by Phahin Alam & Morsed Alam published at 11:25 AM on 19 October 2024
We write this with some trepidation. See, we hail from a very conservative Muslim family in Chittagong/Chattogram, Bangaldesh. We spent a considerable time in the UAE as well. One thing we found commin in Bangladesh and the UAE was quite striking. This was the unquestioning allegiance to all religious dogmas and practices and the gradual and careful nuruting of prejudices and hate against the “others”. “Others” here encompass homosexuals, transexuals, bisexuals, atheists, Hindus, Buddhists and others. There is this attitude that Muslims are better than all others and that is the end of it.
It is difficult to see, in the context of the freedoms afforded in the West, how deluded Bangladeshi and Middle Eastern societies are and the Muslims are in general. Their hatred and prejudice towards the aforementioned classes are so ingrained that people take these attitudes to their grave. Since 05 August 2024, the extremism Bangaldesh has witnessed is on par with the extremism one witnesses in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. All societies share the same trait – you cannot speak out against anything Islam-related however rational and reasonable you may be.
We have seen this in our own family. We hope a better Bangladesh, a better Middle East will emerge free from the prejudices of Islamic extremism.