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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

[ALOCHONA] Re: Feeble explanation from Yunus' / New Age 16/12/10



Dear Joy

 

One does not need to be an economist to know the difference between tax evasion and tax avoidance. I am not an economist and it takes a minute or two from anyone to understand the difference. If you speak for yourself then we can respectfully disagree and debate. Please make it clear if by `we' you are including the ruling party and prime minister. We can adjust the discussion accordingly. It is after all the prime minister of Bangladesh who does not know the difference.

 

I respectfully disagree with you. He did not stand up and say `I say I am an idol and therefore I am an idol'. He has been made an idol and he has used that to the advantage of Grameen and to the advantage of his ideas. Don't imagine that Hasina or Khaleda could have raised funds abroad for Bangladesh using personal integrity and intelligence. Almost everything that helps us to progress – be it an idea or a tool – is imported from the outside world. That same outside world made Yunus an idol and that same outside world will tear him down. It won't be Bangladeshis in our present condition. The world does not give a hoot what someone like Hasina thinks of someone like Yunus.

 

Patriotism. I would rather listen to Yunus talk about patriotism than listen to any politician who inspires you with patriotism. He may not be the best possible patriot but he a bigger and better patriot than either Hasina or Khaleda.  

 

For your clarification:

 

Yes, Grameen is doing business and should pay taxes. But it is up to the government to ensure Grameen pays taxes - we should not rely on the Norwegians.

 

Yes, Grameen has enjoyed an unprecendented tax holiday. But that is the fault of the government – not the fault of Grameen.

 

Yes, Grameen may have made exaggerated claims. That's the operating environment our politicians have created. But it is the failure of government that has allowed Grameen to make such claims.

 

Yes, Grameen received a lot of money since 1972. But the government of Bangladesh received more. A detailed study of Grameen's impact is necessary. A detailed study of government's impact is even more necessary.

      

Yes, microcredit is not the answer to everything.

 

Yes, NGOs are harsh with borrowers. As you said, they are businesses. Government banks are sometimes forgiving because they have to be – there are political consequences if they are not. NGOs are under no pressure to forgive. That is again the fault of government.

 

Yes, NGOs are not sovereign. But their behaviour is the fault of the government. It is the government that has turned our country into a safe haven for NGOs.

 

Yes, NGOs should be regulated and audited. Nobody disagrees with that. But if government is useless at it I wouldn't blame the NGOs.    

 

Dr Yunus' approach to this is correct. Creating companies and moving funds to reduce the tax burden – all within the law. These were not shell companies. It is not his job to go the tax authorities and say – hey, I did this to reduce tax. Nobody does that. Not even the Advisors to the Prime Minister.

 

Having said all this I still respect your opinion. By all means criticize high interest rates, unforgiving terms, tax holidays etc. But please, what is the real question?

 

The real question is – if the government does nothing in the next year to properly address your concerns will you hold the government to account?

 

Probably not.

 

Regards

 

