Padawans,
There is no discussion question this week (I suspect you're busy enough with your midterm), but I would like to continue to expose you to what is happening in Bangladesh, and I encourage you to read this Op-Ed in the NY Times.
Even though Bangladesh is outside of the MENA region, which is our primary concern in this course, what is happening now is illustrative of several things we discuss in class. First, there is of course the non-violent mobilization itself, met with a violent response not by authorities, but by political parties opposing their objectives.
Second, Bangladesh is the third largest Muslim country in the world (or fourth, depending on which population numbers you trust) and the fact that there is a massive mobilization against Islamic fundamentalists and political impunity there should be of interest to us and the rest of the world.
Third, relating to our conversation in class on personal faith and political Islam, understand that this is not a matter of faith - people of faith are protesting against Islamists in Bangladesh right now - it is a rejection of having particular people's interpretation of religion dictate your political life. Bangladesh, born out of a cultural language movement, challenges the widespread notion that a Muslim country can't embrace secularism - it is no more impossible to be Muslim and believe in political secularism than it is to be Christian and believe in political secularism.
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