US sees attacks on minorities in Bangladesh as a problem
Sunday, 16 September 2007
The United States (US) has said while the Bangladesh government publicly supported freedom of religion and there was traditional inter-community amity, 'attacks' on religious and ethnic minorities continued to be a problem, reports UNB.
"Religion exerted a significant influence on politics, and the government was sensitive to the Islamic consciousness of its political allies and the majority of its citizens," said the International Religious Freedom Report 2007 in its Bangladesh chapter.
The report, released by the US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour on September 14 said protests demanding that Ahmadias be declared non-Muslim and instances of harassment continued sporadically, but the government generally acted in an effective manner to protect the Ahmadias and their property.
It said citizens were generally free to practice the religion of their choice; "however, government officials, including the police, were often ineffective in upholding law and order and were sometimes slow to assist religious minority victims of harassment and violence."
The report noted that "the government and many civil-society leaders stated that violence against religious minorities normally had political or economic motivations and could not be attributed only to religion".
It cited reports of what is dubbed as societal abuses and discrimination based on religious belief or practice during the period covered by this report.
"Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist minorities experienced discrimination and sometimes violence… Harassment of Ahmadias continued along with protests demanding that Ahmadias be declared non-Muslims," the report said.
It said the US government discusses religious freedom issues with the Bangladesh government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.
In meetings with officials and in public statements, officers at the US embassy encouraged the government to protect the rights of minorities.
"Publicly and privately, the embassy denounced acts of religious intolerance and called on the government to ensure due process for all citizens," the report said.
It said the US ambassador made several visits to minority religious communities around the country. In April 2007, she visited the Roman Catholic mission in Madhupur to meet the Garo community after the death of one of their leaders at the hands of the military.
For the second year in a row, the US Government sponsored the successful visit of a prominent US Muslim cleric who spoke to audiences about Qur'anic interpretations that support tolerance and gender equity.
Religion exerted a powerful influence on politics, and the government was sensitive to the Muslim consciousness of its political allies, the Jamaat Islami and the Islami Oikya Jote, as well as the majority of its citizens, the report said about the past scenario.
In December 2006, the report said, the Awami League (AL) upset many of its minority and liberal supporters when it signed an electoral pact with the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, a splinter Islamist group tied to violent Islamist militants.
"The agreement committed a future AL-led government to recognising some fatwas and an official declaration that the Prophet Mohammad is the last prophet, a direct challenge to the Ahmadiyya community," it observed.
Ahmadias and liberal Bangladeshis criticised the agreement as politically expedient and inconsistent with core party principles.
It said following this criticism and open rebellion among senior party leaders, the AL quietly allowed the agreement to lapse after imposition of the state of emergency.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs administered three funds for religious and cultural activities: the Islamic Foundation, the Hindu Welfare Trust, and the Buddhist Welfare Trust.
According to the government, the report said, the Christian community did not want government involvement in its religious affairs and requested that there not be any similar organisation for their community. However, the government told Christian leaders it would soon establish a welfare trust for the Christians.
The report said major religious festivals and holy days of the Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian religious groups were celebrated as national holidays. The Bangladesh Christian Association lobbied unsuccessfully for the inclusion of Easter as a national holiday.
It appreciated that the government took steps to promote interfaith understanding. For example, government leaders issued statements on the eve of religious holidays calling for peace and warned that action would be taken against those attempting to disrupt the celebrations.
"Religion exerted a significant influence on politics, and the government was sensitive to the Islamic consciousness of its political allies and the majority of its citizens," said the International Religious Freedom Report 2007 in its Bangladesh chapter.
The report, released by the US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour on September 14 said protests demanding that Ahmadias be declared non-Muslim and instances of harassment continued sporadically, but the government generally acted in an effective manner to protect the Ahmadias and their property.
It said citizens were generally free to practice the religion of their choice; "however, government officials, including the police, were often ineffective in upholding law and order and were sometimes slow to assist religious minority victims of harassment and violence."
The report noted that "the government and many civil-society leaders stated that violence against religious minorities normally had political or economic motivations and could not be attributed only to religion".
It cited reports of what is dubbed as societal abuses and discrimination based on religious belief or practice during the period covered by this report.
"Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist minorities experienced discrimination and sometimes violence… Harassment of Ahmadias continued along with protests demanding that Ahmadias be declared non-Muslims," the report said.
It said the US government discusses religious freedom issues with the Bangladesh government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.
In meetings with officials and in public statements, officers at the US embassy encouraged the government to protect the rights of minorities.
"Publicly and privately, the embassy denounced acts of religious intolerance and called on the government to ensure due process for all citizens," the report said.
It said the US ambassador made several visits to minority religious communities around the country. In April 2007, she visited the Roman Catholic mission in Madhupur to meet the Garo community after the death of one of their leaders at the hands of the military.
For the second year in a row, the US Government sponsored the successful visit of a prominent US Muslim cleric who spoke to audiences about Qur'anic interpretations that support tolerance and gender equity.
Religion exerted a powerful influence on politics, and the government was sensitive to the Muslim consciousness of its political allies, the Jamaat Islami and the Islami Oikya Jote, as well as the majority of its citizens, the report said about the past scenario.
In December 2006, the report said, the Awami League (AL) upset many of its minority and liberal supporters when it signed an electoral pact with the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, a splinter Islamist group tied to violent Islamist militants.
"The agreement committed a future AL-led government to recognising some fatwas and an official declaration that the Prophet Mohammad is the last prophet, a direct challenge to the Ahmadiyya community," it observed.
Ahmadias and liberal Bangladeshis criticised the agreement as politically expedient and inconsistent with core party principles.
It said following this criticism and open rebellion among senior party leaders, the AL quietly allowed the agreement to lapse after imposition of the state of emergency.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs administered three funds for religious and cultural activities: the Islamic Foundation, the Hindu Welfare Trust, and the Buddhist Welfare Trust.
According to the government, the report said, the Christian community did not want government involvement in its religious affairs and requested that there not be any similar organisation for their community. However, the government told Christian leaders it would soon establish a welfare trust for the Christians.
The report said major religious festivals and holy days of the Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian religious groups were celebrated as national holidays. The Bangladesh Christian Association lobbied unsuccessfully for the inclusion of Easter as a national holiday.
It appreciated that the government took steps to promote interfaith understanding. For example, government leaders issued statements on the eve of religious holidays calling for peace and warned that action would be taken against those attempting to disrupt the celebrations.