[Reader-list] Bangladesh: CONTRADICTION OVER SECULARISM

[Naeem Mohaiemen]

DITHERING AND CONTRADICTION OVER SECULARISM
Editorial, New Age, 6 January 2009

LAW minister Shafique Ahmed, it seems, wants it both ways – to have the cake
of secularism and to eat it as well. If inconsistency and contradiction are
misleading for the people, they are more so when they come from the
ministerial level. The minister did not use the term secularism but he said
religion-based political parties should cease to exist if the 5th amendment
to the constitution were finally invalidated by the Supreme Court. He also
said Islam would remain the state religion and Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
would be on top of the constitution’s preamble. He said this at a media
briefing as reported in New Age on Tuesday. The minister, or any individual,
may say anything but to make sense of contradictory statements is another
matter, and here the minister is outlining state policy.

  If Islam is retained as state religion then religion-based politics will
be automatic, as well as rightful. There is no dearth of people in this
country who will argue that since Islam is the state religion no other party
except Islam-based party shall have any place in the country’s politics.
This they will affirm even if secularism returns; they may even say with
that singular mastery of disputation and prevarication witnessed before,
that secularism may be alright but as far as politics is concerned it has to
be religion-based. If the 5th amendment is invalidated and the 1972
constitution is revived then the four state principles will be consecrated
again. The four state principles include secularism and socialism. Observing
the politics of the last two decades it is difficult to believe the ruling
Awami League is still firmly wedded to socialism. The party has discarded
the socialist ideology long ago and has wittingly or unwittingly come under
the umbrella of big money and the donor agencies.

  The contradictory policy statement set us wondering as to which direction
the ruling party is taking. If the ruling party is serious about restoring
secularism and socialism then it should not gamble on court verdict for it,
instead it should strengthen the party on an ideological basis.
Establishment of secularism and socialism are a matter of arduous political
struggle; no court will offer these on a platter. Its present absolute
majority presents an opportunity for Awami League. It can initiate the
political and legislative steps to democratise our system and restore the
principles and values of the liberation war.