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**************************************************** Mukto Mona plans for a Grand Darwin Day Celebration: Call For Articles: http://mukto-mona.com/wordpress/?p=68 http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585 **************************************************** VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/ **************************************************** "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it". -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190
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Dear Friends, Please find me reading my own poem at the Langston Hughes Public Library, on May 27 2009, in an event organized by the Queens Borough President's Office and the Queens Poet Laureate Committee. Thank you for watching the video. Sincerely, Hassanal Abdullah __._,_.___ **************************************************** Mukto Mona plans for a Grand Darwin Day Celebration: Call For Articles: http://mukto-mona.com/wordpress/?p=68 http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585 **************************************************** VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/ **************************************************** "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it". -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190 __,_._,___
FBI Kills Islamic Cleric, Arrests Followers, For Being Muslims At The Wrong Time In America By Stephen Lendman On October 28, New York Times writer Nick Bunkley wrote the following: "Federal agents (today) fatally shot a man they described as the leader of a violent Sunni Muslim separatist group in Detroit." Targeted was Luqman Ameen Abdullah "whom agents were trying to arrest in Dearborn on charges that included illegal possession and sale of firearms and conspiracy to sell stolen goods." Imam Luqman Abdulah The Times echoed FBI allegations that Abdullah "began firing at them from a warehouse (and) was shot in the return fire...." Ones also that he said: -- "America must fall;" -- if police tried to arrest him he'd "strap a bomb on and blow up everybody;" and -- that he urged his followers to get bulletproof vests by "shoot(ing) a cop in the head and tak(ing) their vest." In fact, neither happened, and no surprise. No bombs were found or went off, and bulletproof vests are easily bought online from web sites like bulletproofme.com, so why shoot anyone to get them. Post-9/11, America declared war on Islam with the FBI in the lead at home. It notoriously targets the vulnerable, entraps them with paid informants, inflates bogus charges, spreads them maliciously through the media, then intimidates juries to convict and sentence innocent men and some women to long prison terms. Justice is nearly always denied. At times willful killings are committed. The Detroit Muslims are their latest victims. The Muslim Community Reacts The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) "is a public service agency working for the civil rights of American Muslims, for the integration of Islam into American pluralism, and for a positive, constructive relationship between American Muslims and their representatives." Since its 1988 founding, it's become known for promoting "Mercy, Justice, Peace, Human Dignity, Freedom, and Equality for all." On October 29, MPAC's Executive Director, Salam Al-Marayati said: "There is a clear and present danger in the escalating mob mentality against vulnerable Muslim Americans." The organization called for an investigation into the shooting death, saying it is "deeply disturbed" by the incident. So is the Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), a national network of masjids (mosques), Muslim organizations and individuals committed to addressing the needs of the Muslim community. It released a statement saying: "It is with deep sadness and concern that we announce the shooting death of Imam Luqman A. Abdullah, of Masjid Al-Haqq (Detroit, MI). Imam Luqman was a representative of the Detroit Muslim community to the 'National Ummah' and the general assembly (Shura) of the Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA)...." Ummah founder Jamil Al-Amin (aka H. Rap Brown) wanted it to be an association of mosques in US cities to coordinate religious and social services primarily in the black community. Calling it a "nationwide radical fundamentalist Sunni group consisting primarily of African-Americans" is an "offensive mischaracterization." Those who've worked with Imam Abdullah know him for having "advocated for the downtrodden and always sp(eaking) about the importance of connecting to the needs of the poor." Alleging that he and his followers engaged in illegal activity, resisted arrest, and waged an "offensive jihad against the American government" are "shocking and inconsistent." On October 30, the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT), a coalition of major national Islamic organizations, issued this statement: "It is imperative that an independent investigation of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah's death make public the exact circumstances in which he died. And unless the FBI has evidence linking the criminal allegations to the religious affiliation of the suspects, we ask that federal authorities stop injecting religion into this case. The unjustified linkage of this case to the faith Islam will only serve to promote an increase in existing anti-Muslim stereotyping and bias in our society." AMT also urged the Congressional Tri-Causus (African-American, Latino and Asian) to call for a judicial inquiry. A statement from The International Council for Urban (Formations) Peace, Justice and Empowerment read: We members "are appalled by the raids on Masjid Al-Haqq and a halal meat packing plant that left (Abdullah) dead. We are demanding an independent investigation into this action that is clearly the result of a climate of Islamophobia fed by law enforcement and a media bent on sensationalism. (The FBI's) complaint and the resulting raid are nothing more than government sponsored terrorism against a group that