Sat 23 Sep 2006
Today has been the first day of Ramadhan (in most part of North America) – the sacred month for 1.6 billion Muslims all over the world. This month had always been an integral part of our social life in Bangladesh regardless of people’s individual choice of religious practice.
Decades ago when I was a child it meant not going to school for the whole month, shopping for the upcoming Eid, enjoying special iftar menu for the whole month (mmmm the chhola, peaju, dai bara, halim….). Little did we care about the real intentions behind the ritual that called for stanch self control and abstinence from all the earthly transgression during day light (dawn to dusk) – not just restraining from eating and drinking. To a child like me practicing all of that was an everyday event. Life was so full of innocence and harmony back then that it almost seems like a fairy tale that happened some place far far away….
From grade two through six I attended a school in Pathar Ghata, Chittagong that was established more than a century ago by Christian missionaries. My god-fearing parents had no qualm on my and my siblings’ enrolling to a school run by catholic nuns. I had friends in the class with last names like Roy, Dey, Shutradhar as well as Rodriguez, Gonzales or D’Cruz and Barua. I remember going to Durga puja with my friends, being captivated with the ambience, the neatly decorated idol, the kirtans, the special incense and the delicious sweets. My school stood next door to a boys’ school run by catholic priests. The Brothers and Sisters of both schools would arrange for annual ‘fair’ sort of like a Mina Bazaar right before Christmas that we’d attend along with our families. There were some famous temples in Chittagong and other towns in the hilltracks that my father used to take us for visits. We appreciated archeological values, the historical aspects and the beautiful decorations of those temples and devotion of people for their own faith was an uplifting experience. We grew up knowing every faith in the world teaches the same basic concept – respect your fellow humans, love your family, don’t hurt, don’t cheat, don’t lie, be humble…..
I guess we grew up with respect and appreciations for other faiths. I don’t think I can say the same for my little kids. Not only they are being raised in a land that is a world apart from their tradition and heritage, now their faith is something that is being scrutinized (rather wrongfully) every single day in the media. I know as for now my kids are not being affected directly – the friends and neighbors we associate with are very civil and open minded. Her friends and teachers don’t pose any awkward questions when she passes over pepperoni pizza for fish sticks in the school cafeteria. But I wonder how long is it till the media loses its last shred of compassion for a certain faith that they quite easily have began associating with terrorism? How long do we have to reverse this course so that the little ones can grow up in world that’s devoid of ethnic tensions? What can we do to secure that for them?
Any ideas?
September 24th, 2006 at 1:33 am
Zafa
Thanks for the excellent posting. Happy Ramadan to everyone.To me my answer to your question would be we should be a good human being first and than be religious about our own religion.
I am a Muslim be default or by born given chance to pick my religion again would I pick Islam for my religion the answer is yes.Because I studied Islam and I have researched Islam. I have followed Islam and have seen the teachings of it.
If I were borned in a Christian house I would be a Christian. My name would have been David or John. So the moral of the story is you learn and reasearch your religion and find out do you believe in it or not. I am fortunate I would say that the religion of Islam that I follow I believe in its teachings and its pillar and strong sediments.
Be a better human being before being a good muslim or christian or hindu or any other religion.
Religion is a poison in the blood you have to control it to a level where it should be a good blood in your body and the platelets it produce from this should be peach,tolerence and acceptence and harmony.
Thanks
Kawser Jamal
The above comment is solely from Kawser Jamal as a liberal,secular muslim but a firmed hard core Muslim with its beliefs and practices. I am proud to be a muslim and a follower of most hatred religion in the west Islam which is wrongly implemented in the west by the media.My religion is peaceful.
September 24th, 2006 at 6:23 pm
Its interesting how you bring up this issue about how our children are raised into their religion and how it is perceived by the communities we live in, because its something that comes up every year within my community around Ramadan time.
Although the media certainly misrepresents Islam, I think the Muslim communities in general are also responsible to a large extent in that they often do not engage the greater society. It is a fact that we are a minority, and that people who claim to be our coreligionists are at war with the West. As such it is our prerogative to educate the rest of society about Islam, and how not all Muslims are packing AK-47s in their trunks.