Ezajur Rahman

Kuwait       

--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, Aniruddha Ghose <anrdghs@...> wrote:
>
> Dear Mr Ejajur
> In response to your comments:
> Though we are not economist we understand a little bit about tax evasion and tax
> avoidance. As a 'Paid' executive of Grammen Bank, Dr Yunus has every right to
> look after the 'wellbeing' of his company. He can use every legitimate way to
> reduce the tax as many of us do. But then he should not play the role of 'IDOL'.
> He is just another executive of a profit generating corporation and should stop
> teaching us about Patriotism.
> Gr Bank is not a charity. It is doing business; taking interest from people some
> times at a very high/controversial rate. If it is earning money it has to pay
> taxes as many of general public do.
> It is also enjoying an unprecedented Tax holiday for long.
> Regarding NGOs developmental works and its impact on economy, there is still
> controversy.
> The total amount of money they received since 1972 for working in Bangladesh
> should have changed the lives of 'All' the people of this country which has
> clearly not happened. It is not that they are not contributing; they are
> contributing but not to the scale they claim. And Micro credit is not the answer
> to every thing.
> The Govt is taking interest from people after lending money through Govt owned
> Banks. But can you cite one example of any NGO surrendering their loan and
> interest when their clients have suffered a natural disaster (flood, cyclone,
> drought) which is often case with national banks (e..g.Krishi Bank).
> NGOs are not sovereign they should be regulated and expenses audited.
> My objection is with Dr Yunus's attitude towards the whole event: creating many
> companies and transferring funds amongst them to avoid tax and to conceal the
> whole thing from authority. This tax is not the money of any party Government.
> It is the money which belong to people of Bangladesh.
>
> Regards
> Joy
>
> Feeble explanation from Yunus' / New Age 16/12/10
> In a letter published on Wednesday's New Age, F Islam complains about Muhammad
> Yunus's explanation about the transferring of funds to reduce Grameen's tax
> burden. To that, I have the following comments.
> Firstly, the finance ministry should hold a seminar for the leaders of
> the ruling party, various ministers and the citizens to explain the difference
> between the extremely complex concepts of tax evasion and tax avoidance.
> Secondly, it is a contradiction to say that charging interest is forbidden in
> Islam but that interest should be charged to cover operating expenses.
> Thirdly, it is a contradiction to object to any interest activity by a
> non-governmental organisation when the government itself is responsible for most
> interest activities. Also, it is a contradiction for NGOs to work in development
> but still pay tax to fund the government's development activities and it's a
> contradiction to tax interest income on donor funds when that income is also
> used for development activities.
> Also, it is a contradiction for the government to penalise NGOs when their
> very existence arises from the failure of the government to meet the needs of
> the people.
> Finally, it is contradictory to demand an investigation into the tax affairs
> of NGOs without asking for an investigation into the tax affairs of any
> politician in Bangladesh. It is highly irregular for people to object to this
> transaction and yet have no objection to the appalling manner in
> which Grameen and Muhammad Yunus have been slandered by the ruling party.
> Ezajur Rahman
> Kuwait
>
> Feeble explanation from Yunus / New Age 15/12/10
> Muhammad Yunus's explanation about the money transfer to another NGO under his
> direct control to evade tax is highly irregular. Tax is collected from a person
> or organisation for the benefit of the country and for its development. I
> believe there shouldn't be any profit motive by any organisation believed to be
> running for the benefit of the poor. The charging of interest to extract money
> from poor is not allowed in our religion. The interest should be charged only to
> recover the running cost of the process of the lending operation.
> F Islam
> Dhaka
>



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[ALOCHONA] An Army Insider's Honest Expose of Atrocities in East Pakistan Debacle



An Army Insider's Honest Expose of Atrocities in East Pakistan Debacle

Gesmin Chowdhury, USA

Following is a review from a book written by an insider close to power in 1971. It is a confession from a Pakistani high official about the attrocities caused to Bengalees by their so called "muslim" brothers from West Pakistan. Please read the last two paragraphs attentively where General Niazi defended the rape of our women in 1971. The BNP-Jamat and pro-pakistan supporters who still love Pakistan should be ashamed (if they have any shame) of their role.

An Army Insider's Honest Expose of Atrocities in East Pakistan Debacle:

KARACHI, March 25: The East Pakistan tragedy was not just a failure of the military establishment of the day but also the abysmal collapse of civil society in West Pakistan. Launched at midnight, 25 March 1971, the military action went on for nine long months without eliciting any concerted protest from the West Pakistani public and political leadership.

The few low voices raised against the military action were too feeble to make the army change the suicidal course it had set itself, leading to an ignominious military defeat and the breakup of the country.

Brigadier Abdul Rehman Siddiqi, who headed the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) and was Press Advisor to Army Chief General Yahya Khan, was clearly in the thick of things. Therefore, his book 'East Pakistan: The Endgame — An Onlooker's Journal 1969-1971' will be of interest to those wishing to penetrate the historical veil that has subsequently been draped over the more unsavory events of that era.

The author had the unique advantage of observing the tragedy as it unfolded. As the ISPR chief, he interacted with the national press and a cross-section of public and political leadership in both wings. In his description and appraisal of the various dramatis personae, he acts as an impartial observer.

