So the amir of jamaat e islami has been put in jail, accused of corruption. Before departing he indicated that his party was in safe hands without him. Afterwards, his party declared a 4 day fast. Later the awami league seem to open up to the idea of going to polls without their own leader, 'they will let the grass roots decide', and organise a 6 hour hunger strike. Thats some transfer of political technology.
Its like several months ago, when the BNP would ape the awami leagues moves, but just a bit more retardedly. To cast it ritually, AL wali Motia Choudhury would say "samiAllahu liman hamida", and BNP wali Selima Hussain would say "rabbana wa lakal hamd".
A fast is an act of worship directed as God, supererogatory worship is common in Muslim societies, once you've covered the mandatory ones. But this is also politically messed up. Major niyyat purity issues batman. However the symbolic power of it was enough for the awami league to launch what looks like a secularised, purely human attention seeking copycat attack. I wonder if the 6 hour strike will be followed by self congratulatory secular feasting.
The daily Ondokar (darkness) chimes in with a very gloaty hurrah for the leader's incarceration. They are very interested is saying what history is or isnt. As well as the usual stuff and the mandatory lack of finger-on-the-trigger detail, they add a spurned BNP minister's accusation that the leader was a patron of a contemporary terrorist organisation. At a time when the security agenda is being vigorously pursued from within and without. Classy.
Usefully, the Ondokar points out that jamaat rules read that after 6 months of a leader's absence the amir post becomes vacant. Well its mid may now and elections are at the end of the year.... hmmm. Consider this with the symbolic baggage above...
Resolution of the 71 baggage issue, fairly or unfairly, with all the facts to hand is unlikely to be allowed because of its symbolic power. Bangladeshis who believe the standard few variants of the national mythology do not want to know anything new, or complete their view. Major political parties, and desacralising forces capitalise on the symbolism all of the time.
In this scenario, Jamaat could do something creative, or something conservative. It is hard for such old organisations to move towards the former but leaving the political field might be an interesting experiment. I wonder how long it would take the remaining political groups to mobilise around the symbolic value of the deen. They can't really compete now, but if Ji didnt exist any more i do wonder what would happen, how long would it take for the gaping hole to be felt.... would there actually be one?
I hope this organisation reforms, or/and a better organisation forms, building on whats good in previous ones, but also drawing on Abul Hashem's rendering so long ago of Khilafatur Rabbani. Linking with all those talented people that awami drunk deshis wrote out of history and tainted with their jahil, poisoned tongues. Taking and deciphering lessons from contemporary Indonesia, Malaysia and Turkey, Muslim countries of positive integer value.
