In both america and Bangladesh, moreso in the latter, secularism is a structured form of elite oppression against the masses. In America it reflects the American elites’ belief in the moral superiority of the French, while in Bangladesh it reflects the Bangladeshi elites’ belief in the moral superiority of Europeans.

My family is Ahmedi, (not a community historically disposed to the moral superiority of Europeans or Christians and not an upper class family either) so secularism was and is a way of making sure the masses don’t turn us into mincemeat (in Bangladesh too)

What I’m trying to drive at is that this ignores indigenous leftist as well as minority (historically Ahmedis were never leftist with exception of 1970) movements.

It does, insofar as religious minorities have very little influence on Bangladeshi political dynamics. The overriding force for secularism in the country is the notion that Islam is for poor and backward people. Similarly in the US, religion is what actually poorer racial minorities have in common with the dominant group. Secularism actually arose in the US in response to poor Catholic immigrants.

How can this be true with Washington’s letter to the Jews, Jefferson’s Bible and letter to the Danbury Baptists, the Ohio constitution, etc

https://fedsoc.org/federalist-society-review-new/the-ohio-co...