Apart from the fresh light the book sheds on the traumatic episode, the simplicity and candor of the narrative adds much to its readability. Thus, the book may well contribute towards the much-needed bridge building between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

"In 1971, Pakistan was torn into two, its eastern half declaring itself the independent nation of Bangladesh. While the broader details of this debacle have since become comprehensible, historians are still trying to glean a few remaining facts from the myths and half-truths that continue to linger some 33 years later.

From the start, the author makes it clear that the book is based on his diaries and other sources that he had personal access to as the ISPR chief. He also admits to have "scrupulously avoided" relying on any subsequent books or other published material that relates to the events. As a result, the reader is presented with a first-hand account of those fateful days.

The narrative begins in February 1969 when President Ayub Khan, besieged by street agitation, sought to negotiate his way out by calling for a Round Table Conference (RTC). However, as Siddiqi explains, Yahya had already started plotting against his boss. Unknown to most people at the time, the army chief secretly met the East Pakistani leader Mujibur Rehman and asked him not to relent on his demands. In fact, as Siddiqi points out, Yahya went as far as to tell Mujib that "he could go ahead with his anti-Ayub campaign without any let or hindrance from the army."

Siddiqi also reveals that a week before the RTC, he was ordered by General Ghulam Umar to secretly prepare an advance draft for Yahya's address to the nation as the Chief Martial Law Administrator. Two days later, Yahya flatly refused Ayub's direct request for the army to come to the aid of the civil government.

According to Siddiqi, Yahya made it abundantly clear to his superior that it was either complete martial law under his own control or nothing. And Ayub knew then that his days were numbered. Following his refusal to help Ayub quell the violent civic unrest, Siddiqi discloses how Yahya cunningly enlisted the support of his old drinking buddy interior minister Admiral AR Khan, who persisted in presenting highly pessimistic daily briefs to further undermine the president.

When Siddiqi confronted General Pirzada with these peculiar goings-on, he was politely told to hush up. The dice had been cast and within a month Ayub departed from the scene after handing over power to Yahya.

Following the takeover, Siddiqi claims that Yahya was quick to reveal his true intentions and confided to some of his senior officers: "Gentlemen, we must be prepared to rule this unfortunate country for the next 14 years or so."

Soon, Yahya announced general elections after being convinced by the intelligence agencies that they would result in a split vote and a fractious National Assembly, making it impossible for the new government to fulfil the stipulation of an approved constitution within 120 days. This failure, the thinking went, would then lead to fresh elections while power would indefinitely remain in the army's firm grip.

However, the election results could not have been farther from Yahya's calculations. Badly let down by the intelligence agencies, Yahya decided to pursue a new course of action. His famous reference to Mujib as the future prime minister was in reality no more than "a calculated maneuver aimed at, first to set the military against Mujib, and second, to provoke the Pakistan Peoples Party."

The worried generals then recruited Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to ensure that any chance of a compromise with Mujib would be non-existent. In fact, as Siddiqi informs us, General Umar even met many West Pakistani minority party leaders to actively dissuade them from attending the first National Assembly session at Dhaka. Not surprisingly, East Pakistan soon went on the boil in the face of such intransigence. And the army-controlled West Pakistani media retaliated by accusing East Pakistanis of treason.

We all know what followed. The army's subjugation of East Pakistan resulted in untold misery for millions of innocent Pakistanis, the death of many thousands as well as the breakup of Jinnah's original Pakistan. And as Siddiqi's narrative makes apparent, all this happened so that the generals could maintain their hold on power. Since then, it has suited successive army generals to place the blame on Bhutto. But the pertinent question is: how many tanks, guns and soldiers did Bhutto have at his disposal? The answer, of course, is none.

Another fact the author emphasizes is the sheer profusion of war crimes inflicted on hapless Pakistani citizens by its own army. The reader comes across a devastated Major General Ansari telling Siddiqi that rape and brutality were widespread. The general also confesses to a complete breakdown in the "discipline of his junior officers [and that] there was little he could do to check their "atrocities." If junior officers had run amok, one shudders to think what the less-educated jawans got up to.

