People are always finding reasons to stay segregated. If not for race or gender, religion and caste give people an excuse to antagonize each other to a point where human life ceases to matter. The phrase ‘our people’, ‘their morals’, ‘our god’, or ‘their kind’ are commonly used, to discredit the thought of human integration within different societies.
The societal divide in my home country I hail from Bangladesh, a nation in Southern Asia. The societal divide in my home country is based on religious and gender discrimination. The two issues trample over the freedom of speech, choice, association, and worship.
Religious Discrimination
I am Hindu, which is a minority, with the majority of the people being Muslim. The people of the latter affiliation dominate individuals from other religions and try to convert them without regard for their preferences or belief. Minorities are forced to dress and behave like Muslims and even name their property according to Islamic conventions. The segregation caused by creed in Bangladesh is similar to race in the United States. The severity of the religious divide is high to a point that one’s affiliation determines whether they can be admitted as a visitor of any kind in certain homes. This trend is common among the Hindu conservatives in the rural areas of Bangladesh.
Gender Discrimination
Gender is a significant factor with regards to the way of life in many Muslim-dominated communities. I grew up in a secular background. The principles and morals with which I was imparted made me view the society through a lens that was void of bias with regards to religion, gender, or race. However, I am among the few people with this privilege. The majority of the people judge others on the same criteria. Women from the minority communities are caught in the intersection in which they are denied the freedom of expression, choice, and worship. Some men make it a mission to dictate how the female members of the society should dress or interact with others. For instance, they are required to pay the dowry during marriage arrangements, and they require permission from their parents to have any form of relationship with men. They cannot get married out of their individual preferences or happiness. According to Islam, they should conceal their beauty, which means that it is mandatory for them to cover all parts of their bodies in hijab. This requirement is relatively new considering that women were allowed to wear Bengali dresses, as my grandparents told me. Dressing was a choice during those times, and Hijab was only permissible. However, today, it has become mandatory for people of the female gender. Women have no voice in the society. Ahmed Shafi is a 93-year old principal of a Madrassa in Chittagong. He is an influential figure in the country and he uses his stature to widen the gender divide further by recommending that “Sitting inside your husband's home you should take care of your husband's furniture and raise your children, your male kids” (Manik, 2013). Shafi questions the need for women to work or even go out of their homes for whatever reason. The statement quoted above is specific about mentioning male kids, meaning that young female children have no place or future in Bangladesh. The only position they should be prepared to fill is that of a loyal, obsequious wife who does not question men in her life.
Social justice is a right that I believe should be accorded to everyone regardless of their gender, race, or religious affiliation. One of the fundamental freedoms in any society is that of expression. People should be allowed to speak, dress, and associate freely without prejudice. My experiences having lived in two countries that are on the opposite ends of the rights and freedoms debate have created a sense of pity for the religious minorities and women in my home country. They are forced to behave and express themselves in a particular manner without consideration for their personal beliefs or liking. The rise in Islam domination caused the ejection of the rights and freedoms of speech. Several cases of murders committed by Muslim radicals targeting activists and writers have increased significantly over the past decade. Amnesty international, in a statement to condemn the attacks and killings, urged the Bangladeshi government to project the people on the supposed ‘hit list’ created in 2013 by the radical Islamists (The Daily Star, 2016). Nizamuddin Samad, a 26-year old law student in the nation’s capital was shot dead due to his views regarding the freedoms and rights of people regardless of their religious affiliations. 84 other bloggers were included on the list as the most sought after human rights activists championing against prejudiced approaches to societal issues that lead to segregation based on religion.
A better society for the future. I may have had the privilege of growing in an environment that is free from bias, for which I thank my parents and community. However, I feel that it is my responsibility for people like me to open the eyes of the people who are blinded by prejudice and self-righteousness at the expense of others. The men, women, and children of the future deserve a better society, whose foundation can only be laid today.
References
Manik, J. A. (2013, July 11). Sermon Shafi Style. Retrieved from https://www.thedailystar.net/news/sermon-shafi-style
The Daily Star. (2016, April 7). Amnesty urges action to stop attacks on secular activists. Retrieved from The Daily Star: https://www.thedailystar.net/country/amnesty-urges-action-stop-attacks-secular-activists-1205698
