Bangalee Muslim identity was never simple
The Bangalee Muslim identity has never been a simple or straightforward matter that can be only aligned with one's adherence to Islamic faith or nationality although people's identity is often linked to both, said Professor Emeritus Anisuzzaman during a lecture yesterday.
He was speaking on “Muslims in Bengal (up to the 18th century): Plurality of Identity". The lecture was based on the premise that the idea of identity is more subtle, fluid and multi-layered than people think. An individual has multiple identities although he or she may choose one over the others.
The event was the third of an ongoing lecture series, organised by Gyantapas Abdur Razzaq Foundation. The earlier two lectures were delivered by Prof Rehman Sobhan and Badruddin Omar.
Prof Anisuzzaman said, “It's important to note that one's religious identity, like one's residence or marital status, can change. But our ancestral and linguistic identity is immutable.”
Highlighting that the plurality of identity cannot be ignored, he said, “The plurality of identity can lead to unrest and crisis if we decide to assume only one identity, or mix up different components of our identity.”
“When we identify a group of people as Bangalee Muslim, we highlight only one aspect of their self-identity. But if we observe closely, we'll see that they contain multitudes,” he said.
Prof Anisuzzaman noted that in the 19th century, the Bangalee Muslims faced a crisis of identity because of a conflict between their Bangalee and Muslim identities.
The lecture drew upon historical documents, accounts by contemporary writers and literary sources to present a compelling picture of the diversity of Muslims in terms of their preference of languages, attires, occupation, customs, and moral, religious and political beliefs -- which made them different not only from their Hindu counterparts, but also from each other.
There were upper-class and lower-class Muslims -- much like the division of classes among the Hindus -- and their social position was determined by their history of origin, occupation, language and whether or not one was born Muslim or converted to Islam after birth, Prof Anisuzzaman said.
He quoted an anonymous researcher who described how one's superior social position was decided. “Nobility was determined by immigration from the west in direct proportion to the nearness in point of time and distance in point of land of origin from Bengal to Arabia.”
Meanwhile, the Hindus and Muslims lived in such close proximity that often their myths, fables and accounts of historical figures were intermingled to present a unique style of literature that both could relate to, he said. But people's awareness of self-identity did not start to become acute until after the 19th century, said Anisuzzaman.
Presiding over the programme, Bangla Academy Director General Shamsuzzaman Khan said there were divisions among Muslims and other faiths and also among the Muslims themselves, but there was harmony as well.
Commenting on the lecture of Anisuzzaman, he said there could not be a more inclusive study of the social history of the Bangalee Muslims.
Prof Ahrar Ahmad, director general of Gyantapas Abdur Razzaq Foundation, gave the welcome speech, while Associate Professor Mohammad Azam of the Bangla department of Dhaka University gave a brief sketch on the life and works of Prof Anisuzzaman.
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