A generous question...

A couple of days back, there was a big news in our country propagated mainly by students of arts, culture and many more. They waged war against "Fundamentalism". In the TV what I saw was something like, "Fundamentalists are killing our culture....so stop fundamentalism.....erect Lalon Statue again in front of the ZIA...".

I closed my eyes, trying to figure out what they really wanted to mean...."Are they defining Culture as a whole?" Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted by the news caster of the TV when she said,"We will be right back after a short break....upto then please be with us...." OK- I'm with you, no problem at all...I have enough time to see and gulp your bunch of adds...! But what was that...our girls are dancing putting on sleeveless blouses and mini skirts on the sea beach! Half naked girls are posing in front of the camera men! I asked myself, "Is it our culture?" I am really confused! Still about 80% people of the country are living in the villages. Are they like those on the beach or in front of camera men...? I started pondering.

I went for shopping knowing fully well, "The shopkeeper is going to give me either adulterated food or else less weight in return..!". I asked myself, "Is it our culture?"

We are more than 85% Muslims...following at least minimum rules and regulations of Islam. Rests of the 15% are also following some other religions. In which religion it suggests for adulterated food or giving less weight? In which religion it suggests for nudism? Have any one ever seen how nuns in the Christianity or monks in Buddhism are dressed? Are they moderates or fundamentalists?

What is our culture? Is it on the beach.....on the street....in the shops....in the media...in the place of worship or every where in our life? Culture as defined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is, “the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group and that it encompasses in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs.” Is it not enough for a literate person to interpret those lines? If we take their complain and measure its weightage against each of the part mentioned in the definition ....Do you think that their complain can stand?

If one shout for fundamentalism....can any one ask that guy,"Are you learning anything without going into the fundamental aspects of it?" If the answer is YES-he would not be paid any attention at all-because he is not equipped yet to address the "Statue" business. If the answer is NO, he is fundamentalist in his own perspective. Should we not drive him out?

If you say, after all it was a gross step taken, undermining our culture by removing the Lalon statue....may I offer a generous question to you, how could you show and indulge those half naked girls in the TV and other medias....while knowing fully well , those are the gross deviations from our culture and major religions too!