Your Right To Know
Sunday, March 3, 2013
As I am leaving Bangladesh in May, I am going through hundreds of articles from The Daily Star that I have carefully cut out and filed over the last 12 years or so in which I have been reading it.
I must congratulate you, especially, on the sheer quality of what you have been publishing on the religious life of this dear country - as well as everything else. You have encouraged me, as a Christian with degrees in History and Theology - to listen with much respect to the thinking of some fine minds and the feelings of some warm hearts as they share their devotion to, and thinking about the beliefs of Islam as well as the behaviour of Muslims… Incidentally, you have proved that intellectual debate and liberal thought is the very opposite of 'atheism'. I now read these articles with an increased interest, and find them still edifying. I have one before me of Ziauddin Choudury of April 24th 2008 concerning the 'disturbing happenings' in Baitul Mukarram Masjid Square. It could have been written yesterday - and urges prompt action lest things get worse. Nearly 5 years later, they have. Let me quote:
A law and order concern is addressed when the law-breakers are contained and order restored. But a potential threat by religious radicals cannot be stopped simply by police action. This needs, first, a full awareness of the potential threat, an acknowledgement by all that it exists, and engagement of all righteous sections of our society in opposing such ideas and ideology.
I think we have reached that point now, haven't we? I wonder how long it will be before the authorities agree - and take long overdue action?
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