However, (generalizing based on anecdotal evidence), many North American Muslim communities, especially the ones with large expat populations, are very insular and will not make an effort to reach out to the non-Muslims, even when the latter extends the olive branch.
Personal experience: I was recently the only Muslim to attend an interfaith peace rally organized by a Catholic group. The group had repeatedly tried to get the local Muslim group involved, but they just got shut out. And it was embarassing to a degree, because everyone there (Jews, Catholics, et al) were so nice and wishing me well for Ramadan, and I was the only Muslim - and I’m not even that religious!
September 24th, 2006 at 8:47 pm
I’m with Amer - but before I go on, I should state that I consider myself a cultural muslim, not a religious one.
It never fails to amaze me how insular and narrow minded we can be about our religion. On the first Eid following 9/11, I raised my hand before the Eid prayers and suggested that we acknowledge the 3,000 innocent lives that were lost, note that such acts are against our beliefs and say a short prayer for all those who died. Surprise! I was rudely shut down - and this was at the largest mosque in Cincinnati, considered to be a forward, progressive mosque! The excuse given was that “we have already said all of that and more to the papers and the media”!
To me, it was a form of hypocrisy - but worse than that, it was the ultimate in smug, superior, intolerance. The learned Pakistani doctor who, as a mosque elder, shut me down, had indeed spent much time in front of church groups and the mainstream Cincinnati media saying all these things. He was the paragon of scholarly tolerance and comity in front of TV cameras. But I find that the true colors show when you are, in a manner of speaking, just in front of your own self.
Of course we tell all westerners that Islam is a religion that abhors acts such as the attack on WTC, etc. that killed thousands of innocent civilians. But I think the real test is what do we tell ourselves when the cameras are not watching. It is telling that on that day of EID, faced with the largest gathering of muslims since the previous Eid, the Cincinnati mosque refused to say a single thing about 9/11 - much less condemn it in a clear and unified voice.
Notwithstanding the fact that sunni muslim faith does not allow or require an intermediary between you and God, the Islamic theocracy has successfully pre-empted the democratization of Islam. All around us are individuals, smug in their piety - go see all the hadjis in Bangladesh and see what most of them do to earn their livings - who have wrestled control of religion and like the fundamentalist television preachers, use it for their own purposes.
I want none of it!
Muhit
September 24th, 2006 at 9:31 pm
Amer and Muhit bhai, I know exactly how you feel. You are absolutely right about some Muslims being extremely insular even though they are making a living in a country where majority population does not practice Islam. It’s true the people here didn’t know a lot about this faith even few years ago – and when they finally came to know something it’s all blurred with negativity.
I hold Muslims in general responsible for not being able to portray the positive side of the faith.
The smaller group in my BD community who don’t agree with the prejudiced views but keep their opinions to themselves. Because these people don’t speak up — the biased opinions prevail.
September 25th, 2006 at 11:39 am
No offence to those who have faith in religion, I personally believe, religion has created more divisions among people than unity. It has created more problems in the world. I, therefore, long for that day when “dhormo bolte maanush bujhbe maanush shudhu.”(Suman Chatterjee)
- sohini
September 25th, 2006 at 11:46 am
Very good point Sohini. Chandi Das made a similar quote eons ago “Shobar uporey manush shotto, tahar uporey nai”.
September 29th, 2006 at 6:58 pm
Happy ramadan apu. Is it st. scholastica / st. placeed you’re talking about?
September 29th, 2006 at 8:14 pm
Yes Shafi. I went to St. Scholastica while my brother went to St. Placid.
What’s your story?
September 30th, 2006 at 10:21 am
No I’m not from Chittagong but I loved the city. It’s sooooooo beautiful. Last time when I visited, I asked my chachi to find me a ‘bou’ from there.. hihihi
While the developers are trying their best to destroy the hills, I don’t know how long it’ll stay like this.