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Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Metropolitan
Europe can learn secularism from Bangladesh
Says British academic
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=223232
Staff Correspondent
Europe can learn from Bangladesh the idea of secularism, which ensures the freedom to practise any religion, said a British professor of philosophy and theology at a discussion yesterday.
Europe has two perceptions on secularism -- one says those not believing in God are secular and the other says it is those believing in the freedom to practise any religion, said Dr Nicholas Adams of University of Edinburgh, UK.
His remarks came following Dhaka University sociology department Prof KAM Saaduddin's observation that Bangladesh had set an example of communal harmony for the world and secularism here means inclusion of all religions in society.
The discussion, The New Secular, was organised by DU's Department of World Religions and Culture and the British Council at the DU Faculty of Business Studies.
Dr Adams, a consultant for the Cambridge Inter-faith Programme of the University of Edinburgh, suggested a new type of secularism comprising laws and customs promoting a common life for different religious communities while pursuing the common good.
We don't need to be secular in the corrosive nineteenth century sense in which religious life is rendered precarious and then edged out of public life and into some gloomy private sphere where only the secret services listen in, he said.
Presenting his keynote speech, Dr Adams, however, said it does not necessarily mean that Bangladesh needs to replicate this idea. We are not going to export it here, he said.
Prof Saaduddin said Bangladesh's religion-based nationalism ended in 1952 through the Language Movement. Since then, it has practised a nationalism based on Bangla language while keeping to religious practices.
So, we are simultaneously secular and religious, he said, adding that Bangladesh did not witness the volume of communal riots of the kind its neighbouring countries have.
Addressing as the chief guest, DU philosophy department Prof Dr Aminul Islam said declaring Islam as the state religion while maintaining secularism as a state policy in Bangladesh's constitution is contradictory and not desirable.
Such contradiction should end to maintain a consistent state policy, he suggested.
Dr Kazi Nurul Islam of the world religions department said the idea of secularism which allows the freedom to be devoted to any religion should be practiced throughout the world.
Dr Joseph T O'Connell, professor emeritus of University of Toronto, Canada, and Sarwat Reza, resource centre manager of British Council, also spoke at the discussion.
Metropolitan
Europe can learn secularism from Bangladesh
Says British academic
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=223232
Staff Correspondent
Europe can learn from Bangladesh the idea of secularism, which ensures the freedom to practise any religion, said a British professor of philosophy and theology at a discussion yesterday.
Europe has two perceptions on secularism -- one says those not believing in God are secular and the other says it is those believing in the freedom to practise any religion, said Dr Nicholas Adams of University of Edinburgh, UK.
His remarks came following Dhaka University sociology department Prof KAM Saaduddin's observation that Bangladesh had set an example of communal harmony for the world and secularism here means inclusion of all religions in society.
The discussion, The New Secular, was organised by DU's Department of World Religions and Culture and the British Council at the DU Faculty of Business Studies.
Dr Adams, a consultant for the Cambridge Inter-faith Programme of the University of Edinburgh, suggested a new type of secularism comprising laws and customs promoting a common life for different religious communities while pursuing the common good.
We don't need to be secular in the corrosive nineteenth century sense in which religious life is rendered precarious and then edged out of public life and into some gloomy private sphere where only the secret services listen in, he said.
Presenting his keynote speech, Dr Adams, however, said it does not necessarily mean that Bangladesh needs to replicate this idea. We are not going to export it here, he said.
Prof Saaduddin said Bangladesh's religion-based nationalism ended in 1952 through the Language Movement. Since then, it has practised a nationalism based on Bangla language while keeping to religious practices.
So, we are simultaneously secular and religious, he said, adding that Bangladesh did not witness the volume of communal riots of the kind its neighbouring countries have.
Addressing as the chief guest, DU philosophy department Prof Dr Aminul Islam said declaring Islam as the state religion while maintaining secularism as a state policy in Bangladesh's constitution is contradictory and not desirable.
Such contradiction should end to maintain a consistent state policy, he suggested.
Dr Kazi Nurul Islam of the world religions department said the idea of secularism which allows the freedom to be devoted to any religion should be practiced throughout the world.
Dr Joseph T O'Connell, professor emeritus of University of Toronto, Canada, and Sarwat Reza, resource centre manager of British Council, also spoke at the discussion.