Siddiqi also exposes the infamous General Niazi who shamelessly defended the rapists by declaring that: "You cannot expect a man to live, fight and die in East Pakistan and go to Jhelum for sex, would you?" Even 30-plus years later, the fact that most, if not all, of these perpetrators got away scot-free, can provoke tears of rage and shame.

Ultimately, 'The End Game' is a brave and honest book and Siddiqi should be commended for writing it, even if it took him all these years to muster the resolve. A must-read for anyone interested in Pakistan's past." - Courtesy Herald.

http://bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidDate...000000000067723


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[ALOCHONA] RAB crossfires



RAB crossfires
 
 


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[ALOCHONA] CONSTITUTION REPRINT:Religion-based politics goes;socialism, secularism to be revived



CONSTITUTION REPRINT
Religion-based politics to go

Socialism, secularism to be revived 

The volume of the reprint of the constitution, now with printer's, will revive provisions of socialism and secularism and drop provisions that allow religion-based politics.
   The reprint will revive the provisions empowering the government to enact any law for acquisition, nationalisation or requisition of any private property without compensation.
   It will also revive the provisions to bring about changes in laws if they contain provisions for or have the effect of divesting the state of any property or of enhancing any compensation payable by the state, only by two-thirds of the total number of members of the parliament.
   The original Article 10 of the constitution, which was substituted by the fifth amendment to the constitution, will, according to the
   manuscript of the volume, be revived in the reprint, replacing the existing article.
   The original article says, 'A socialist economic system shall be established with a view to ensuring the attainment of a just and egalitarian society, free from the exploitation of man by man.'
   The original Article 12, which was omitted by the fifth amendment, will be revived in the reprint.
   It says, 'The principle of secularism shall be realised by the elimination of — (a) communalism in all its forms; (b) the granting by the state of political status in favour of any religion; (c) the abuse of religion for political purposes; any discrimination against, or persecution of, persons practicing a particular religion.'
   Article 2A of the existing constitution, inserted by the eighth amendment recognising Islam as the state religion will, however, be retained.
   The existing Clause (20 of Article 25, inserted by the fifth amendment, will be omitted in the reprint of the constitution.
   The existing clause says, 'The state shall endeavour to consolidate, preserve and strengthen fraternal relations among Muslim countries based on Islamic solidarity.'
   The proviso of Article 38, which was omitted by the fifth amendment, will be revived in the reprint.
   It says, 'Provided that no person shall have the right to form, or be a member or otherwise take part in the activities of, any communal or other association or union which in the name or on the basis of any religion has for its object, or pursues, a political purpose.'
   The omission of Article 12 and the proviso of Article 38 by the fifth amendment had made the scope for forming and running political parties based on religion or in the name of religion.
   The original Clause (2) of Article 42 will replace the existing Clause (2) and (3) in the reprint of the constitution, reviving the original provisions empowering the government to enact any law for acquisition, nationalisation or requisition of any private property without compensation.
   The existing provisions do not allow the government to enact any law for acquisition, nationalisation or requisition of any private property without compensation.
   The reprint of Clause (2) will read, 'A law made under Clause (1) shall provide for the acquisition, nationalisation or requisition with or without compensation, and in a case where it provides for compensation shall fix the amount or specify the principles on which, and the manner in which, the compensation is to be assessed and paid; but no such law shall be called in question in any court on the ground that it does not provide for compensation or that any provision in respect of such compensation is not adequate.'
   The existing Clause (2) and (3), substituted for the original Clause (2) by the fifth amendment, says, '(2) A law made under Clause (1) shall provide for the acquisition, nationalisation or requisition with compensation and shall either fix the amount of compensation or specify the principles on which, and the manner in which, the compensation is to be assessed and paid; but no such law shall be called in question in any court on the ground that any provision in respect of such compensation is not adequate.
   '(3) Nothing in this article shall affect the operation of any law made before the commencement of the Proclamations (Amendment) Order, 1977 (Proclamations Order No. I of 1977), in so far as it relates to the acquisition, nationalisation or requisition of any property without compensation.'
   The existing Article 44, substituted by the fifth amendment, will be retained in the reprint.
   It reads: '(1) The right to move the High Court Division, in accordance with clause (I) of Article 102, for the enforcement of the rights conferred by this part, is guaranteed.
   '(2) Without prejudice to the powers of the High Court Division under Article 102, Parliament may by law empower any other court, within the local limits of its jurisdiction, to exercise all or any of those powers.'
   The original Article 44 had said, '(1) The right to move the Supreme Court, in accordance with Clause (I) of Article 102, for the enforcement of the rights conferred by this Part, is guaranteed.
   '(2) Without prejudice to the powers of the Supreme Court under Article 102, Parliament may by law empower any other court, within the local limits of its jurisdiction, to exercise all or any of those powers.'
   The original article was substituted by Article 44 by the fourth amendment to the constitution that said, 'Parliament may by law establish a constitutional court, tribunal or commission for the enforcement of fundamental rights.'
   Article 47(2) says, 'Notwithstanding anything contained in this Constitution the laws specified in the First Schedule (including any amendment of any such law) shall continue to have full force and effect, and no provision of any such law, nor anything done or omitted to be done under the authority of such law, shall be deemed void or unlawful on the ground of inconsistency with, or repugnance to, any provision of this Constitution;'
   In the reprint, original proviso of Article 47(2) will substitute the existing proviso.
   The reprint of the proviso reads, 'Provided that nothing in this article shall prevent the modification or repeal of any such law or provision by Act of Parliament, but no Bill for such an Act, if it contains provision for or has the effect of divesting the State of any property, or of enhancing any compensation payable by the State, shall be presented to the President for assent unless it is passed by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total number of members of Parliament.'
   The existing proviso, substituted by the fifth amendment, says, 'Provided that nothing in this article shall prevent amendment, modification or repeal of any such law.'
 