was working to help the community...." "The inconsistencies in this investigation are glaring. The case is based on sworn statements of informants. These informants were convicted criminals who were paid by the federal government for their 'work.' These criminals were used to engage and entrap law abiding citizens...." We "never heard Imam Abdullah make any statements (or suggest any actions) consistent with the statements in the complaint...." "The FBI has stated that this was not a terrorism case. However, the investigation was conducted by a counter terrorism unit." "....Masjid Al-Haqq, under the direction of Imam Abdullah, fed the hungry, housed the homeless, worked with gangs and the formerly incarcerated to turn a crime ridden and drug infested neighborhood around to becoming a productive community....The most disturbing fact is that a religious leader who reached out to his people and his community is dead, the victim of a society that sees anyone who is different as dangerous." Omar Regan, Abdullah's son, led the Friday, October 30 prayers at the Al-Haqq mosque, and said the following: "My father was a sharp-tongued individual. He would talk about his dislike of the government, about how law enforcement wasn't protecting and serving the people. But speaking his emotions and acting on (them) are two different things." Other community members echoed that sentiment in accusing the FBI of heavy-handed tactics that killed Abdullah maliciously from multiple gunshot wounds. Abdullah El-Amin, an imam at Detroit's Muslim Center (the city's largest black mosque), said he knew Luqman for years and never heard him talk about wanting a separate Muslim state, just something "like the Pennsylvania Dutch have (with) their own communities and stuff." He and about 20 other Detroit imams attended an October 29 meeting with US Attorney Terrence Berg and FBI Special Agent Andrew Arena at which they charged the Agency with entrapping Abdullah, then killing him in cold blood. One informant, they said, was a former Abdullah follower with a criminal past, and he and the others "came to a place where people are not getting social security, unemployment. They had nothing," so could easily be manipulated to sell stolen items they provided. Dawud Walid, Executive Director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said: "The very incendiary rhetoric that the FBI alleges, I never heard that from (Abdullah). There was nothing extraordinary about him....I knew him as a respected imam in the Muslim community....I knew him to be charitable. He would open up the mosque to homeless people. He used to run a soup kitchen and feed indigent people....I knew nothing of him that was related to any nefarious or criminal behavior." Walid added: "Is this the kind of excessive force that we black Americans are all too familiar with?" He also questioned using informants he called "agent provocateurs" who entice law-abiding people to self-incriminate. Other community members believe Abdullah was maliciously targeted, that the FBI likely initiated gunfire, and if he shot back it was in self-defense. Even the FBI's complaint admitted that whatever alleged crimes were planned or committed, they were minor and inconsequential. Hardly offenses warranting a high-profile raid, shoot-out, and political assassination. Department of Justices Allegations On October 28, a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release headlined: "Eleven Members/Associates of Ummah Charged with Federal Violations - One Subject Fatally Shot During Arrest." The FBI and US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, Terrence Berg, charged: "Luqman Ameen Abdullah, aka Christopher Thomas, and 10 others with conspiracy to commit several federal crimes, including theft from interstate shipments, mail fraud to obtain the proceeds of arson, illegal possession and sale of firearms, and tampering with motor vehicle identification numbers. The eleven defendants are members of a group that is alleged to have engaged in violent activity over a period of many years, and known to be armed." Those charged were "believed to be armed and dangerous (so) special safeguards were employed by law enforcement to secure the arrests without confrontation. During the arrests today, the suspects were ordered to surrender. At one location, four (did) and were arrested without incident. Luqman Ameen Abdullah did not surrender and fired his weapon. An exchange of gun fire followed and Abdullah was killed." "Abdullah was the leader of part of a group which calls themselves Ummah ('the brotherhood'), a group of mostly African-American converts to Islam, which seeks to establish a separate Sharia-law governed state within the United States. The Ummah is ruled by Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, formerly known as H. Rap Brown, who is serving a (life) sentence (without parole) in USP Florence, CO, ADMAX (supermax), for the murder of two police officers in Georgia." In the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, a criminal complaint named: -- Luqman Ameen Abdullah (aka Christopher Thomas); -- Mohammad Abdul Bassir (aka Franklin D. Roosevelt Williams); -- Muhammad Abdul Salaam (aka Muhammad Addul Salam; aka Gregory Stone; aka Gun Man; aka Norman Shields); -- Abdul Saboor (aka Swayne Edward Davis); -- Muhahid Carswell (aka Muhahid Abdullah, Luqman's son); -- Abdullah Beard (aka Detric Lamont Driver); -- Mohammad Philistine (aka Mohammad Palestine; aka Mohammad Al-Sahli); -- Yassir Ali Khan; -- Adam Hussain Ibraheem; -- Garry Laverne Porter (aka Mujahid); and -- Ali Abdul Raqib. At the time of the raid, three of the men were still at large - Mujahid Carswell (Abdullah's son), Mohammad Philistine and Yassir Ali Khan. However, Windsor, Ontario police announced the arrest of Carswell the next day, and on October 31, they arrested Philistine and Ali Khan. The unsealed complaint charged Abdullah with "espous(ing) the use of violence against law enforcement, (and) train(ing) members of his group in the use of firearms and martial arts in anticipation of some type of action against the government." It said "Abdullah