A
Case for Bangladeshi-Australians to consider in extending their
interactions with mainstream Australians
By
Harun ur Rashid, Barrister-at-Law
( Lincoln’s Inn, London)
Former
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Australia (1982-84) and Ambassador to the
UN, Geneva (1987-91)
The
world environment for Muslims has dramatically changed after 9/11. Then
followed the Bali bombings in 2002, Madrid railway carnage in 2004 and
July 7th bombings in London transportation system this year.
The
Western countries have been engaged in enacting draconian laws to prevent
terrorism and Australian government has been reportedly drafting similar
legislations, curtailing civic liberties.
There
could be two views in the matter of such laws but the bottom line is that
the image of Muslims has been tarnished and anyone bearing an Arabic or
Persian name is a suspect in Western countries. One cannot entirely blame
non-Muslims for doing so.
A
crisis of identity for moderate Muslim majority countries:
Muslim
majority countries have been facing a crisis because a fringe group of
extremists has hijacked the true meaning of Islam and the moderate and
tolerant views on Islam has been submerged.
Bangladesh
is a non-Arab Muslim majority country (not Islamic country) and although
its population is overwhelmingly Muslims (88% per cent), Bangladesh is a
multi-religious, multi-racial and multi-lingual country. 45 ethnic tribes
live in Bangladesh and they speak their language within their families and
tribes.
Bangladesh
is a country where Islamic parties on average secured in the past
elections not more than 10% per cent. Statistics show that Jamaat Islami party lost popular votes in successive elections from
1991. In 1991 it secured 12.13% per cent, in 1996 8.61% per cent and in
2001 4.3% per cent. In 2001
election, the share of popular vote between the two main parties was AL:
40.13% per cent, BNP: 40.97% per cent, according to a report.
Some
characteristics of Islamic practices in Bangladesh:
Bangladeshi
Muslims practice Islam that has underpinnings on cultural roots on land.
As the Sun cannot be separated from the sunshine, so also culture cannot
be divorced from the geographic location of the territory, its climate and
history. Islam is not a monolithic religion and its practices vary from
country to country, although the core message remains the same.
Some
of the Islamic practices most Muslim Bangladeshi perform are not in
conformity with those in Arab countries, for example, holding milad mehfil
or touching feet of the elders as a sign of respect at the first meeting
after a long interval.
Furthermore,
Bangladesh is the only Muslim majority country that is totally surrounded
by non-Muslim countries. The nearest Muslim country in the west is
Pakistan and in the southeast is Malaysia. Both are thousands miles away
from Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s immediate and near neighbours are India,
Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Bhutan and China (100 miles away across the
Himalayas).
The
geographical position makes Bangladeshi people interact intimately with
people of other faiths. Many Muslims in Bangladesh share the festivities
of other faiths as social occasions. There are more than 15 million people
who are non-Muslims in the country, not ordinarily known or highlighted in
overseas.
There
is another aspect that is worth mentioning. Given the increasing
empowerment of women in Bangladesh through micro-credit and employment in
garment industries, women are seen in public places and the new- found
freedom of women, many social scientists say, will act as a barrier to
spread of fundamentalism in the country.
Image
Problem:
The
moderate and tolerant image of Bangladesh has finally been rattled by the
17th August bombings across the country. Now Bangladesh has a
serious image problem overseas and it seems that it threatens to swamp or
overwhelm the overall positive socio-economic developments in Bangladesh
for the last 14 years of democratic rule.
How
image or perception of a country is built?
The
way the rest of the world looks at Bangladesh has multiple aspects, i.e.
social, political, cultural and economic. Perception or image is derived
from a multiplicity of contacts and interactions that Bangladesh has with
the rest of the world at different levels, intergovernmental and private,
and in different spheres.
These
interactions include selective contacts with Bangladeshi citizens or
migrants, at home or abroad or important incidents, mostly negative,
widely reported in the international media.
Why
does the image of Bangladesh matter?
It
matters because under economic globalisation, Bangladesh is gradually
integrating with global economy. The attitude and views of outsiders about
Bangladesh society have an impact on foreign investment and relations.
Furthermore image is like reputation, once it is tainted, it takes a long
time to build.
Role
of Bangladeshi-Australians:
Here
the role of Bangladeshi-Australians comes into play to project the right
image of Bangladesh. It is admitted that good news do not sell, only bad
news attract news media.
On
average statistics show that Bangladeshi Australians are more educated and
skilled than their counterparts from India and Pakistan. They are
contributing their skills in various fields in Australia and almost of all
of them are peaceful and law-abiding citizens. Hardly they come in the bad
book of the law and it is a great credit for Bangladeshis who according to
one statistics account for 14,000 in Australia.
What
they can do?
First,
in my view, Bangladesh-Australian Association in major cities may have
another arm which is chaired or co-chaired by an eminent Australian (e.g.
former Australian High Commissioners to Bangladesh).
Whatever
name the arm of the association is designated, it can celebrate the
national and social holidays of both countries, such as New Years Day,
Australian Day, Canberra Day, Bangla New Years Day etc.
Second,
Bangladesh community may consider in taking an active interest in local,
state and national elections and as volunteers, they can participate in
election campaign for mainstream political parties. This will provide an
opportunity for Bangladeshi-Australians to interact with key people in
Australian political parties. The dividends may not be immediate but in
the long term would be greatly beneficial for Bangladesh’s image.
Third,
Bangladeshi entrepreneurs may establish business networking with local
chamber of commerce and industry. Since January of this year, Bangladeshi
goods are exempt from duty in Australia.
Finally,
local media must be cultivated through invitations to social functions and
meeting with them. An exchange of views may be held between Bangladesh
community and the media. This will provide the media to allay their
perceived concerns in respect of image of Bangladesh.
Conclusion:
The
above is my personal view and should not be taken as a criticism of any
body or any association. I have seen more summers and winters than the
people I have been privileged to meet with in Canberra.
I
was Ambassador for Bangladesh for 11 years, besides holding senior
positions in the Bangladesh Foreign Office and have served the country as
best as I could. What I am today is due to the emergence of Bangladesh.
I
left Pakistan’s foreign office and escaped to Bangladesh via Kabul and
New Delhi with my family of young children, the eldest was only 5 years of
age. I have now nothing to
ask for. God has been kind to me.
The
purpose of the paper is to stimulate constructive debate and assist
Bangladesh community reach a consensus how to project a positive image of
Bangladesh in Australia. I leave it entirely to my younger generation of
Bangladeshi-Australians, who I think, are smarter, more imaginative and
innovative than we were at their age who grew up without computers and
cell-phones. During our time, the state of art gadget was the acquisition
of an electric typewriter that I bought in 1959 as a student in London.