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[ALOCHONA] BSF Killings



BSF Killings
 
 
One of the most dangerous frontiers of the world -UK's Channel 4 Documentary Report
 
Report on Indian BSF killings Which unfortunately Bangladesh Media hardly covers as a major report. Channel 4 Correspondent Jonathan Rugman made an excellent report on BSF atrocities against Indians and Bangladeshis living near the Indo-Bangladesh border. 
 


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[ALOCHONA] WIKILEAKS EXPOSÉ: Hasina's 'pro-India slant'



WIKILEAKS EXPOSÉ: Hasina's 'pro-India slant'
 
Dhaka, Dec 22 (bdnews24.com)—India feels concerned about the propaganda over prime minister Sheikh Hasina's closeness with the country, WikiLeaks has revealed.
 
In the leaked cable, sent by US ambassador to Dhaka James F Moriarty on Jan 14, 2009, the ambassador quoted Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, saying, "Indian Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukharjiee planned to visit Dhaka on February 8 for talks that would centre primarily on counterterrorism issues."
 
Chakravarty said that India would prefer a primarily bilateral engagement, according to London-based The Guardian.
 
The Indian envoy, however, as quoted by Moriarty, said, "India understood that Bangladesh might insist on a regional task force to provide Hasina political cover from allegations she was too close to India."
 
Moriarty, in a private note in the cable, said, "India frequently argues that international Islamic terrorists use Bangladesh as a safe haven and often cross its porous border into India for bombing and other attacks.
 
"New Delhi also says Dhaka should do more to uproot Indian domestic extremist groups, including the United Liberation Front of Assam, that uses Bangladesh as a safe haven," the US ambassador added in the note.
 
The Indian high commissioner expressed pleasure over the landslide victory by the Awami League in Dec 29, 2008 parliamentary elections. Moriarty noted that the winning party had warm relations with New Delhi.
 
Chakravarty told ambassador Moriarty that improving security cooperation would be the top Indian priority with the new Bangladeshi government, the cable shows.
 
Either bilateral or regional, Pinak stressed the importance that the task force be action-oriented and not become yet another regional talk shop, Moriarty quoted in the cable.
 