and other members of this group were known to carry firearms and other weapons." According to FBI Counter-Terrorism Squad Special Agent Gary Leone, a "confidential source" (aka paid informant) called S-2 provided "reliable and credible" information, "independently corroborated by other sources, and by consensual recordings he has made with the members of The Ummah at the direction of the FBI." In a "surreptitiously" recorded December 12, 2007 conversation, "S-2 told Abdullah he had asked to donate $5,000 to pay to have someone 'do something' during the 2006 Super Bowl in Detroit. Abdullah said he would not be involved in injuring innocent people for no reason: 'If there's something to be done....it (has) to be legitimate.' " He then allegedly said...."things are coming....I got some violence (in me) because of what they did to Imam Jamil (H. Rap Brown)....I got some stuff, man, I got some soldiers with me....Brothers that I know would, you know, if I say 'Let's go, we going to go and do something,' they would do it." Leone said this and other recordings "confirm(ed) by (another paid informant) S-1 (showed) that Abdullah and his followers view themselves as soldiers at war against the United States government, and against non-Muslims," yet nothing in his above statement says that, so charges amount to putting FBI allegations in the mind of a dead man, unable to refute them. The DOJ presented no evidence of a plot, a crime, or intent to commit one. The FBI used three paid informants for over two years. On October 10, 2008, the third, S-3, allegedly recorded Abdullah saying: "We have to cut the ties to (Christians, Jews, and the Kuffar (infidels). You cannot please them until you follow their religion....Obama is a Kafir (infidel, non-Muslim, an insulting term for any African American)....the premise of Allah and Islam (is) 'the worst Muslim is better than the best Kafir....we should be trying to figure out how to fight the Kuffar....Washington is trying to stop everything we do....they are my enemy, and I should be trying to plot as to how to make moves to get some things accomplished....(we) need to plan to do something." These and other recordings show anger, not intent to commit crimes. Yet that's what the DOJ alleges. Saying "We are going to have to fight against the Kafir" suggests resistance against a hostile state. Even stronger statements, allegedly recorded, aren't hard evidence of planned violence against the FBI, other federal agents, or anyone else. In its October 28 press release, the DOJ acknowledged that the above criminal complaint "is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment." Yet the FBI killed Abdullah, allegedly in a shoot-out with only its account for proof, an Agency notorious for political assassinations and twisting facts to make its case. Imam Umar Responds In a widely distributed message, an Imam Umar wrote: "The FBI ups the ante. They set up Imam Luqman of Detroit and murdered him. We know him and the community he comes from. This is no terrorist trap. This was part criminal sting and when the Imam and his brothers peeped the tricks of the FBI, they lured him to a warehouse and killed him. Now they accuse Imam Jamil (H. Rap Brown) who has been in prison for the past ten years as leader of this group. He is an easy target. A lone Imam with the FBI was also an easy target. The FBI is not only tricky and devious....they are extremely dangerous thugs and murderers." A follow-up message added: "The FBI is known for their murderous tactics all over the world. When they are given an assignment they use every imaginative strategy to accomplish their goal. When they were under J. Edgar Hoover, he found various ways to discredit Martin Luther King....They turned the Black Stone Rangers against the Black Panthers in Chicago that (caused) the death of the (BPP) leaders. They got the Huey P. Newton and Eldredge Cleaver factions to kill one another. They have gone after the so-called terrorists with one phony case after another. They first went after immigrants, decimating their numbers in America. Now they are after African American Muslims. Next will most likely be the support groups of mostly white people....These FBI devils are very shrewd and their evil spreads....The murder of a good Muslim will only make it more dangerous to live in America. They know that black people sooner or later will fight back." "The Ummah is not a 'brotherhood,' it is the Arabic word for 'community.' This group setting up a Muslim state? What a joke. They can hardly set up an annual conference. This information is to cause fear....to cause backlash against Muslims....Let the FBI continue with their tricks, lies and murder. Before long, everyone will see through their veil and they will become the target." Imam Jamil Al-Amin, Formerly Known as H. Rap Brown Born Hubert Gerold Brown, he became famously known as H. Rap Brown, a 1960s civil rights activist, social commentator, and chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (succeeding Stokely Carmichael) where he distinguished himself as a charismatic leader and effective organizer. In 1968, he was named minister of justice for the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense that strove for ethnic justice, racial emancipation, and real economic, social, and political equity across gender and color lines. As a result, he was targeted by federal and state authorities, charged with inciting a riot in Maryland, violating the National Firearms Act, and illegally crossing state lines to skip bail. During his 1970 firearms trial, he disappeared for 17 months and was placed on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list. In late 1971, he reemerged after being arrested and falsely charged with armed robbery in Manhattan. Convicted, he served five years in Attica State Prison. While there, he converted to Islam and changed his name to Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin. After release, he started an Atlanta mosque and operated a small grocery store and community center. Then in 2000, he was charged with murdering a black police officer and injuring his partner