What do Bangladeshi Muslims think about Bangladeshi Hindus?
I am a Bangladeshi Muslim (some may even think I am little bit extreme) and I admit I don't hate anyone based on their religion but based on their thoughts. But most BD people do the opposite. And sad but true most rural Muslims hate Hindus and think them as spy of India.Jamaat i Islam, a political party who opposed the liberation of BD are popular in rural area. This isn't because of Islam, because they help them. You know Pablo Escobar was praised as God in his area, same thing happens here. And this party makes fool of the simple people of rural area saying against Hindus.Another reason is India's oppression to Muslims. When Muslims here see the strugle of people of Kashmeer or other areas they make general blame on Hindus as they think only Hindus are responsible. This is also result of illiterate people everywhere.And about calling “Malawon”, this type of things are strictly forbidden in Islam. You know what, in Islam if anyone doesn't pray for 5 times is not a proper Muslim and I guess not more than 1% Muslims do this in this country where nearly 80% are so called Muslims. How you expect from them something good from them? Just don't consider them as Muslims as Islam stricty says the only difference between Muslim and Kafeer(disbeliever in Allah) is praying 5 times everyday. And the word Kafeer or Mushriq are not bad. They mean disbeliever and polytheists respectively and those so called Muslims use these simple words as calling names.And you know what, true Muslims are also a minortiy in this country just like you. They call us rajakar just because of having beard! They think us terrorist because we pray 5 times and go to Mosque! We are in the same boat brother, we are both minorities. Those people are not Muslims, they are Muslims just by name. Muslim is an identify which is to be earned and they failed.
How religious are Bangladeshi Muslims?
Bangladeshis are very mixed type of people. Elders are extremely religious. Younger people are less religious. Most Bangladeshis are cultural Muslims. Islam came from Middle East and Central Asia to Bangladesh but there is a huge barrier India between Middle East and Bangladesh. India being Hindu majority country makes Bangladeshis culturally a very mixed type of Muslims. We are Muslims but not like Muslims of Middle East. We are culturally Hindu+ Muslim. We, common Bangladeshis can't get single verse in Arabic to save our life because of language problem. Since Bangladeshis were converted Muslims from Hinduism and Buddhism we follow Islam in our own way. There are some extremist Bangladeshi Muslims who try to impose Salafi / Wahhabi style of Islam but they are very small fraction of the society..
Muslims What do you think of Bangladesh?
Bhaiya, even though you are of many different ethnicities (lucky you), I still consider you a fobby! And you speak Bangla very well...it's just the English letters on the keyboard that keep us from not showing that ;-). I love Bangladesh, since my beloved Nani lives there with my numerous cousins. Sadly, I see some Bengalis here in USA too "modernized" and leave our culture =(. Sometimes, when we have these gatherings of Bengalis, most of the girls wear tight clothing instead of a salwar kamiz and do all these weird things. That's why my Ammu makes my sister and me study Bangla, tell us all these stories, etc. As for the food....I like a simple Eelish (national fish--I don't know what's it called in English) fish and rice, but Jelabis are my favorite sweets. And yes, the number of poor people are growing all the time...you see so many of them at the airports and in the streets. InshAllah I will do something about this when I finish high school. I don't like it either that the government barely does anything about it...it should be a matter of time that they realize that the people matter, not the money.
Ramadan: Why did Pakistan kill Muslims civilians in Bangladesh in 1971?
Funny isn't it. You have India prospering while both Pakistan and Bangladesh are still in the dark ages or something. It was a military dictatorship at the time. I guess the Bhutto family just didn't want Sheik Mujib (a Bengali) to be in power even though he technically won the elections. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was also good friends with President Nixon. It was partly his mishandling that lead to the Bangladesh Liberation War which only proved to be a disaster in the long term for both sides. Ironically, the Pakis used American weapons in their genocide. And apparently, nothing done to bring war criminals in international court. The only advantage for Bangladesh now is that they don't have to face the threat of vile militants such as those in Pakistan. Pakistan had the opportunity for full Democracy when it held those elections (for the first time in its history). But no, their corrupt and twisted leaders just threw it away in the sea as if it was nothing. That is what partly made Pakistan to get to its current position. I won't be surprised if the Western World decide to stop supporting that country. That Yahya Khan was a horrible man. He died from heavy drinking.
Ramadan-Why did Pakistan invade Bangladesh?
I guess they just wanted to take over and to be one large country I don't know how though I mean Pakistan is in one side and Bangladesh is in another side.... It's like how Israel is trying to take over Palestine
Why do many Indians think that being Bangladeshi is very separate from being Bengali?
In my experience, this is either South Indians or the super ultra BBK Hindus (most BBK Hindus aren’t like this)BBKs, are Brahmin, Baidya, Kshatriyas. Most of the people of this group I have met are nice, I am only talking about the ultra posh ones. You’ll only find them in Kolkata, or as they fondly recall, Calcutta.It’s from ignorance, as south India did not experience partition so knowledge will naturally be less over there,And ultra BBKs are just what they are, the ironic thing is, they always wear suits and ties and speak in English, very unbengali to me.They are just disgruntled at anyone calling them out for voting communist, even though they themselves regret it.They might have been favoured by the British in the past, they might have had lands in east bengal (which were illegitimate most likely)This adds to it.Back in the 1800s they added a whole bunch of Sanskritic words to Bengali to make it “theirs”, purging it of the tadbhava words, a similar effort was made in Hindi, though, not as drastically. It’s actually ironic considering Bengali doesn’t originate from Sanskrit,I’ve actually met a BBK who was surprised at how I was speaking shuddho bangla better than him. It was normal at first, then I told him my name and he got quiet.
Do Pakistanis consider themselves 'Pakistani' or 'Muslim' at the first place?
Muslim first for sure. Islam demands that. You can have a billion affiliations and religion won’t care as long as nothing comes before Allah.I love Pakistan with all my heart, and the main reason for that is Islam, we got this country as a Muslim country, a safe-haven for Muslims. The struggle for independance had a sloagan and that was “Pakistan ka matlab kiya, la-ilaha-ill-Allah”. Which basically means Pakistan means Islam for us. Its name is Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Its founder called it a fort of Islam. Millions that struggled for it, left everything for it, did it for Islam (my own family included).Though its my everything after Allah, it still will always come after Allah. God forbid, of I ever have to choose between my Allah and my country, choice is always Allah. I wont be a Muslim if anything triumphs my love and loyalty to Islam.
Ramadan - Do you think apostates will ever return to Islam?
No, my faith in Islam has gone and it will never come back. I will live as a non Muslim until my last breath. You should just mind your own business and stop fuking worrying about other people's lives.