Re: [ALOCHONA] Prothom -alo Cartoon and few words

As I was habitually going through a myriad of news sources (both online and offline) this morning, this little story caught my attention. I am disappointed that the CTG would arrest this journalist and actually cave into the demands of these radical ideologues. You know, I feel that CTG has recently turned into a more "reactive", as opposed to a "proactive" mode. It is truly fearing riots and public unrests, more criticisms from the international community, and pressure from the fundamentalist bloc. The way CTG is acting is contrary to what it stands for, or at least what it has been preaching since it took power.

 

If CTG cannot guarantee freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom of movement, during an artificial "state of emergency", it is no different than the previous regimes. By arresting the journalist, CTG is setting a precedence that every time these fundamentalist groups demand something or ban some activities, it would do so to appease them.

 

While growing up, I remember taking pride in our secular culture, tolerant society, moderate religious practices, and progressive thinking. Now it feels like a distant memory, and I want my country back from these religious nut jobs. I digress...

 

If CTG wants to establish institutionalized democracy, it needs to stop equating free and fair elections with democracy. Free and fair election is a process, but has nothing to do with democracy. Case in point, the last regime was also elected through a relatively free election. CTG needs to release the journalist immediately, and protect the newspaper and its editor from these fundamentalist idiots. If they protesters want to rally, let them be. They also have the right to protest, no matter how ridiculous their cause may be. CTG needs to send a clear message that no one's right to free speech will be thwarted. CTG needs to practice what it is preaching.

 

For the faithful zealots, Mark Twain said it best in his autobiography:

 

"In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing."

Cheers,

Cyrus 

 

On 9/20/07, Adnan Syed <adnanhumanist@yahoo.com > wrote:

Dear Alochoks,

Probaly you all know the incident.
in Alpin, a humor supplement of daily Prothom-Alo, a
joke was published mistakenly with a innocent
intention on September 17. The Joke was:
A man: What is your name?
Boy: Babu.
Man: Say Mohammed Babu.What's is your father's name?
Boy: X.
Man: Say Mohammed X.What is that in your lap?
Boy: Mohammed cat.
It was a mistake. And after publishing this joke, the
Mawlana's started demanding banning of Prothom Alo and
arresting the publisher and editor. The cartoonist, a
freelancer youth of 20 has been arrested. Government
banned all the copies of that magazines.
Next day, September 18, Prothom Alo's editor said
Sorry and begged pardon in the front page. On
September 19, same regrets and begging pardon was once
again published in the name of the editor. And the sub
editor in charge of that section was terminated due to
carelessness.
But fundamentalists did not stop. They are more
aggressive now.
And the govt. is thinking to obey to the demand of the
fundamentalists.
Foundamentalists are keep demanding to arrest the
editor Mr. Matiur Rahman.
Matiur Rahman is a Magsaysay Award winner journalist
and an icon
of free press in our country. Ironically he is the
most strong supporter of this Govt. and it's reform
works.
We strongly demand not to harass an editor and a free
newspaper.
If Matiur Rahman can be arrested, there's nobody in
this country is not vulnerable to fundamentalist's
danger.

Adnan Syed
NY

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