Arrested for practicing Sufism

Posted on Alal o Dulal September 15, 2012 by


 
 Friday September 07, 2012
Rajibul Islam, UNO (Union Nirbahi Officer) of Mokarrampur union, accompanied by some local people, went to the house of farmer Shahidul Islam, village Islampur, Bharamara, Kushtia. They accused Shahidul of practising ?anti-Islamic? activity. Shahidul is a disciple of Tariqat-e Ahle Bait, a branch of Sufism. He, along with other followers, had established at darbar sharif of Islamia Chistia Nizamia lineage.
Challenged by these people, Shahidul brought out religious books written by Sadaruddin Chisty and tried to explain that they are not practising anything unislamic, that they follow the teachings of  Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the Holy Quran according to the tariqat. At this point the UNO grabbed the books and threw them to the ground, tied Shahidul to a tree and beat him up with his shoes. They also destroyed the darbar sharif. They broke the asana, lights, fans, and windows of the two structures that housed the darbar. They took away books, documents, tin, utensils, and other belongings of the darbar.
That evening Shahidul went to lodge a case at Bharamara police station, but M. Riaz Ali, OC (Officer in Charge), did not accept any case.

Saturday September 08, 2012
The UNO returned to the darbar accompanied by the OC. They ordered that the debris be cleaned up immediately, and threatened of further beating if it was not cleaned up. They declared Shahidul and other followers as kafir (infidel). The OC verbally abused them using profanity. Shahidul and Aslam (khadim of the darbar) explained that they are farmers and day labourers who come to the darbar at free time after work, to read and practice the teachings of the Prophet and the Quran. At this point the OC arrested Shahidul and Aslam.
Sunday September 09, 2012
Shahidul Islam and Aslam Ali were sent to court and to jail under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Saturday September 15, 2012
Tarikate Ahle Bait Bangladesh called a press conference to condemn this sacrilegious act by the UNO, to demand the immediate release of Shahidul and Aslam, and to demand punishment of the attackers.

Author: Shahidul Alam

Time Magazine Person of the Year 2018. A photographer, writer, curator and activist, Shahidul Alam obtained a PhD in chemistry before switching to photography. His seminal work “The Struggle for Democracy” contributed to the removal of General Ershad. Former president of the Bangladesh Photographic Society, Alam set up the Drik agency, Chobi Mela festival and Pathshala, South Asian Media Institute, considered one of the finest schools of photography in the world. Shown in MOMA New York, Centre Georges Pompidou, Royal Albert Hall and Tate Modern, Alam has been guest curator of Whitechapel Gallery, Winterthur Gallery and Musee de Quai Branly. His awards include Mother Jones, Shilpakala Award and Lifetime Achievement Award at the Dali International Festival of Photography. Speaker at Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, Oxford and Cambridge universities, TEDx, POPTech and National Geographic, Alam chaired the international jury of the prestigious World Press Photo contest. Honorary Fellow of Royal Photographic Society, Alam is visiting professor of Sunderland University in UK and advisory board member of National Geographic Society. John Morris, the former picture editor of Life Magazine describes his book “My journey as a witness”, (listed in “Best Photo Books of 2011” by American Photo), as “The most important book ever written by a photographer.”

One thought on “Arrested for practicing Sufism”

  1. UPDATE
    Sunday September 16, 2012
    The court is nervous to grant bail with the current ongoing Islamist heat.
    Meanwhile the victim?s son Shamim had placed an application to Kushtia DC, who forwarded it to SP, who forwarded it to Circle ASP, who phoned the victim?s son and threatened him. Shamim left home and took shelter elsewhere.
    The fundamentalists have called a waaz-mehfil to be held on 17 September morning/afternoon. Nidhi, son of JASOD leader Faruk Master, went and threatened Akash, the son-in-law of Shahidul Islam, and asked him to vacate their house, that it will be demolished tomorrow during/after the mehfil.
    ?
    Monday 17 September, 2012
    The fundamentalists went back to Shahidul Islam?s property and destroyed an orchard/lychee bagan on 1.5 bigha land, by cutting every tree and setting them ablaze.

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