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Or:Bangla is our language. No one will be able to take it away … (Shafi Islam,Farmer, Shak Char)There was also the idea that English can be used as a medium for promoting thelocal culture:If we know English, we can invite the foreigners into our local culturalprogrammes. Then the foreigners can know about our culture. We can presentour culture to the rest of the world through English. (Rafiq, Mobile phone sales,Toke)English as an Islamic languageThere were similar opinions expressed about religion, with the majority ofrespondents saying that the increasing presence of English in society would haveno negative influence on religious practices and beliefs. This was nicely expressedby Suleiman Shahid (Farmer, Shak Char):If you are true, then your religious practices will not be negatively influenced.Some respondents mentioned that such attitudes might have been commonlyfound in the past, but they no longer are:A very small group of people once thought that English can have debilitativeeffect on our religious practices and cultures. But now such attitudes no morecan be found. Now even a madrasa [Islamic school] student knows that there isno way but to learn English. (Faruk Karim, Chairman, Toke)There was also a sense expressed that ‘every language is an Islamic language’(Maulana Mohamma Golam, Hafez, Shak Char).In fact, especially amongst the Islamic practitioners (Imams and teachers) therewas an emphatic sense that English can be used to serve Islam, and it allowspeople to engage with other Muslims throughout the world and to spread the wordof Allah:It would rather work as a plus point. Because when an aalim [scholar] goespreaching, he will be able to speak in both Bangla and English. (Fakir Ali,Teacher and part-time farmer, Shak Char)Certain of the participants extended the argument to suggest that in fact thethreat to society comes from not learning English, and that anti-English attitudes inBangladesh were a historical mistake that had resulted in the Bangladeshis as wellas the Muslims in India lagging behind in economic development:In British period, many Hindus learned English and they progressed muchwhile the Muslims thought that if they learn English, then their religion will benegatively affected and they would become Christian. As a result, the Muslimsdetached themselves from learning English. Actually this is the reality. This is thereason why we are lagging behind. (Harun Khan, Chairman, Shak Char)Attitudes English Bangladesh | 201