Why Extremists Target Hezbut Tawheed
Warm greetings and Salam to everyone. I am Hossain Mohammad Salim, speaking on behalf of Hezbut Tawheed, a non-political Islamic reformist movement. We work selflessly for humanity and promote the true teachings of Islam, funded by our members’ hard-earned money. The movement was founded in 1995 by the late Mohammad Bayazeed Khan Panni, a descendant of the renowned Panni family. Over the last decade, we have held more than two hundred thousand public meetings, seminars, rallies, and human chains to raise awareness against extremism, religious bigotry, and communalism.
You all know about the recent uprising in Bangladesh. The Awami League government has fallen, and an interim government is now in control. However, the country remains unstable. Violence is breaking out everywhere. Groups are attacking each other, destroying homes, offices, and religious places. People are being beaten to death due to religious frenzy and mob brutality. Taking advantage of this chaos, a radical group is targeting Hezbut Tawheed. They are planning massacres against us.
From the inception of Hezbut Tawheed, a group of extremists, unable to counter our ideals, has attempted to eliminate us using mob justice and their overwhelming numbers. Over the past 30 years, they have attacked us over a thousand times. They have vandalized our homes, shops, and offices, causing significant damage. Their continuous conspiracies and attacks have led to the martyrdom of five of our members and injuries to thousands of our brothers and sisters. We have sought legal recourse without taking the law into our own hands. However, the instigators, hiding behind anonymous mobs, have remained outside the law.
The extremists have targeted us due to ideological disagreements. Their opposition arises from differences on several topics:
1. Promoting Interfaith Harmony and Human Rights
We believe that all humans are descendants of the same parents. This makes everyone part of one family. We have organized many interfaith meetings and seminars to promote harmony among Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, and indigenous communities in Bangladesh. We have conveyed the idea through newspapers, handbills, and books on how people of different faiths can protect their human rights and uphold freedom of speech. This has angered communal extremist groups, who have spread false propaganda against us.
2. Condemnation of Exploiting Religion for Personal Gain
We have revealed to the public that earning money through religion is forbidden in Islam. Allah has prohibited this in many verses of the Qur'an. No prophet ever used religion as a means of livelihood. Once self-interest is involved, religion becomes distorted. Today, religion cannot function without money. They attack us because we oppose turning religion into a source of income.
3. Empowering Women and Rejecting Extremist Interpretations
We have stated that confining women through misinterpretation of religion is contrary to Islam’s fundamental teachings. Islam grants women the right to work in all fields. We ensure women’s participation and empowerment in all activities. Extremists cannot accept our position on women’s rights.
4. Presenting a Counter-Narrative to Extremism
Imposing beliefs on others is forbidden in Islam. Yet extremist clerics attempt to enforce their ideology through force. Powerful nations, including the U.S., have spent trillions of dollars combating extremism, but it persists. Many political leaders recognize the need for an alternative ideology to eradicate terrorism. We present that counter-narrative with references from Islamic teachings, supported by reasoning. Our millions of anti-extremism awareness campaigns have significantly shaped public attitude against terrorism.
5. Defending Cultural Freedom Against Extremism
Extremist groups aim to destroy our national culture, including music, dance, painting, and theater, through religious misinterpretation. They have carried out bomb attacks during New Year’s celebrations. We argue, based on Islamic references, that Islam is not opposed to art and culture. Allah prohibits immorality, but not artistic expression that aligns with His commandments.
6. Rejecting Imposition of Arab Culture in Islam
We believe Islam is a universal religion. It does not force other nations to adopt Arab culture, language, or dress. Every Muslim has the freedom to wear or not wear certain clothing as Allah has not mandated these in the Qur'an. Attacking someone over these optional matters is not sanctioned in Islam. Extremists propagate against us because of this concept.
We have demonstrated Islam to be a liberal, humanitarian, scientific, and rational religion. This is why conservative and extremist groups target us. They see our activities as obstacles to their misuse of religion. They have attempted to kill me for a long time. They have attacked my house four times. Most recently, in 2016, my house in Noakhali was attacked, demolished, and looted. Extremists spread false rumors that we were building a church instead of a mosque, inciting a mob that set fire to our homes and destroyed the mosque. Two volunteers were murdered in broad daylight.
Despite these attacks, we have persevered. We have launched over fifty socio-economic projects, including cattle farms, fish ponds, a school, a mosque, a hospital, and several small businesses. These projects have benefited the entire community. Now, extremist groups are conspiring again. Their aim is to seize our lands, loot our projects, and kill our members. Despite numerous reports to law enforcement, the escalating threats require urgent attention from national and international authorities.
We don’t know what lies ahead for us. For this reason, we want everyone to understand why Hezbut Tawheed is targeted. We urge you to stand beside us in solidarity. Peace be upon you all. Allah Hafez.
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