bagalee freedom-loving people did not trust these Islamists and developed common hatreds towards all Islamists. More and more freedom fighters had begun to abhor these treacherous religious fanatics and loved secularism. They did not separate Bangalees by virtue of their religious faith; rather they considered all Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Buddhas etc. as Bangalee muktijuddhas (freedom fighters) who fought their common enemy (Pakistani Muslims and Bangalee Islamists).  

As a result, Bangladesh’s first government under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had incorporated ‘secularism’ as one of the most popular and prominent preamble in the Bangladesh constitution.  At the time all religious-based political parties were banned. All prominent Islamists, Jamaatis, Muslim Leaguers and other Pakistani stooges fled the newly independent Bangladesh . Many prominent Islamists and Jamaati leaders lost their citizenship of Bangladesh . Remaining infamous mullahs were in the hiding, and many not so mullah or not so pure Islamists either shaved or shortened their beard and refrained from wearing Islamic garbs in public. Yes, this was the situation and condition of all Islamists in the infant Bangladesh . Therefore, when confused amnesic Bangalees said that, “Please stop your random bashing of Islam”, then it gives me not only a big laugh but also lots of pain. Nothing can be furthest from the truth!  

Unfortunately, the Bangalees did not get a leader like Kamal Ataturk, hence the real action against those Islamists were not taken in due time. Bagabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a freedom-loving great leader but was soft on political Islam. Hence, history was turned upside down very quickly. The amnesic nation of Bangalee very quickly forgot that sad episode of 1971 caused by Islamists. They forgot very quickly that without the rigorous help and cooperation of neighboring India , Bangalees’ independence from Pakistan was absolutely an impossible dream. What a shame, Bangalee Muslims paid their debt to their best friend India by vigorously supporting/cheering Pakistan cricket team as it played against India right in 1974. After that history is well known to the readers, and requires no further description, I hope!    

Today, with the help of two Islamist Bangalee generals—the real shape and structure of Bangladesh is dead, and real secular-born Bangladesh had transformed into a complete Islamic hub. Those common patriotic Bangladeshi (who fought freedom fighting in 1971) also quickly transformed into pukka (pure) Muslims due to their severe amnesia. Majority of those amnesic Bangalees have been totally Islamized. We have now a pure Pakistan (or Bangalistan) in the disguise of Bangladeshi garb. All those Islamists traitors who wanted to kill Bangladesh at its birth are in the driving seat of Bangladesh today. A good portion of those Bangalees who fought freedom fighting in 1971 has become stooges of Islam, or born-again Muslims. Islamization or Arabization of their mind is now complete and they have no problem of seeing Razakars in the throne of Bangladesh , which they achieved in 1971 by blood bath. Due to their chronic amnesia they completely forgot their past and now they are busy shedding tears for their Arab brothers or Muslim umma.  They cry more for Osama, Saddam or Iraq than their own people who are being killed by those treacherous Islamists. Muktijoddhas are hiding their face today or are fleeing from their Bangladesh (they fought so dearly to achieve) for fear of their own lives. Islamic goons (Bangla Bhai and many other tentacles of Jihadis) are roaming triumphantly throughout the dead body of onetime secular Bangladesh . Yet, those transformed Islamists, or the new “Zia Generation” have no remorse at all! They are busy attacking remnants of 1971’s spirit and are wholeheartedly supporting Islamists. They are giving us new theory that it was those Islamists who fought our liberation war in 1971. Unparalleled distortion of history, Bangalees’ inherent chronic amnesia, and a new wave of Islamization amongst the new generation of Bangalees have destroyed our glorious past and now we frequently hear that ludicrous phrase: “God-fearing pukka Muslims fought for Bangalee’s freedom in 1971.”  What a cruel joke!