in a gun battle outside his store. In 2002, he was tried, and despite strong evidence of his innocence, was convicted on 13 counts, including murder, aggravated assault, obstruction, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. At trial, his lawyers argued for a case of mistaken identity, claimed prosecutors were out to get him for decades, and presented a strong defense in his behalf, including: -- his fingerprints weren't on the murder weapon; -- he wasn't wounded in the incident even though the arresting deputy said he shot the assailant; -- he also identified his eyes as gray; Al-Amin's are brown; -- his attire didn't match clothing the shooter wore; -- blood found at the scene was discounted and unchecked; -- potentially exculpatory evidence relating to the sheriff's vehicle was either lost or destroyed; -- a man named Otis Jackson confessed to the crime; it was ignored, never introduced at trial, days later Jackson recanted, and the defense team never got a chance to interview him; and -- withheld evidence and proceedings were so controversial that observers believed Brown was convicted pre-trial for his civil rights activism and conversion to Islam; he was clearly a targeted man; It became clearer when the Georgia Supreme Court agreed that the prosecution committed a grave constitutional error when, in closing arguments, the assistant district attorney directed jurors to consider posed questions relating to Al-Amin's failure to present testimony or evidence. Nonetheless, the Court upheld the verdict. Afterward, his legal team filed a habeas corpus writ citing gross irregularities, including: -- not investigating Otis Jackson's confession; -- denying a change of venue due to negative publicity; -- prohibiting Al-Amin from testifying in his own defense; -- eliminating Muslims from the jury pool; -- dismissing three of his four trial lawyers; -- prohibiting potentially exculpatory evidence from being introduced; -- denying favorable testimony in his behalf; -- withholding discovery from the defense team; -- denying them a chance to cross-examine an FBI agent relating to his prior misconduct against a Muslim, his misleading and false testimony, and charges that he tampered with evidence; and -- inflammatory media reports during trial, portraying Al-Amin as a radical extremist. A Final Comment As a nationally known civil rights champion and Islamic leader, Al-Amin was a prime FBI COINTELPRO target, the agency's infamous counterintelligence program against political activists, legitimate dissent, independent thought, and non-violent opposition to the Vietnam war, and racial and social injustice. It continues today against men like Abdullah, his followers, and dozens more like them for their faith, ethnicity, race, activism, prominence, and opposition to government injustice at the wrong time to be Muslim in America. According to an Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) December 2007 report on Al-Amin titled, "Prisoners of Faith Campaign Pack," many thousands of "Muslim prisoners of faith around the world" are being held in Muslim and non-Muslim countries, including politicians, human rights activists, students, writers, and others with "one thing in common:" their adherence "to the Islamic belief and way of life." They're portrayed as "terrorists, inciters of religious hatred or of even trying to change the constitution of the country" where they live. They're vilified and denied their civil rights. In custody, they're neglected, brutalized, tortured, and forgotten as non-persons. As one of them, Al-Amin once said: "For more than thirty years, I have been tormented and persecuted by my enemies for reasons of race and belief....I seek truth over a lie; I seek justice over injustice; I seek righteousness over the rewards of evil doers; and I love ALLAH more than I love the state." For others like him, their struggle for equity, social justice, and mutual understanding persists against hostile government oppression. In America as much as anywhere. Its tradition continues. Stephen Lendman is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization. He lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to The Global Research News Hour on RepublicBroadcasting.org Monday - Friday at 10AM US Central time for cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on world and national issues. All programs are archived for easy listening. http://www.countercurrents.org/lendman021109.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Condemn that which is condemnable Whatever conclusions people make about the killing of Imam Luqman Abdullah, they should do so with all the facts in hand. If we find condemnable acts, we should all condemn them. And where we find innocence, we should defend it. By Heather Laird We must condemn that which is condemnable. In the Qu'ran, Allah commands Muslims to speak the truth, even if it is against themselves. On October 28, Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah was fatally shot and killed during an FBI raid in Dearborn, Michigan. Along with 10 other men, he was suspected of charges that included conspiracy to sell stolen goods, illegal possession and sale of firearms and altering numbers on license plates. They are suspected of these acts and, in both American law and Islamic law, suspicion is not enough to convict a person.
Unfortunately, none will be privy to the perspective of Imam Luqman as he chose to fight against the authorities. However, these acts, if true, are truly condemnable and no one would deny that truth. As the facts emerge over the coming days, weeks, and months, we can try to make sense and judge best what took place on that day and over the previous months of the FBI's investigation.
Over the next days, maybe the connection that authorities are trying to make between these 11 men and terrorism will become clearer. But thus far, all that seems to be evident is that these men were allegedly engaged in some type organized crime. Organized crime is not equal to terrorism and those guilty of it historically have not been broadcast in the media and identified with their religion.
