To have faith in a religion and tb be religious one has to live a life according to the dictates of that religion. The social aspects of such a pious living are basically similar in all the religions. Peace and piety, love and affection, sharing of joys and sorrows by fellow human beings are the common values taught by all the religions of the world. The rites and rituals of any religion may be totally different from those of others, like the mosques, temples, churches and cine-gogs are different In their practices. But to turn away from the troubles, tragedies and miseries of a fellow human being, because he belongs to another religion, is against the norms of all the religions. And this compassion In a man for another is most essential to live a peaceful and harmonious social life in a country where people of different religions and convictions live together;

This has been allegorically stated in the Holy Quran In the following words, "I (Allah the Ajmighty) do not accept the prayer of a man who refuses an orphan." When the Quran ■ gives such a humane proclamation. and direct* us towards compassion, which we have practically tost. It Is then the primary duty not only of the Muslims but of all the citizens of a mult I religious nation like ours, to be compassionate towards others,

(t Is puzzling why we. after emerging as an Independent nation, failed to develop a commendable national charac ter. Why we could not pay due respect to the liberty of all lh*t was achieved al the cost of innumerable Ilves? Nobody has given any explanation or a bold, correct analysis

We must know l he answer to a very simple question. It is true that the freedom fighters, Irrespeeiive of their religious

Khan Aiaur Rampton

faiths and socio-economic classes, fought the liberation war shoulder to shoulder and liberated the nation and brought to existence a sovereign country called Bangladesh. The fighters in the war were, one people. The blood that was emergently transfused to the body of the severely wounded freedom fighters had the medical' groupings like O*. B-, A+ and such others: there wk* no grouping called Hindu blood or Muslim blood or Christian blood. Did the war during which, the blood of the warriors got mingled, failed to convince the liberated people that they were one nation? Is this why today there are demands. regardless of the national interest, for allowing re-liglous secterianlsm to dominate the political character of the country?

In my humble consideration. this unrest among our people, the rift between the fundamentalist and the progressive factions of the society Is in fact an engineered attempt by unknown evil forces to destabilise the integrity of our country. Or are they known? That Is a question to the activists who are creating a turmoil almost of a communal nature throughout the length and breadth of Bangladesh.

Some of us are championing a movement demanding the lifestyle and the Constitution of our country to be strictly based on Islamic values and principles and the dictates of Shariat Are we Justified in do Ing so? Likewise is it right to tread upon the revered reli-glou* feelings of the eighty per cent people of this country and seek corrections and changes In the Holy Quran the proclamation ol the Infallible Alteh?

When religion was kept in

abeyance during the war of liberation and when l*l*n> the religion of the overwhelming majority of our people is firmly secure in our peoples' minds, why such * hue and cry for saving Islam? It is equally unfortunate that some pseudo intellectuals are eager to earn bheap popularity by defaming centuries old reflgtou* notion* and values through thetr writings. The other trend is that certain scholars think tt to be a contemporary fashion to contend that religion 1* a back dated concept and to talk about it Is unsophisticated.

In this context it will be relevant to quote a paragraph from Kazi Nazrul Islam’s novel Kuhellka. He wrote that religion I* indeed the greatest consolation for the peace-loving people; but • revolution the basis of which is religion can never succeed. The anger that was fanned among both the Muslim and Hindu sepoy* of the British administration by the plea of cow and pig lard tn the ammunition could not be sustained, and as a result the great Sepoy Mutiny failed tragically. The French Revolution became a succea* because it had no religious blaa. If the ot^ect of revolution is not the welfare of the people and the atate but the creation of a few more thousand* of mosque* or temple*, it will never *ucceed and even if It does, it is transitory Wh*i a prophetic statement made by our national poet nearly seventy years *gol

The alarming thing I* that the present controversy and the resulting hostility between the opposing force* are gain Ing cyclonic momentum and ia spreading among the people like and epidemic. The sensible citizen* of the country muat at once do everything within their mean* to atop thi* Suicidal frenzy