Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh facts for kids
The logo of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh
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| Predecessor | Shah Ahmad Shafi |
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| Formation | January 2010 |
| Type | Islamist advocacy group |
| Headquarters | Al-Jamiatul Islamiah Azizul Uloom Babunagar |
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Region served
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Bangladesh |
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Official language
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Bengali |
| Muhibbullah Babunagari | |
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Secretary General
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Sajidur Rahman |
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Key people
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Shah Ahmad Shafi Junaid Babunagari,Muhibbullah Babunagari Mamunul Haque |
Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh (Bengali: হেফাজতে ইসলাম বাংলাদেশ) is a group of conservative Islamic teachers and students. They are mostly based in Islamic schools called qawmi madrasas in Bangladesh. This group works as an advocacy group, meaning they try to influence government policies. In 2013, they presented a list of 13 demands to the Government of Bangladesh. One of their main demands was to create a law against insulting Islam.
History of Hefazat-e-Islam
Hefazat-e-Islam was started in 2010. It began as a group of teachers from several madrasas in Chittagong, Bangladesh. They formed the group to put pressure on the government. This happened after a draft of a "Women Development Policy" was proposed in 2009.
On February 24, 2010, Hefazat wanted to hold a protest rally. They planned it for Laldighi Maidan in Chittagong. They wanted to protest against the government's plans. These plans included possibly banning politics based on religion. They also opposed changes to the constitution and a new education policy. This education policy might have affected madrasah education. The police did not allow their rally. During the protest, 19 people were hurt, and some students were arrested. They were later released. In 2011, Hefazat-e-Islam also protested parts of the proposed Women Development Policy.
According to a newspaper called The Economist, Hefazat receives money from strict Islamic groups in Saudi Arabia.
Protests and 13 Demands
In 2013, Hefazat-e-Islam became active again. This was after some people involved in the 2013 Shahbag protests were accused of writing things online that offended Muslims. Hefazat organized a large rally towards the capital city, Dhaka. They demanded strong legal action against those who had made offensive comments. They also called for a law against insulting Islam.
The group presented 13 main demands:
- They wanted the phrase "Complete faith and trust in the Almighty Allah" to be put back into the country's constitution.
- They asked for a law to be passed in parliament. This law would include very strict punishment for insulting Islam.
- They demanded strong measures against people who declared themselves atheists and bloggers. These were people who had led the Shahbagh movement. They also wanted action against those who had made disrespectful comments about Prophet Muhammad. They also wanted to stop the spread of what they called "propaganda."
- They aimed to stop all "alien-culture" from entering the country. This included what they saw as "shamelessness" in the name of freedom of expression. They also wanted to stop anti-social activities. They believed women should be encouraged to wear hijab (a head covering) and that their safety should be ensured.
- They wanted Islamic education to be required from primary school to higher secondary levels. They also wanted to cancel the women's policy and the anti-religion education policy.
- They asked for Ahmadiyyas to be officially declared as non-Muslims.
- They wanted to stop the building of sculptures at intersections, schools, colleges, and universities across the country.
- They asked for restrictions on prayers for ulema (religious scholars) to be lifted in all mosques. This included the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.
- They wanted to stop anti-Islamic content in the media. Islamophobia means unfair treatment or dislike of Islam.
- They called for an end to anti-Islam activities by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across the country.
- They demanded an end to attacks on ulema.
- They wanted harassment of teachers and students from Qawmi madrassas and ulema to stop.
- They asked for the release of all arrested ulema and madrassa students. They also wanted all legal cases against them to be dropped. They sought payment for those who were harmed and for the attackers to be brought to justice.
Leadership of the Organization
Several important figures are considered founders of Hefazat-e-Islam. These include Ahmad Shafi, who was the former director of Hathazari Madrasa. Also, Allama Junaid Babunagari, who is the current Amir-e-Hefajat (leader). Mufti Izharul Islam, who leads the Islamist party Islami Oikya Jote, is also a founder. Another founder is Abdul Malek Halim, who started the first women's Qawmi madrasah in Bangladesh (Haildhar Madrasah). Nurul Islam Jihadi is the secretary general of the organization.
See also
- List of Deobandi organisations
- Shah Ahmad Shafi
- Islam in Bangladesh