For example, one never saw a headline that read that the Catholic John Gotti was convicted of a crime. We do not look at John Gotti and conjure up thoughts about Catholics even though we know he is Catholic. We simply see him as a former boss of organized crime.
Apart from the suspected charges in this case, it is also condemnable that media sources are using headlines like: "Feds: Islamic Radical Killed in Mich. Raid," and "Feds: Imam who led radical Sunni Islam group fatally shot in Detroit-area FBI raid." Yes, Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah was the Imam at Masjid Al-Haqq and those that mention his title do not seem to be feeding into the usual propaganda that follows any story relating to a Muslim.
But others, like the ones mentioned above, are starting down that all too familiar path of propaganda, repeating over and over that these were "radical" men, that they were "Muslim" men and "Islamic" men, therefore associating all things bad with "these people." If it is repeated enough then the public will believe it. This is how propaganda works. And just as propaganda was condemned in Nazi Germany and during the Cold War so should it be condemned against a minority of Muslims in America.
Another piece of this story that is condemnable is that both the Muslim community and the broader mainstream community did not serve its members well. Muslims are to 'know what the needs of our neighbors are before they have to tell us'. As well, Christians and Jews believe in 'loving thy neighbor.' The area surrounding Masjid Al-Haqq is an area known to have problems with crime, prostitution, drugs and poverty. Many of the people who live in this area are uneducated or undereducated, impoverished, or close to poverty level.
This Masjid sought to counsel and rehabilitate its community members, but why didn't the broader community know what was happening here? Why did we not know that these men were having issues? Why did we not contribute to their education and give them opportunities to do something other than what they were alleged to be doing? Did we not care? If we do care, isn't inaction the same as not caring? This should be condemned as well and something that as a community is examined moving forward.
What remains to be seen is how condemnable the Muslim organizations are for not vetting people better. In the days to come, surely all of who knew who Imam Luqman Ameen Abduallah was will be forthcoming, not the least of whom would be those who were part of the Majlis Ashura (advisory board) of the national organization MANA (Muslim Alliance of North America), where Imam Luqman sat.
This young organization serves many in the American community and has even conducted groundbreaking work around social issues like marriage counseling, divorce, and domestic violence. Many people affiliated with its boards are leaders in the Muslim community across the United States and have advised people in the American government. If this organization and others that Imam Luqman was affiliated with were to suffer because of a lack of knowing the company they kept, that is certainly condemnable as well.
Whatever conclusions people make, they should do so with all the facts in hand. And if we find condemnable acts, we should all condemn them. Where we find innocence, we should defend it. Where we find trouble-makers, we should call them out for their behavior.
Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah was a Muslim. Only the people involved in these events know what truly happened. As far as Imam Luqman's involvement, only he and Allah will now know the true extent of his actions. Whether a Muslim is one who is practicing or one who is astray, when a Muslim dies it is said: "To Allah do we belong and to Him shall we return." And Muslims pray for forgiveness also for those who have preceded them in death. Heather Laird is a Michigan-based writer for mainstream and Muslim publications and a Fellow at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. She is also one of the conveners for the 1st World Congress on Muslim Philanthropy in Istanbul, Turkey, and she has spoken at various community events in southeastern Michigan and at numerous universities in Michigan on topics concerning Muslims and Islam. A previous version of this article was published at Examiner.com | __._,_.___ [Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.] To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com __,_._,___
-----Forwarded Message----- From: Khawja Shamsuddin Sent: Nov 2, 2009 6:26 PM To: Subject: Police still rules the press in Bangladesh
