“Fundamentalism Rising” – exploring threats in India and Bangladesh
"Many people will tell you that this is the fringe... But sometimes the fringe becomes the centre."
Humanists International and Conway Hall Ethical Society hosted an interactive panel discussion on “Fundamentalism Rising” last night (Wednesday 24 April), comparing the situations in both countries, looking especially at the threat from militant groups and political trends toward the Islamist agenda (in Bangladesh) and Hindutva ideology (in India).
Our event with @ConwayHall on #FundamentalismRising beginning now. President @AndrewCopson introducing Salil Tripathi with @pen_int Writers In Prison Committee and @BonyaAhmed. pic.twitter.com/N9CnzGAtOj
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Many humanists will argue that there has been a long-term global trend toward humanism, and progress in social norms, political discourse, science and medicine. However, it’s also very possible that countries, and entire regions, can witness reversing trends in one or more of these areas. Various parts of the world have seen alarming rises in recent years in new religious fundamentalist groups, demagogic leaders, white nationalism, and so on.
From different social, religious and political starting points, India and Bangladesh have both seen a backlash of violence against the rationalist and atheist community. These are two countries each with their own long-term secularist and rationalist trends, as well as their own long religious traditions. Both have seen secular political parties or constitutional secularism, making regressions toward religious partisanship and radicalization even more alarming and of global significance.
Since 2014, humanist and secularist activists have been threatened, attacked or murdered by extremist religious groups in both countries. Radicals or nationalists and the state itself have tried to silence humanist voices, with some forced to live in hiding or to flee the country.
Salil discusses attacks on rationalists in India (more on that here:https://t.co/ELKqfJa53Y) He notes that we don’t know who committed these crimes, but we can look at who celebrates these attacks, and the wider political support for the fundamentalism that underlies them.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
We invited two panelists to join our president, Andrew Copson, on stage to discuss the trends and the challenges, as well as causes for hope.
Salil Tripathi, was born in Bombay, India. A contributing editor at Mint and at Caravan in India, he is currently Chair of PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee, and author of books like “Offence: the Hindu case” and “The Colonel Who Would Not Repent”.
Bonya Ahmed, Bangladeshi-American author, is a humanist activist and blogger who in 2015 survived a machete-wielding attack by Islamic extremists. Her husband, Avijit Roy, was killed in the attack. Currently she is visiting fellow at LSE Human Rights Centre in the UK.
Live-tweets from the event follow below.
Salil explains how under PM Modi, anti-science, pseduo-historical sentiments linked to Hindu nationalism have flourished, including fake medicine.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
“Many people will tell you that this is the fringe of Indian politics,” concludes Salil. “But sometimes the fringe becomes the centre.”
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
.@BonyaAhmed explains how she and her late husband were attacked and he was killed, over writings on science and homosexuality. (More on that attack: https://t.co/ektmAoaEkf) pic.twitter.com/DH1FVOhUlZ
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
We must look at the wider context for religious fundamentalism, says Bonya. A fundamentalism of white nationalism is also on the rise globally. In Bangladesh the rise of Islamism has been a long-term political project.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
The supposedly secular government is openly in bed with fundamentalists, says Bonya, receiving colossal foreign funding to build new mosques. The prime minister has found that fundamentalism is a political tool.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Bonya outlines how demands of fundamentalists have crept in, including poets and writers deemed contrary to religion in some way being removed from school text books, and recent changes to the Child Marriage Act which effectively removed age limits.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Meanwhile the campaign against atheists was unfolding, with extremists claiming they would kill an atheist blogger per month. Several writers, activists and publishers were murdered, and government often just victim-blames the writers for ‘hurting religious sentiments’.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
The new digital security act is even more problematic than the previous law under which atheist blogger were arrested. So religious fundamentalism is a problem; so is the politics and social norms which interact with and enable it.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Andrew asks how the 2 countires compare, noting people often describe Awami as “sliding into” fundamentalism while BJP is characterized as “already” that way. Salil agrees the clichés are there but dig deeper and e.g. there have long been alliances with the radical groups.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Bonya thinks the histories are importantly different. Religion in Bangladesh was there, but was syncretic, not a direct import from Middle East. That’s why she describes the trend now as a political project: we face active attempts to transmit Saudi-style Salafism to Bangladesh.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Salil adds that there has been a similar drive in India that’s been described as a push to Abrahamicize Hinduism: one big, one main book, etc. It’s led to a kind of “competitive intolerance”: if Muslims get angry about X then we should get angry about Y!
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Bonya: “We need to talk, as Humanists, about the fascism and how they’re using religious fundamentalism in Bangladesh.”
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Salil explains how there can be a corrosive impact from fundamentalism even when it’s seen by the majority as wrong and fringe. But there’s some hope in focusing on that opposition.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Bonya says she is less hopeful, in India can at least still speak of elections, in Bangladesh democracy is now a sham, the elections widely reported as rigged, opposition suppressed.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Questions from the floor now. Salil rejects the idea that “Hinduism can’t be fundamentalist”, notes caste discrimination and social control and culture of offence and direct attacks on those who oppose it.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
From the floor @GogineniBabu also rejects any idea that Hinduism or India is immune to fundamentalism, explains how he faced blasphemy charges recently (more: https://t.co/IJsOyllvOR)
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Another question focuses on Modi’s prior complicity in violence against the Muslim minority. Andrew also refers the room to the Humanists International Freedom of Thought Report: https://t.co/Op8KbtFGVP.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Another speaker from the floor relays his concern at how little criticism there was of the recent Brunei penal code in Bangladeshi media.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Asked about Pakistan, Bonya rejects the kind of “hatred” that can exist after war, but also notes than many Bangladeshis drawn to conservative religion may see Pakistan as a model.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Salil notes that Modi’s project can be described as a way of turning India into a kind of mirror image of Pakistan.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Another question, on the role of social media in spreading viral info e.g. false rumours of eating beef that lead to public lynching. Andrew says it’s a very interesting point, notes role of social media accounts sometimes outside of countries that drive outrage abroad.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Bonya discusses the shift in demographics in Bangladesh, much lower proportion of Hindus over time, and how yes there were past atrocities but the rise in extremists politics is very real.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Does Brunei’s new penal code make it harder for gay people across the region? Yes says Andrew, every piece of political theatre adds to a weight of norms. Salil notes supreme court decision in India as a reason for some optimism in that country.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Bonya notes that women standing up against oppression is another cause for hope.
— Humanists International (@HumanistsInt) April 24, 2019
Important takeaway from @BonyaAhmed @HumanistsInt event tonight: women in Bangladesh will play key role in any recovery from malign #saudi financed Wahhabi invasion of local secular/syncretic faith/culture.
— Jeremy Rodell (@jeremyr1) April 24, 2019
(Left to right:) Andrew Copson, Bonya Ahmed, Salil Tripathi, and Humanists International’s Giovanni Gaetani and Bob Churchill
Thanks to everyone who attended, and to Conway Hall for partnering with us to host this event.
All proceeds from the event go to Humanists International, supporting our work in defence of humanists at risk in India and Bangladesh.
