Editorial, The Daily Star (Bangladesh),October 15, 2012
New way of creating social strife
People need to verify before reacting
This paper's investigative report, “Devil's Design” on the recent burning of the Buddhists temples brings into focus a whole new method of creating conflict and causing social unrest and bringing about inter-communal strife. As our investigation clearly proves that the whole insult to the Holy Quran episode was completely faked and created solely for the purpose of instigating the majority Muslim community to feel outraged and retaliate. Not only was the Face book picture contrived so was the subsequent reaction. First news of the fake insult was spread through mobile phones and word of mouth, then people were ferried to designated spots, encouraged to work up a furious mood through processions and offensive slogans, supplied implements to attack the peace loving Buddhists community and finally goaded to set alight centuries old temples. As the temples burnt to the ground so did the confidence of the Buddhist people that such events would never occur in free and independent Bangladesh.
We, in Bangladesh, have had our share of riots, most often instigated by communal elements because of some events occurring in some other parts of the country, or even of the sub-continent. But never have these been created by using the social media and the digital space. What is of serious concern for us is the prospect that such attempt may recur and that more vicious steps may be taken to create social strife.
What we need to do now, without in any way harming this fantastic opportunity for social inter-action, is to carry out a massive campaign of the way social media functions and the vulnerabilities it has. We must make our people aware of the benefits of technology and at the same time show how these can be manipulated to serve nefarious political and communal agenda.
Most importantly we must warn our people not to react to provocative messages or illustrations on social media and the internet without verifying the veracity of the content. Police and other law enforcers must also be trained to react more professionally on such occasions. Most of all we must teach ourselves the fundamental lesson of history that harming another person's religion has never been a successful response for gaining other's respect for our own religion.
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