It is an example of how the Chinese authorities apply not so subtle a pressure on photojournalists in a country like Bangladesh, where the police can still dominate, threaten the press with an iron hand but wearing velvet gloves. See the link below ! "You speak good Chinese", said Qian Kaifu, Cultural Councellor of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Bangladesh. A soft-spoken elderly gentleman. Standing beside him was a quiet, smartly dressed woman, Cao Yanhua the Cultural Attache, who passed him a bag. "We've brought some presents for you." The 2010 calendar would be useful, but a silk tie was probably not the most appropriate gift for me. The tea was not so unreasonable. How were they to know I was not a tea drinker? Irfan knew the meeting with Free Voice, regarding the media academy was very important and wouldn't normally have disturbed me. So when Mr. Kaifu, instead of showing interest in our sole Chinese member Jessica Lim in the library, insisted that we find a quiet place to talk, I realized it was more than a courtesy call. He got straight to the point. "We would like you to cancel the Tibet exhibition" he said. Reminding me that Tibet was a part of China, he went on to explain how the Bangladesh China relationship would be affected if the show went on. He also spoke of the many things we could do together, the exhibitions we could bring. About how such a famous organisation like Drik would find many partners in China. It seemed churlish to remind him that my recent application for a visa when I was to judge the TOPS photojournalism contest in China, had been rejected. As politely as I could, I reminded Mr. Kaifu that ours was an independent gallery. I asked him how he felt he had the right to tell us, what we could show. I invited him to the show and assured him that he would be free to present his own opinion at the opening. We would be happy to show a Chinese exhibition, if the quality was right. He wanted to see the gallery and a colleague showed him around as I went back to the meeting. I was reminded of the time when the director of the British Council in Dhaka had demanded that we take down Roshini Kempadoo's exhibition, the European Currency Unfolds, as he felt it showed Britain in a bad light. Of the midnight call by the minister, on the eve of the first Chobi Mela, when he felt 'certain' images that didn't support the official version of the war of 1971, should be taken down from the National Museum walls. Of the fact that the Alliance Francaise, had backed out of their sponsorship of my show criticising general Ershad's rule. Of how every major gallery, including the 'progressive' Art College gallery had refused to show the work. Of the civil society protest against the government, when they had used the military to round up opposition activists, that had taken place in our gallery. Of why we needed a gallery of our own. On that last occasion, people with knives, under military protection, had attacked me in the street the following day. I had no illusions about the implications of our action, but this small organisation was going to hold its ground. We had relocated from the National Museum, and put up the 1971 show at Drik instead. Despite the threats, our curatorial freedom is something we have staunchly protected, every time. It was evening before the phone call from the ministry of culture came in. "China was a friend, you mustn't show pictures of Dalai Lama" the high ranking official went on. "No no we are not talking of censorship, but…" This was followed by some artist who spoke as if he was a friend. I couldn't place either of the callers, though I could place the ministry official by his rank. I could see it was to be a multi-pronged attack. I was in a meeting with two Korean professors that Gitiara Nasreen, the chairperson of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Dhaka university had brought over to Drik when Hasanul Huq Inu MP, the president of JSD (Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal) called. He reminded me of how supportive Bangladesh was of the "One China Policy", the implications that holding the exhibition would have for the nation. The next visitors from Special Branch were perhaps to be expected. Speeding up the staff meeting in the studio, I went down to try and handle this next 'situation'. Mr. Khairul Kabir did most of the talking while Mr. Palash nodded from the side. They wanted details of the organisers. I asked for an official request. It wasn't simply my concern for the organisers, I also wanted to test out the ground rules. "Khamakha jotil kore phelchen" (you are making it unnecessarily complicated) was his veiled threat. I was familiar with this language, but decided to hold my ground. A few calls to 'higher ups' followed, made more for me to hear than anyone else. "He is not being cooperative… Yes he is here… I have explained the gravity of the situation… We have done nothing else yet…" went the conversation. The responses to the text messages I had been sending out in between began to come in. "Would you like some tea?" I offered. Mr. Kabir's smile was not as sweet as mine as he declined. A lawyer friend's response was heartening. I was within my rights to refuse to provide information until an official request had been made. I knew such technicalities might not help if the situation became more awkward, and decided to send out a twitter alert, just in case. A few more calls followed, to more 'higher ups' and the pair walked out to make more calls. That gave me the opportunity to call my