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[ALOCHONA] FW: Bangladesh Police




 


Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:02:00 -0800
From: pothik2302@yahoo.com
Subject: Bangladesh Police
To: bangladeshiamericans@googlegroups.com

 

 

The CIA, The MI5, and the Bangladesh Police are all trying to prove that they are the best at apprehending criminals. The Interpol decides to give them a test. They release a Tiger into a forest and each of them has to catch it.
The CIA goes in. They place animal informants throughout the forest. They question all plant and mineral witnesses. After three months of extensive investigations they conclude that Tiger do not exist.

The MI5 goes in. After two weeks with no leads they burn the forest, killing everything in it, including the Tiger, and they make no apologies.

The Bangladesh police goes in. They come out two hours later with a badly beaten goat. The goat is yelling: "Okay! Okay! I`m a Tiger! I'm a Tiger!"



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[ALOCHONA] prof yunus



http://opinion.bdnews24.com/2010/12/21/grameen-bank-why-people-are-critical-and-what-it-tells-about-us/

Afsan Chowdhury

Grameen Bank: why people are critical and what it tells about us

December 21, 2010
Muhammad Yunus

Muhammad Yunus at a press conference























The recent furore about Grameen Bank, Yunus and microcredit may not leave us knowing more about the topics but we certainly can know more about ourselves through our reactions. The debate is not restricted to facts and figures but comments and opinions often exposing our prejudices and anxieties. Instant media has also led to creation of an unusual situation where each report, all negative, helped opinion formation rather than knowledge. It is obvious that we are uncomfortable with our success and also our failures. We would rather condemn or praise rather than know what we do and why.









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[ALOCHONA] FW: Debunking the myths that fuel a fire of hate: The Suburban of Montreal reviews "The Jew is Not My Enemy"




 


To: MuslimCanadianCongress@yahoogroups.com; muslimchronicle@yahoogroups.com
From: tarek.fatah@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:40:36 -0500
Subject: Debunking the myths that fuel a fire of hate: The Suburban of Montreal reviews "The Jew is Not My Enemy"

 

22 December 2010 at 13:38


Debunking the myths that fuel a fire of hate

Tarek Fatah examines the origins of Muslim anti-Semitism

 

By Anthony Bonaparte

The Suburban, Montreal

http://www.thesuburbannews.ca/content/en/7231

 

The Jew is Not My Enemy

(McClelland & Stewart),

Hardcover, 272 pages, $26.99.

 

More than 60 years after the creation of the state of Israel, the divide between Muslims and Jews is stronger than ever. The result — political Islam, terrorism and jihad — is as clear to all as the long lines at airport security check points. But what are the true origins of this divide?

 

This is what author, journalist and political commentator Tarek Fatah examines in his latest book, The Jew is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths that Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism.

 

Fatah, 61, a secular Muslim, is one of Canada's most intrepid critics of Islamism — political and ideological Islam. In this, his follow-up toChasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State, Fatah addresses the historical and theological basis for Muslim hatred of Jews, and debunks the myths and supremacist doctrines that fuel the fire.

 

Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Fatah settled in Canada 23 years ago. As the founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress — a grassroots organization that provides a voice to progressive, liberal, pluralistic, democratic, and secular Muslims — Fatah is always looking for ways to eliminate the friction between the communities.

He was prompted to write The Jew is Not My Enemy soon after the Nov. 26, 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. When it happened, two things came to mind.

 

One was his personal connection to Mumbai. "This is the city where my grandfather grew up. My father and sister were born there. And it is a city that encompasses every aspect of contemporary human life," said Fatah, whose parents migrated to Pakistan in 1947. The second reason was the bombers' origins — 10 Pakistani villagers, who had never met a Jew in their lives, who set out on a bloody mission where one of their targets was a Jewish community centre. "I compared that to, on the other side of the world, the story of four African-Americans — two Baptists, one Catholic and a Haitian — who go to prison and by the time they come out, they've converted to Islam and the first thing they want to do is blow up a synagogue."

 

He says these unrelated events told him that something profound was turning some young Muslim men into monsters. "This book is an attempt to find out who, what, where, when and how — and what to do about it."

Fatah says the answer partially lies in a toxic mixture of medieval superiority complexes amongst some Muslims. "Not only are we benevolent to Jews, but if they misbehave, our prophets massacre them.

