Protests by Hefazat-e-Islam in Bangladesh and Tehreek-e-Labbaik in Pakistan Follow The Same Pattern And Hint At Some Hidden Agenda
Hefazat And TLP Are Being Funded By The Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI) Of Pakistan To Destabilise The Democratic Governments In Pakistan
And Bangladesh
Main Points:
1. Anti-India protests in Bangladesh were
funded by Pakistan: Bangladesh.
2. Hefazat leaders' link with terrorist
organisations is well known.
3. Blasphemy is only a ploy to mobilise Muslim
support against the elected governments.
4. Pakistan’s civilian government deferred its
decision to lift ban on imports from India under pressure from radical elements
supported by ISI.
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New Age Islam Staff
Writer
26 April
2021
Since
November 2020 Bangladesh and Pakistan have witnessed violent protests over
blasphemy committed by the French magazine Charlie Hebdo which republished
cartoons of Prophet Mohammad pbuh in September 2020. In October a teacher
Samuel Patty was killed by a Muslim youth for showing a cartoon of Prophet
Mohammad pbuh to the class. French President Emmanuel Macron had defended the
magazine's right to expression. This had sparked off protests in some Muslim
majority countries and the boycott of French products was observed. The
protests were a spontaneous outburst of Muslims worldwide and so gradually died
down. But it was not so in Bangladesh and Pakistan. In Bangladesh, huge
protests were staged by Hefazat-e-Islam in Dhaka on 2 November. Hefazat
demanded expulsion of the French ambassador and closure of French Embassy.
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Also
Read: Pakistan Crisis: Tahreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s
Terrorism is Just Part of the Problem
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During the
same time the radical Islamist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) held a
huge protest meeting in Pakistan's capital Islamabad and demanded closure of
French embassy in Pakistan and a boycott of French products.
But these
protests did not die down in Pakistan. In April TLP intensified the protests
which turned violent and resulted in the death of more than 6 police personnel
and injury of more than 800 people. The protesters also damaged public
property. They have been demanding the expulsion of French ambassador and
boycott of French products. They have also held some policemen hostage. The
government of Pakistan had discussion with them to find a solution to the issue
but due to their uncompromising attitude the talks failed and the Imran Khan
government banned the outfit under anti-terror law and detained its leader Saad
Rizvi. His detention sparked off further violent protests and the country has
plunged into anarchy and uncertainty.
Logo of Hefazat e Islam
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In
Bangladesh, after staging protests against Macron's defence of Charlie Hebdo
cartoons and his resolve to crack down on Islamists in France, Hefazat got
another opportunity to destabilise the Hasina-led Awami League government in
the Mujib statue installation issue. The Awami League government had planned to
install a number of statues in Dhaka and other towns of Bangladesh as part of
50 year celebration of Bangladesh's independence. Hefazat opposed the plan as
it said installing statues was un-Islamic and its leader Junaid Babunagari
threatened to pull down the statues. Hefazat staged another series of violent
protests in December in which many people were injured and public property was damaged.
Hefazat
pushed the country in another series of violent protests in March on the
occasion of Indian PM Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh on its Independence
Day celebrations. Hefazat opposed Modi's visit and denounced Hasina government
for hosting the 'enemy of Muslims' Modi. Hefazat staged countrywide protests
during which its members attacked railway stations and temples. 13 Hefazat
members died in police firing.
Here it can
be easily observed that the pattern of the protests are the same. Both the
Hefazat in Bangladesh and TLP in Pakistan have made blasphemy and Macron's
'anti-Islam' measures an issue to destabilise elected governments of their
respective countries. Hefazat has found different issues --- Blasphemy in
France in November, Mujib sculptures in December and Modi visit in March but
since TLP of Pakistan did not find similar issues ( Modi did not visit
Pakistan) it is keeping the Charlie Hebdo cartoons issue alive to keep the
protests going. Imran Khan pointed this out in his recent speech to the nation.
He said,
"No
such demonstrations or demands to expel the French ambassadors were seen in
other countries."
He drew the
attention of the protesters towards the economic fall out of their demands. He
said:
"When
we will expel French ambassador and cut ties it means we will cut ties with the
whole of European Union. This means half our textile exports will come
down.This will create unemployment and rupee will be under pressure thus
creating inflation and poverty. We will be on loosing end not France."
However,
this argument has not found favours with the TLP who believe that the only
solution to the blasphemy issue is the expulsion of French ambassador and
boycott of French products.
Looking
back at the happenings in Bangladesh, political circles in the country is agog
with rumours of Pakistani supporting and funding in Hefazat -backed unrest in
the country specially in the violent protests ahead of and on the day of Modi's
visit to Bangladesh. A report in the Economic Times says, "Highly placed
sources from Dhaka told ET that the Hasina government is probing the role of
the ISI in orchestrating the recent protests. The activities of Pakistan High
Commission in Dhaka are being monitored."
Some MPs of
Bangladesh also accused Pakistan of funding protests in Bangladesh. Since
Pakistan has always tried to create rifts between India and Bangladesh,
Pakistan's hand in the continuous protests by Hefazat can not be ruled out.
Now the
question arises: Is the ISI also behind 6-month long violent anti-government
protests in Pakistan? Pakistan army have always had an upper hand in democratic
govrrnments and its policies are decided by the army. Pakistan army's
anti-India posturing is known to all because it can't forget its humiliation at
the hands of Indian army in 1971. Therefore, it keeps conspiring against India.
It especially keeps conspiring to create rift between India and Bangladesh. It
also does not want cordial relations between India and Pakistan.
A recent
development between India and Pakistan will drive home the point. On 22 March,
2021 India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote a letter to Pakistan's Prime
Minister Imran Khan on Pakistan's National Day. Mr Modi wrote:
"As a
neighbouring country, India desires cordial relations with the people of
Pakistan. For this an environment of trust, devoid of terror and hostility is
imperative."
On March
31, 2021, Imran Khan replied to the letter thanking Modi and said, "The
people of Pakistan also desire peaceful co-operative relations with all
neighbours including India."
Within a
couple of days, Pakistan decided to lift its two year ban on import of sugar
and cotton from India. This could have heralded a new era in India-Pakistan
relations. But the very next day, Pakistan, definitely under pressure from the
Army made a U-turn and deferred its decision linking it with the reinstatement
of the special status of 'India-administered Kashmir'.
The
protests by TLP again intensified in April after the exchange of letters
between Modi and Khan and Pakistan government's decision to lift ban on imports
from India on April 1.
From these
developments, it can be easily construed that the ISI is behind the violent
protests in Bangladesh and Pakistan. The link of Hefazat leaders with
terrorists have previously come to light. A recent Al Qaida message has asked
its followers to sneak into protests and kill protesters and the police to
intensify violence. Though Al Qaida has issued this instruction to its
sympathisers in the western countries, but from the violent protests in
Bangladesh and Pakistan, it seems that this modus operandi is being followed in
Muslim countries as well.
In short,
protests in Bangladesh and Pakistan are being orchestrated by the ISI and
terrorist organisations to destabilise elected democratic governments in both
India and Pakistan.
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