lawyer friend and to mobilise more support. Just in case. Mohammad Enamul Huq of the Special Branch, inspecting the show on Tibet, at Drik Gallery. © Shehab Uddin/Drik/Majority World The Special Branch do like me. They came to visit again. Initially it was Mohammad Enamul Haq the Chief of City Special Branch Dhanmondi Zone. He had been sent by SS Additional IG. Shah Alam Officer in Charge Dhanmondi Thana, joined us later. The initial cordial conversation, turned sharp when I ref © Shehab Uddin/Drik/Majority World used to divulge the contact details of the organizers. They reminded me of how it would become difficult for Drik to operate in the future if we didn't take the side of the government. I reminded them that I was siding with the law. That the law applied to the police, was an unknown concept to Shah Alam. "The show has to be stopped" were his passing words, along with a terse instruction to pass on this message to the organizers. As we wait for the opening later this afternoon, I am unsure of where the next call is going to come from. Reports are coming in of the Bangladesh police preventing a journalist from filing torture allegations against paramilitary soldiers, I wonder what the implications are for Drik in the days to come. After 25 years of working to promote photography in Bangladesh, it is interesting to find the government suddenly taking an interest! |
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Noble Teachings of the Qur'an The Qur'an offers freedom of faith (10:108, 6:104, 10:99, 39:41, 11:121, 73:19, 43:88-89, 2:272, 76:29, 18:29, 42:48, 76:2-3, 3:20, 88:21-22, 16:82-83, etc.), freedom of religion (2:256, 109:6, 22:67-69, 42:15, 10:41, 2:139, 42:6, etc.), and freedom of freethinking (15:3, 17:84, 6:110, 10:11, 11:121, 52:45, etc.) without any temporal punishment. The Qur'an teaches to believe in all the previous Prophets of God as they represent the chain of evolution of the Prophethood (2:1-4, 3:84, 2:285, 4:152, 37:37, etc.). The Qur'an teaches that Islam is for everyone (2:62, 22:17, 21:107, 2:111-112, 5:69, 34:28, 103:1-3, 22:67, 10:47, 35:24, 16:36, 68:52, 49:13, 4:1, 2:213, 10:19, 17:70, etc.). Anyone from any corner of the world can also become Muslim at any time. The Qur'an teaches love, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness (1:1-2, 85:14, 21:107, 60:7, 4:17, 7:199, 39:53, 16:119, 3:159, 15:85, 16:119, 19:96, 2:160, 2:163, 4:27-28, etc.). The Qur'an is the only non-Jewish scripture in the world where Jews have been honored and protected in so many verses (2:40, 2:47-52, 2:57-58, 5:20, 5:44, 10:47, 10:90-93, 14:6, 17:2-3, 20:47-52, 20:77-80, 44:30-32, 45:16, etc.), good Jews have been praised and they have also been offered salvation if they follow the true teachings of Moses (2:62, 2:121-122, 3:113-115, 3:199, 5:12, 5:65-66, 5:69, 29:46, etc.). The Qur'an is the only non-Christian scripture in the world where Jesus and Mary have been honored with very high respect (3:42-55, 5:44-46, 5:110, 43:59, Chapter 19 on Mary, etc.), good Christians have been praised and they have also been offered salvation if they follow the true teachings of Jesus (2:62, 2:121-122, 3:113-115, 3:199, 5:65-66, 5:69, 5:82, 29:46, etc.). Unlike Bible that prescribes death penalty for idolatry and polytheism (Deuteronomy 17:3-5, 13:6-16; 2 Chronicles 15:13; Ephesians 5:5; Revelation 21:8; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Exodus 20:4-5; etc.), the Qur'an doesn't have any temporal punishment for the same (22:17, 6:107-8, 22:67-69, 17:84, 49:11). The Qur'an teaches that the pre-Qur'anic people will be judged according to their own deeds and actions (2:134, 10:47, 35:24, 16:36, 40:78, 4:164, 17:15, 62:5, 5:44, 20:133-4, etc.). The Qur'an is the only religious Book that strongly condemns female infanticide and killing children because of poverty (16:58-59, 81:8-9, 6:137, 6:140, 6:151, 17:31). The Qur'an teaches in various ways to free the slaves that come into possession as a result of war (90:12-13, 9:60, 5:89, 2:177, 4:3, 4:25, 4:92, 24:33, 58:3, 8:67, 47:4, etc.). The Qur'an strongly condemns terrorism and oppression (4:75, 22:39-40, 9:13-14, 42:39-43, 38:28, 2:190-193). The Qur'an strongly condemns unjust killing and suicide (5:32, 2:195, 4:29-30, 4:91-93, 17:31, 17:33, 6:151, 25:68, 3:21, etc.). The Qur'an teaches self-defense and tolerance (60:7-9, 2:190-3, 6:107-8, 6:68, 49:11, 39:3, 16:126-128, 73:10, 19:46-47, etc.). The Qur'an advises the believers of Islam not to take intolerants, slanderers, and haters as friends and protectors (5:51-61, 60:7-9, 3:118-120, etc.). The Qur'an strongly condemns priesthood and religious peddlers (2:41, 2:79, 5:44, 3:187, 9:9, 9:31, 9:34, 2:174, 12:104, etc.). The Qur'an strongly forbids eating up others' property (2:188, 4:2, 4:10, 4:161, etc.). The Qur'an strongly condemns defrauders (83:1-4, 55:7-9, 17:35, 6:152, etc.). The Qur'an teaches not to follow feeble oath-monger, slanderer, greedy, and hinderer of the good (68:10-13, 49:11-12). The Qur'an teaches to follow the middle and straight path (17:29, 25:67, 2:143, 23:62, 4:171, 