Studying religion
Amin U. Sarkar 1200 University Street Spearfish, SD, U.S.A
As many of you know that all students at US colleges/universities can take for credits course(s)on Bible study and such courses are regularly offered, often as part of the general education curriculum. These courses contribute to the requirements of more or less 120 semester credits for a four-year bachelor degree in any discipline including engineering, biology, economics or music. Not only at the level of higher education, Bible study courses are offered as electives in high schools and junior highs in 37 states (see The National Council on Bible Curriculum Web site). There are about 400 million Muslims in South Asia. Majority of us know how to read the Holy Koran in Arabic without understanding it. I am afraid if a typical imam or peer has knowledge of the Arabic language and clear understanding of the messages of the holy book and Hadith. It is therefore easy for a few politically motivated people to mislead the young minds. Besides, there is hardly any institutional arrangement (other than the madrassahs (?)) at the secondary, higher secondary, college or university levels where students have access to the study of the Holy Koran and Hadith with understanding. One of my relatives studied Islamic History at Dhaka University for her B.A (Hons.) and M.A. According to her, the curriculum was primarily about the Muslim empires and rulers. The present crisis created by terrorism can be largely attributed to ignorance of the teachings of the Holy Koran. Islamic scholars condemn violence and killing of innocent people. The Muslim clerics of London, UK, passed a fatwa a few weeks ago against violence and killing of innocent people. Although the majority of the alleged terrorists happen to be Arabs, I am afraid if they studied Islam with understanding as part of their curriculum.
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