From: khaleq@brahms.udel.edu (Mohame Khalequzzaman)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.bangladesh
Subject: Re: Jamati strikes on Victo ....
Date: 20 Dec 92 22:15:33 GMT
Organization: University of Delaware

In article <1992Dec19.232629.20260@news.clarkson.edu> haque@sunray.ece.clarkson.edu writes:
>In article 92Dec19155142@occs.cs.oberlin.edu, naeem@occs.cs.oberlin.edu (Naeem Mohaiemen) writes:
>> In article <1992Dec17.222215.13889@cs.wayne.edu> seeta@eng.wayne.edu (Seetamraju UdayaBhaskar Sarma) writes:
>
>>  >  Then wherefrom do they derive their power ?  Politicians ?
>> ----
>> Certainly for their initial post 71 rehabilitation. But their support 
>> extends to deep grass root levels.
>Sources of power for Jamaat is a compicated topic. To understand it, we have to consider the following points.
>1) The style of Jamaat's politics is very different from that of other parties 
>in the country. When they recruit someone, they don't use their political agenda.
>Instead they exploit the Islamic sentiment of the people and pose it in such a 
>way that Jamaat and Islam appear to be synonymous. In the absence of other strong 
>Islamic political parties, it's very easy for them to push this point. They also 
>recruit their members from high school level (people at that stage are quite 
>gullible) who are eventually converted into hard core Jamaatis. It requires a lot 
>of money to pursue such programs and Jamaat is never short on their funds.
>2) During the first five years of our independence, Bangladesh observed a failure 
>of the secular left oriented system. Many people blame the system instead of the players for the failure and they seek for alternate solutions. Jamaat's politics 
>is one of the most convincing alternates since many believe that AL and BNP are 
>just the two sides of the same coin. Most of the supporters of Jamaat from the 
>educated middle class fall into this category.
>
>3) Many educated muslims believe that an Islamic society is a must for a country 
>with population who are predominantly muslim. Since no other poltical parties 
>demand an Islamic society, Jamaat is their only choice.
>
>I think these factors overshadow Jamaat's crimes during '71 which is the reason 
>for their growth. It's also more alarming that their growth rate is faster among 
>the educated. I doubt if Jamaat has much support among the illiterate common 
>masses.
>
>Regards,
>
>Anisul Haque
>Clarkson University

 I posted a separte article on this issue a few days ago.  I just want to add
couple more points to Mr. Anisul Haque's above posting:

4). The major parties in Bangladesh such as BNP (ruling party), Awami League
(first party in power in Bangladesh), Jatiyo Party (ousted  president Ershad's
party) are all tested to be the two sides of the same coin.  They are not capable of changing the economic situation in Bangladesh.  They don't have any worked
out economic plans.  It's amazing how these parties get votes without addressing
economic issues.  People are desparate and look for alternative.  Socialist
and Communists could be an alternative, since most of them a some sort of
economic plan (socialist model) and their plans generally favor economic 
development for poor (Bangladesh being on of the poorest countries needs
a plan which is capable of changing the fate of its poor people).  The problem
with socialist alternative in Bangladesh is multiple (which can be discussed
in a separate article(s), if we think something we should do):
a) Failure of socialist model in East Europe,
b). Socialists are the most fragmented with same ideology.  Until 1987, there
were a total of about 40 groups and subgroups in Bangladesh that claimed to
preach socialism.  They are not a unified work force.  Often they fight against
each other.  Therefore, they could never win public support,
c). Most of the people in Bangladesh are pious, not fundamentalists. They are
told by Fundamentalists like Jamaat that all Communists/Socialists are  atheists and don't believe in God.  People distance immediately from "infedals".

5). The fundamentalism is in rise everywhere: in Iran, Pakistan, India; so
why not in Bangladesh?  The fundamentalists in Bangladesh always point their
finger at Hindu fundamentalists and say to the predominantly muslim population
in Bangladesh that they are capable of counter hindufundamentalism, so their
support rises, especially following any fundamental act in the region.  The
fundamentalism, both hindu and muslim, thrive by pointing finger at each 
other, even though in reality both of these fundamentalisms have the same
root and intension.

Can we counter them?  Should we?  What the progressive force can or should
do?  These are different topics for the future.  I personally think (no one has
to agree with me if you don't) that we netter can educate on these important
issuses facing our nations by carrying out a healty, tolerant, respectful, and
open debate on SCB.

Khaleq
Xref: sparky soc.culture.bangladesh:6800 soc.culture.indian:41124 soc.culture.pakistan:18317