Re: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/46836
and also Re: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/46755
Quite a hilarious piece by Mr. Sarkar. Mixing up support of
Obama or not with rationality. The issue was not whether Mr.
Sarkar's non-support of Obama made him a non-freethinker.
Rather the issue was HIS allegation that support of Obama
meant goins against ratioanlity. He cleverly turned around
the issue to suit him so he can defend himself easily (After
all, not supporting a political candidate is not against
rationality). Reminds me of strawman fallacy that many our
rational members of MM often refer to. It was he, Mr. Sarkar
who made the loaded and blanket characterization that ALL
Deshis support Obama because of his (perceived) Islamic
connection and hence they(i.e any Deshi Obama supporter)
cannot be truly rational. Is that naive and simplistic or
what?. It is. But what is bothersome is the disingenuous way
that Mr. Sarkar twisted the issue around made a strawman of
his opponents that THEY are accusing him of not being
rational because he does not support Obama. That is why he is
repeating his stand on Obama and McCain ad infinitum. Mr.
Sarkar's reference to the two criteria of rationality are
totally irrelevant here, and possibly both him and Dr.
JafforUllah and meet that criterion. So bringing in such
unnecessary baggagein the debate was tendentious at best .
Let us all be clear what the issue is. The issue is whether
suporting Obama's candidacy automatically makes a Deshi an
Islamist, and thus a non-freethinker. That was very
simplistic analysis by Mr. Sarkar to imply so. It certainly
doesn't. To analyze Obama it is irrelevant to talk about
Deshi mindset. The issue was Obama's preferability over other
candidates, not Deshi mindset. I think the reason many are
leaning towards Obama is to express a negative vote for
status quo on Iraq and economy which republicans represent
and to a large extent Hillary, specially on Iraq issue. Obama
not have to be flawless. All he has to be is against Iraq war
and more middle class friendly then others. If Edwards was
competing agaisnt Clinton then he would also have been
preferred over her by many, including many Deshis for the
same reason. It is not because there is something
extraordinary in Obama to be gaga about. What does it matter
if a handful of deluded Deshis support him for the wrong
reason (that he has some Islam connection?). Is it worse than
supporting McCain or Hillary? First of al If the Islam loving
Deshis help Obama to be elected then all the power to them. I
would look at it as exploiting them for the right cause(
overthrow the status quoist on Iraq and the war hawks they
represent). If Obama will not in the end serve their Islamic
dream then why even bring it up as an issue?. Their support
for Obama cannot hurt anyone except them if Obama does not
help their islamic cause/ dream!. But like all other groups,
not all Deshis think the same. It is simplistic and brainless
to generalize all Deshis as being Islamic minded. Many would
support Obama for the reason I mentioned, not because of his
perceived Islamic connection. Mind you Ex fed chairman
Volcker has endorsed Obama. And he is not Islamic minded.
Then why does a Deshi (I assume you meant Deshi as one born
in Bangladesh and living in USA) have to automatically
Islamic minded just because of being a Deshi? Is that the
kind of logic you believe in?. Can our freethinker members
cite any logical rule that would support this kind of
conclusion? Also not all of the Islamic minded Deshis have
the illusion that Obama would serve Islamic interest. Only
some among the Islamic minded Deshis do. Rather many Islamic
Deshis would still support neocons as the neocons seem to be
very friendly with Wahabi Saudi kings who are more dangerous
than the Talibans, because they are exploiting their good
relation with USA to infiltrate, indoctrinate Wahahabi
ideologies all around the globe including USA. If and when
their goal is achieved they will mend their fences with Bin
Laden. Their difference with Bin Laden is only in the means,
not in the goal. One of the most delusional notions that many
non-Deshi and Deshi neocons like Mr. Sarkar and Mr. Guha
represent, have is that opposing Iraq war is automatically a
pro-Islamic stand, and supporting it is anti- Islamic. Guess
what deshi neocons. Saudi arab supported Iraq war. Are the
Wahabi Sauidis anti-Islamic? On the other hand many atheists (
not including many Deshis), hollywood celebrities, US
statesmen, military men, economists etc have opposed Iraq war.
Are they Islamophiles? What a naivette!. These simple minded
folks do not even know that Islamic Arab countries hated
Saddam's Iraq because he was anti-Islamic, and secular. Thats
why they supported US invasion of Iraq. Look at Iraq today.
Not much different from Wahabi Saudis. Sharia laws are
officially in effect. Women are scared to come out and dress
normally like they did before. Madrasahs and Mullahs are
reigning all over. Saddam had them under control with his
iron rod. Women were the top scientists in Saddam's
government. Mullah were like rats hiding in their burrows
during Saddam's regime. Now they are out like hyneas baring
there jaws. The Neocons do not mind that. They would rather
not have a secular progressive scientifically/
technologically advanced Iraq, like it was under Saddam,
because then Iraq would have been hard to manipulate and
exploit.
- Jamil Asgor
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