IMAMS – advocates OF HUMAN RIGHTS 

It is happening.  The meeting of minds, over human rights, religion, and the Bangladesh Constitution, is coming to pass. It is happening with the help of the UNDP-assisted project Institutional Development of Human Rights in Bangladesh which started in 1999 with a budget of about US$ 1.5 million.

Imams, or religious leaders, influence opinions and actions, especially in rural Bangladesh. Even though they may not be qualified to do so, it is not unknown for imams to pronounce fatwas, or religious edicts, against social and political matters that can range from the legitimacy of a marriage, to women exercising their right to vote in national and local elections. In recent years, the fatwas have been directed mostly at women, which has frequently resulted in their public humiliation, and physical and psychological suffering.

But the first major stride has been made to turn this around. Under the Religious Leaders Training on Human Rights component of the project, the Islamic Foundation of Bangladesh is conducting training courses for imams that will build the bridge between the principles of Islam, human rights, and the people’s right to development. There are more than 200,000 imams in the country, and armed with their new-found knowledge, they will be formidable proselytes of human rights, to carry forward the true spirit of Islam.                    – Shamim Hamid, UNRC