A blogger was hacked to death by assailants using machetes in the capital Dhaka on Monday, the second attack in five weeks on a critic of religious extremism in the Muslim-majority nation. Washikur Rahman, a blogger was attacked by young religious students on a busy street in the center of Dhaka on Monday.
Last month U.S.-based Bangladeshi blogger Avijit Roy, another hater of Islam as a religion was hacked to death while returning with his wife from a book fair in the capital.
It is no of concern who are secularists and do not believe in any religion. As religious people no Muslim has uttered anything antagonistic to them or punished them for being anti-Muslims. It is true that freedom of expression is a right so is practicing religion.
It has become fashionable to be known as intellectuals in the West by showing contempt against Islam in a most vulgar way. They are neither intellectuals nor respectable. There is nothing intellectual about them. One must seriously investigate into such cases to find out who are the people promoting Islam haters. There are international lobbies for creating antagonism against Muslims for their religion. They get money and ready to pay money.
We are sure it is part of an international campaign against Islam. Those who are recruited for this purpose should be treated as abnormal. An intellectual will remain busy with creative thinking. Any kind of hatred is anti-intellectualism.
While it is absolutely true that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, it is equally true that laws exist to protect people against defamatory and hate filled speeches. Such laws against libel and slander exist in every civilized country.
We do not support that those who mock Islam should be hacked to death. But people whose religious feelings have been hurt have every right to react and act in defense of their right. Logically speaking, if one can abuse ones right of free expression it also should be intellectually appreciated if he abuses his right to religion as a response.
Those who have lost their lives making mockery of Islam in a predominantly Muslim country do not appear to us sensible or intellectual enough. Because had they been so they would have anticipated what to deserve. Having said that, we should also say the killers should not have taken law into their own hands. They have to face trial. We appreciate people who behave sensibly about religion even though they are secular. They must not be persuaded to become false intellectuals by making public their animosity against Muslims.
