Nationalism, Islam and Bangladesh

[moybulali]

I know many Bangladeshis happen to hold onto their linguistic and cultural roots and at the same time refering to themselves as Muslims. I have heard from some say people that bengali culture and religion go hand in hand.

I started this tread to gain some facts and opinions about Bangladeshi nationalism being mixed up with Islam.

a) Islam is not a religion (a system of worship/beliefs), it is a way of life (ideology) - due to the socioeconomic, politcal, legal (sharia) as well as spiritual aspects.

b) There are some aspects of bengali culture that completely contradict the Islamic culture (taqafa) e.g touching feet of elders. Copying other cultures was prohibited by the Prophet Muhammad(SAW), he advised Muslims to do the opposite of what the non-Muslims did.

c) Under Islamic Law (sharia), nationalism is prohibited. This is due the Prophet(SAW) saying " Whoever calls for asabiyya, fights for asabiyya, and dies for asabiyya is not the one who is amongst us" and he(SAW) also stated "The one who calls for asabiyya, it is like one who has bitten the genitals of his own father."

Asabiyya is regared as the following - racism, facism, patirotism and nationalism.

Many Bangladeshis are unaware that nationalism is against the laws of Islam because the principles of nationalism are against the principles of brotherhood which Islam calls for.

What your thoughts about this topic?

[coolthinking1]

Dear bro,

salam, I have left this forum long ago. Returned now and then to see what if any broadminded thinking and tolarent views have emarged. Then your hadith about asabiyya caught my eye. Would you kindly give reference point to this hadith. Would appreciate very much if you could do so. I would llike to use it for an upcoming event. Please hurry.

wassalam,

[Spinoza]

Nationalism may have different ideological structures.

From the point of its essence as it developed in the west, it seems to be a social scale religion where it has its deity, priests, modes of worship and principles for law-derivation. To be honest, here the Nation is put to a status of god, citizens are considered to be subjects of this god, citizens are taught from their childhood that they should be proud of and content with this god, citizens are expected to serve and sacrifice for this god, citizens are expected to adore and glorify this god and express their such devotion on occasions generally programmed on yearly basis such as National Day, State Day etc. It is secular nationalism and national interest is the supreme principle regarding dealings of one nation with other nations – there is no ethics that can bar a nation from doing anything sacrificing its own interest.

This nationalism is totally contradictory to the basic principles laid down by God of Koran. According to God of Koran, as He spoke through the Koran, all human beings - black or white, poor or rich, saint or criminal, faithful to God or unfaithful to Him - on the earth constitute a single entity, where no individuals and no groups has any right to feel superior to others, or do harm to other, or deal with others in any fashion which they do not want to be dealt with by the others.

But Nation-based states are a reality now. Muslims at this stage of evolution of human civilization can do nothing against such political reality. What the Muslims can do is to adopt a kind of nationalism where a nation shall be considered like an individual in the international scale and follow exactly the same principles laid down by God for individuals when dealing with other nations.

There is no scope for a Muslim to be proud of his individuality, or of his family, or of his nationality, or even of his being a Muslim. A Muslim can not harm others in pursuance of his interest, and likewise a Muslim nation-state must not harm other nations in pursuance of her interest. Muslims can not sing they are the best nation, or best ummah. They can not build Symbols of Nation-State and bow down in front of such Symbols with subjugated and adoring heart.

Nationalism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Nationalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia