Jamaat-i-Islami’s Violent History and Human Rights Violations in Bangladesh

By: Mahmudun Nabi
September 20, 2024


Jamaat-i-Islami, one of the most important Islamist political party in Bangladesh has a history of violating human rights during its power and has been trying to create an Islamic theocratic state throughout this period. First, by their direct involvement in the 1971 Liberation War and later using political maneuvering from Pakistan to infiltrate Bangladeshi politics, Jamaat targeted with impunity minorities (religious and ethnic), women, LGBTQ+ community members forcing them into submission to adhere to a conservative ideology under which often violence and repression occurred. This article begins to explore the party’s damage to womens’ rights, LGBTQ+ rights as well as its direction in the targeted killings of secular bloggers and activists.

A History and Legacy of Violence

The Jamaat-i-Islami was originally formed in 1971, when Bangladesh broke free of Pakistan. Jamaat joined hands with the Pakistani military and actively opposed independence movement branding pro-independence forces as "anti-Islamic". Jamaat consequently veered towards war crimes, involving mainly in mass murders and rape of women for which several Jamaat leaders were convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal, 2013).

Even after independence, Jamaat proved to be a hurdle in the way of the secular and democratic dreams of the new nation. Instead, they attempted to restore conservative rule in the nascent republic, often using violence. Jamaat was able to retain influence by association with other Islamist groups, as well as foreign funding that allowed them to keep a tight grip on the society through fear and repression. This is most stark when it comes to how Jamaat silences its critics.

Jamaat's Influence on Women's Rights
Jamaat-i-Islami's perception of women's rights is tainted by a conservative, patriarchal vision of Islamism. Jamaat leaders have traditionally argued that a woman should perform her role at home; dutiful daughter, wife, and mother. Jamaat's founder, Abul Ala Maududi, always preached the concept of keeping women in their place — subservient to men and relegating them to their primary role as housewives who would bring up children according to Islamic teachings. The latter claim was contradicted by the stated efforts of the Bangladeshi government to empower women for full participation in public life ( Shehabuddin,2008).

Jamaat became an influential political force during the coalition government of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and Jamaat (2001-2006),This influence was reflected in a sharp escalation in violence against women, particularly from minority communities. This led to the rampant abduction, rape, and forced conversion of Hindu and local women in this duration. Women served as instruments of communal violence, i.e., a strategy that was used by Jamaat to enhance their political sphere using terror and intimidation in the minority community (Human Rights Watch, 2005).

Jamaat was also instrumental in advocating conservative religious practices — purdah (veiling) and restricting women from taking on public roles/jobs, particularly political representation. Bangladesh has made some progress in recent years, with reserved seats for women in the national and local bodies council, but Jamaat is opposed to any female on a leadership position. Even as it publicly supports universal suffrage in the case of women, the party never nominates female candidates for direct elections (UN Women, 2021), which shows clearly that they are not ready to recognize women as decision-makers.

Impact on the LGBTQ+ Community
The LGBTQ+ community is arguably one of the most marginalized and also equally vulnerable groups within Bangladesh, a trend that Jamaat-i-Islami has only furthered. Jamaat launches attacks on this discourse arguing that homosexuality is against their interpretation of Islamic values. The LGBTQ+ communities are discriminated against across the system, get ostracized from anywhere they participate in and constantly face threats of violence with little or virtually no legal protection at all. Homosexuality is criminalized under Section 377 of the Penal Code, which continues to be used as an instrument to persecute and harass; planting an atmosphere of fear, stigma (Amnesty International, 2020).

Jamaat leaders have always been vocal against LGBTQ+ rights as 'immoral' and 'against the teachings of Islam', dubbing those in this community as ‘deviants'. Such rhetoric has often led to violence, as hate groups take it upon themselves to administer reprisals on sexual minorities. One of the most high profile examples of this hostility led to the gruesome 2016 murder of Xulhaz Mannan. The 35-year-old Mannan, an outspoken advocate for gay rights who had been the editor of Bangladesh first and only LGBT magazine — Roopbaan — was killed alongside another man in their apartment by militants who viewed his activism as a challenge to "traditional values" in a Muslim-majority nation. These attacks are part of a wider climate of violence and terror, which has intensified as Jamaat has been instrumental in creating its political architecture (The Guardian, 2016).

Targeted Killing of Secular Bloggers
The most obnoxious part of Jamaat-i-Islami's legacy is possibly their part in the murder of some secular bloggers and activists. Secular bloggers have expressed their views on religion, secularism, and human rights online since social media came,i.e. the rise of such platforms. The bloggers regularly lambast Islamist ideologies, including Jamaat's political and social sway. To which Jamaat-linked groups have responded through attacking these voices by force.

The attacks started in 2013 after Shahbagh Movement, demanding death penalty for Jamaat leaders who had been accused of committing war crimes during the Liberation War of 1971. During this movement, the secular bloggers were instrumental in rallying public opinion against Jamaat and calling for the jugding of war crimes. Extremist groups linked ideologically and operationally to Jamaat then began attacking these bloggers in retaliation. That same year, a well known secular blogger and Shahbagh protester Ahmed Rajib Haider was hacked to death by machete wielding men outside his home in Dhaka. Grisly assassinations claimed the lives of many outspoken voices in turn, Haider being the first (BBC News, 2015).

Between 2013 and 2016, at least ten secular bloggers and activists were killed in similar fashion. In 2015, Avijit Roy, a Bangladeshi-American writer and the founder of the secular blog Mukto-Mona, was murdered while leaving a book fair in Dhaka. Roy was known for his writings on atheism and secularism, and his death sent shockwaves through the country. His wife, Rafida Bonya Ahmed, who was with him during the attack, was also severely injured. The group Ansar Al-Islam, which has connections to Jamaat, claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that Roy’s writings were “offensive to Islam.”

These killings were not isolated incidents but part of a coordinated effort to silence dissent and instill fear in those who challenged Islamist extremism. Jamaat's indirect support for these actions can be seen in their refusal to condemn the killings unequivocally and in their attempts to portray secular bloggers as anti-Islamic provocateurs deserving of punishment. The environment of impunity created by Jamaat’s political influence further emboldened extremist groups. Law enforcement agencies were often slow to act, and the government, facing pressure from conservative factions, struggled to protect the bloggers or bring the perpetrators to justice (Human Rights Watch, 2017).

The consequences of these targeted attacks have been profound. Many secular writers, bloggers, and activists have fled Bangladesh, seeking asylum in countries where they can speak freely without fear for their lives. Those who remain in the country often self-censor, avoiding topics related to religion or criticism of Islamist groups, including Jamaat. This chilling effect on free speech is a direct result of the climate of fear and repression that Jamaat and its allies have fostered, undermining the secular values upon which Bangladesh was founded.

Jamaat's Influence on Politics and Secularism
Jamaat-i-Islami’s influence on Bangladeshi politics has been a significant obstacle to the country’s secular and democratic aspirations. Their alliance with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) allowed Jamaat to gain political power and influence policies, particularly during the 2001-2006 coalition government. During this time, Jamaat leveraged its position to push for changes in educational curricula, removing secular content, and introducing more religious texts aimed at promoting conservative Islamic values. These efforts were part of Jamaat’s broader strategy to reshape national identity and align it with their ideological vision (International Crisis Group, 2014).

Jamaat's political influence also manifested in the crackdown on secular activists. The government's reluctance to take firm action against those responsible for the killings of secular bloggers is partly attributable to the fear of alienating conservative voters and Islamist factions. Jamaat and its affiliates have used this political leverage to undermine secularism, pushing for policies that favor conservative Islamic practices at the expense of individual freedoms and human rights.

References

  1. Amnesty International. (2020). Bangladesh: Continuing Threats to LGBTQ+ Rights. Retrieved from Amnesty.org

  2. Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal. (2013). Judgment against Jamaat Leaders for War Crimes.

  3. BBC News. (2015). Secular Blogger Killings in Bangladesh: What You Need to Know. Retrieved from BBC.com

  4. Human Rights Watch. (2005). Ravaging the Vulnerable: Abuses Against Minority Women in Bangladesh.

  5. Human Rights Watch. (2017). Bangladesh: Investigate Murders of Secular Bloggers. Retrieved from hrw.org

  6. International Crisis Group. (2014). Mapping Bangladesh’s Political Landscape. Retrieved from CrisisGroup.org

  7. Shehabuddin, E. (2008). Jamaat-i-Islami in Bangladesh: Women, Democracy, and the Transformation of Islamist Politics. Cambridge University Press.

  8. The Guardian. (2016). Bangladesh LGBT Editor Hacked to Death in Dhaka. Retrieved from TheGuardian.com

  9. UN Women. (2021). Women’s Political Participation in Bangladesh: Progress and Challenges. Retrieved from UNWomen.org