By JULHAS ALAM | AP
DHAKA: Bangladesh will retain Islam as the state religion in amendments the government is proposing to its constitution, a government minister said Tuesday.
A former military ruler declared Islam the state religion in 1988 by amending the charter, but it barely affected Bangladesh’s secular legal system mainly based on British common law.
The government says the proposed changes won’t affect the legal system. Inheritance and other family laws already are based on religion.
The decision was made late Monday at a Cabinet meeting, the minister told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
A special government committee prepared proposals for the amendment, and the government will send those proposals to the Parliament for passing as a law.
Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan in 1971 with help from India through a bloody nine-month war.
Categories: Asia, Bangladesh, Islam, Law and Religion
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
This sentence has been called “one of the best-known sentences in the English language” and “the most potent and consequential words in American history”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence
This is because the declaration of independence was not only freedom from the British royality but also from the Mullahs or self indulgent Priesthood, now the nations rather than pursuing happiness of the kings and Mullahs could pursue their own happiness and development. It was very prudent and profound that there was no mention of the Bible or Christianity in the Declaration of Independence.
We have covered separation of Mosque-Church and State in at least three Alislam-eGazettes. Here is collection of my articles on this and related themes:
http://knol.google.com/k/zia-shah/politics-and-human-rights/1qhnnhcumbuyp/284#