7 ISIS terrorists stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery café chanting “Allahu Akbar” in Dhaka late Friday night with a single intent: to kill all non-Muslims.
Do keep in mind, Bangladesh is not Iraq, or Syria or even Afghanistan where our people tend to use the logic that this is happening only because the West attacked them, armed them, etc. There was no justification (as warped as they may be) to this senseless killing of innocent people.
9 Italians, 7 Japanese, 1 Indian and 3 Bengalis were butchered that night.
Eyewitnesses say that the ISIS fighters (all Bangladeshis) took the foreigners to an upper floor. They shut off the lights and CCTV, lined everyone up and then went around asking the hostages to recite from the Quran. The ones who were able to, proved they were Muslims and thus their lives were spared. In fact they were even given food to eat through the night. ISIS wanted to show their “tender” side it seems, that they really are “nice people” once you get to know them.
Those who were not Muslims were first tortured brutally with sharp objects and machetes and then killed. They even posted pictures of blood soaked bodies for all to see on social media. (Yeah, not nice!)
So it was just the Muslims that were killed that night.
Wrong!
Ishrat Akhond, very much a Muslim was one of the women dining there. The brave lady did not think it was right to be asked to prove that she was a Muslim and told them so. She was also tortured to death simply because she stood up to them.
Faraz Ayaaz Hossain and Abinta Kabir were also two dining students there. Even after reciting what the terrorists wanted to hear, they were still killed because they had American accents.18 year old Kabir, some say might not have even understood properly what they were asking her to do as her Bengali was weak.
An Indian girl Tarushi Jain, only 19 years old was also killed.
Just teenagers who had their whole lives ahead of them. The others who were killed had families, kids, and loved ones too. These terrorists took it all away because they know only violence as being the answer and solution to everything.
Bangladesh is not new to this kind of savagery. In the past, numerous people who dared to ask questions or think differently were murdered too.
In the last two years, at least 8 bloggers have been killed; some of whom are Rajib Haider, Abhijit Roy, Xulhaz Mannan and Nazimuddin Samad. When Samad was killed, the Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said:
“No one has the right to attack religious leaders and that the blogger’s writing will be scrunitized by the government.”
Is it any wonder that after that spineless comment, Bangladesh is now turning into a free roaming ground for extremist killer brigades?
What is surprising is that many of the bloggers killed were in fact Muslims but because they highlighted what extremists/fanatics did; they were quickly labeled as atheists thus worthy of killing. Their names appeared on the Hafazat-e-Islam hitlist. Apparently, when one thinks Islam needs saving, that person turns violent. I still don’t get what it needs saving from however.
These fanatics rule that anyone who does not agree with their backward interpretation of Islam should be killed.
In my opinion, and I have always stood by this, only one of weak faith resorts to violence. Only the one whose own imaan is shaky would have issues with questions raised, because he himself is incapable of reasoning or even answering them.
These murderers even killed a very devout Muslim Rezaul Karim Siddique who simply was a culturist professor.
The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself is very much like a pendulum. She swings to whatever side is more popular. When it was more fashionable to be secular, she gave her support but nowadays as extremists become more and more powerful, she leans towards them.
The point of mentioning these bloggers is that when the attacks were happening, they were mostly ignored by people. Many said “Well, they were secular”, “They hate Islam”, “They got what they deserved”, “It is not our problem”, “They are not Muslims”, “They make Bangladesh look bad”...
Is it any wonder, when Faysal Arefin Deepon was killed, his own father did not seek justice and said:
“I know there is no justice out there for me."
People kept ignoring them as it did not concern them. This is what happens every time you ignore atrocities simply because it is happening to others. It becomes bigger and bigger and keeps coming closer till it is in your own backyard killing your own.
Muslims were killed that night in the café and that too Bangladeshis. If the people don’t speak up now, and crush the extremists and show them that they are powerless against the people, and their violent interpretation is worthless, this will only get worse.
Because you did not speak up for others who were killed, they will eventually target you next and there won’t be anyone left to speak up for you.
And this does not apply to just Bangladesh but to every country going through similar things; even Pakistan.