17:9, 2:286). The Qur'an gives equal status and rights to men and women (4:1, 4:7, 4:124, 3:195, 16:97, 33:35, 49:13, etc.). The Qur'an is probably the only religious Book where women have the right to inherit (4:7). The Qur'an gives rights and dignity to orphans, needy, and widows (2:177, 2:115, 2:220, 2:240-241, 4:2, 4:8, 4:10, 4:36, 9:60, 17:26, 17:34, 93:9-10, 89:17-18, 6:152, 107:1-3, etc.). The Qur'an encourages men to give dower to women as free gift whom they marry (4:4). The Qur'an teaches to give charity to poor and needy (2:43, 2:177, 2:277, etc.). The Qur'an protects women's dignity from wicked men (24:4, 24:23). The Qur'an teaches that widow can re-marry if she wishes (2:234-240). The Qur'an teaches that woman can get divorce if she wishes (2:228-232). The Qur'an teaches that divorced woman can re-marry if she wishes (2:229, 2:232). The Qur'an teaches to be kind, helpful, and respectful to parents (29:8, 17:23, 46:15, 19:14, 6:151, 4:36, 2:215, 2:83, 71:28, etc.). The Qur'an forbids marrying one's mother, daughters, sisters, and many other close relatives (4:22-23). The Qur'an encourages both men and women to be modest and chaste (7:26-28, 24:30-31, 33:59, 2:268, 17:32, etc.). The Qur'an prescribes hundred stripes as a symbol of punishment for adultery and fornication to keep the society healthy (24:2). The Qur'an strongly discourages intoxicants and gambling (5:90-91). The Qur'an forbids eating dead animals, ferocious animals, blood, and pork (16:115). The Qur'an condemns bad magic that may harm gullible people (2:102). The Qur'an teaches to strive for good works (2:148). The Qur'an teaches not to lie and not to mix up truth with falsehood (45:7, 2:42, 52:11-12, 3:94, 3:71, 39:3, etc.). The Qur'an encourages people for seeking knowledge and asking question (17:36, 39:9, 47:24, 25:33, 38:29, 17:85, 21:7, 2:215-220, etc.). The Qur'an teaches not to ask those types of questions, which may cause you pain and trouble (5:101). For example, who is your real father? The Qur'an teaches not to follow conjecture (10:36, 17:36, 49:12). The Qur'an teaches, contrary to the superstitious belief of the then Arabs, that adopted son and biological son are not the same (33:4-5). The Qur'an teaches that majority may not be granted (6:116). The Qur'an encourages traveling (29:20, 22:46, 6:11, 40:21, 47:10, 30:42, 3:137, etc.). The Qur'an offers practical Golden Rule that can be followed (2:44, 41:34, 11:88, 60:7-9, 61:2-3, 8:61; Sahih Bukhari 8:73:26, 1:2:12). The Qur'an teaches to invite people to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching and to reason with them in ways that are best and most gracious (16:125). The Qur'an teaches to argue with the People of the Book in the best manner (29:46). The Qur'an teaches that God begets not, nor is He begotten as begetting is an un-Godly act (112:3, 4:171, 19:35, 10:68, 19:88-92, 5:75, etc.). Both the Qur'an and Bible teach that Jesus was a human (Acts 2:22; Qur'an 5:75, 25:20) and a Prophet of God (Matthew 21:11, Luke 24:19; Qur'an 2:87). The Qur'an teaches not to believe in Trinity as Jesus himself never preached this kind of irrational doctrine (Mark 12:29; Qur'an 4:171, 5:73). The Qur'an teaches not to believe in Original Sin as Jesus himself never preached this kind of inhumane doctrine (Ezekiel 18:20; Qur'an 17:15, 6:164, 53:38). The Qur'an is probably the only religious Book that protects monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques (22:40). The Qur'an invites people from the depth of Darkness into Light (14:1, 57:9). The Qur'an teaches not to practice monasticism as it is an impractical way of life (57:27). The Qur'an teaches to have Imaan (conviction) in the One and Only Unseen God (2:3, 112:1-4, 67:12, 36:11, 42:51, etc.). The Qur'an offers falsification test and challenge for the skeptics to falsify its Divine Claim (4:82, 17:88, 2:23-24, 10:37, etc.). The Qur'an very emphatically and uniquely claims to be the Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds in so many verses (4:82, 17:88, 2:23-24, 10:37, 32:2, 26:192-4, 16:102, 36:5, 42:51-53, 41:52-53, 56:77-82, 69:40-51, 25:4-6, etc.). The Qur'an offers various logics for the unbelievers of God (22:5, 75:36-40, 22:73, 23:91, 2:28, 17:99, 19:66-67, 21:22, 29:46, 6:99, etc.). The Qur'an ensures absolute justice in this world and in the hereafter (4:135, 5:8, 4:58, 57:25, 39:69-70, 40:17, 41:46, 21:47, 36:54, 2:281, 7:29, 16:111, 17:13-15, 20:134-135, 4:124, etc.). The Qur'an teaches that this temporal world is a test for the hereafter (18:7, 67:2, 2:155, 2:214, 29:2-3), and each and every individual will be judged perfectly according to his/her own deeds and actions (36:54, 4:85, 40:17, 21:47, 36:54, 2:281, 7:29, 16:111, 17:13-15, 20:134-135, 42:24, 4:123). The Qur'an promises eternal peace and salvation in the hereafter (85:11, 4:122, 14:23, 19:60-61, 32:19, 2:25, 2:112, 16:97, 4:124, etc.). | __._,_.___ [Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.] To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com __,_._,___
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