 

That is one side of the issue. The other is the introduction of Christian anti-Semitism and European fascism that filtered through into the Ottoman Empire and the Arab world after the First World War. And after the Second World War, our countries became home to many of the Nazis who converted to Islam, became experts on European affairs and determined foreign policy."

 

How the Muslim world dealt with the emerging state of Israel, he said, was an ensuing catastrophe.

Hatred of the Jew is not evenly spread across the Muslim countries and Fatah identifies his native country as presently being at the top of the heap. "Most of the anti-Western terrorism is not taking place at the hands of Palestinians or Iranians… All are either Pakistanis or Pakistani-based. That is the epicentre of hatred and it is being fuelled by, or subcontracted by, Arab Gulf money," he said, ominously adding, "And on a very sophisticated level, millions of dollars are pouring into Canadian and American mosques."

 

But why Pakistan? Fatah said it started with the nation's creation in 1947. "Pakistanis were told that they are not Indian, which is equivalent to saying to the French that they are not European… So they are dysfunctional and have an identity crisis with an empty vessel of ethnicity. And that empty vessel can easily be filled up with anything."

 

And he knows that it wasn't always like this. "I grew up going to a Catholic school with Jewish students. In fact, we thought the Catholics were a little distant from us but the Jewish students were just like us — the cuisine, the culture, the habits, the prayers. We would go to a synagogue without hesitation," remembered Fatah, who pointed to another example — the Peshawar region of Pakistan, now the heart of Taliban country, where in the 1930s and '40s, Jews were in charge of the textile trade before they moved to Israel in the mid-'50s.

 

To reverse this fundamentalist tide, Fatah said two things must happen: Muslims must stand up and confront it, and opponents must avoid the increasingly common temptation to slander Islam or its prophet. "Attacking Islam and mocking Muslims is exactly what the anti-Semites want you to do," said an emphatic Fatah.

 

"The issue is not Islam, the problem is Islamism. And if reasonable people cannot see the distinction between the two, we are going to spend another 10 years and not make a dent into this."

 

And though it may seem like a hard struggle lay ahead, the author has hope. "One can't help but be optimistic because the laws of science and logic and reason usually triumph over magic and hatred," said Fatah. "We've seen the cycles of human history. Progress can't be stopped."





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Re: [ALOCHONA] Muslims in West Bengal



West bengal claims to be most leberal among states in India. However when it comes to employment, only 2.1% government jobs went to Muslims with 26% of total population.

Few people talk about it and fewer cares to change anything about it. I heard more terrible news about Bengali Muslims of west Bengal. Bangladesh is far from being perfect but this sort of racism is lot less prominent in Bangladesh. I do not want to see our Hindu brothers and sisters suffer like the Muslims of India.


O ye who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.
[ Source: Al Qur'an 5:8]

Peace....

-----Original Message-----
From: Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com>
Sent: Sun, Dec 19, 2010 11:32 am
Subject: [ALOCHONA] Muslims in West Bengal

 
Muslims in West Bengal
 
ÉØAyuSMv ÉcM~} É{SvSAucS} ÉMxa É{SMj ÉØd©S~fÚ ÉEtSMÜ} <Ar _Z XyMÑ~S} w}D}SCm ÉtS XmJmZ PsMcMi¥ wDZ{yMòa y©Arç{ fMmAv¥ er ArA}Å yiM}} cA{\Avò rsS ÉS{©yStH ÅSÉv Y{M~a¥ y}Ø }SMj©} <SÜ 26 ÅrSØÅ ÉØd©S~fÚ ÉEtSMÜ} XSsñ ÉS{SAjc XyôS} Y}a XyvArZ fMmMi¥ SSAucS} AvMÜ {Úd dÚ~yS} ÉSÑÉa r>S}S ÑSA}MÜMiv¥ XarS a XAÅêS} X¡cS} PsMc r>SMt} rÍM~ YvS} É}cSA} ÉAtöS} XzSMya Pit fMmAv¥
http://www.anandabazar.com/archive/1070920/20edit5.htm


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FW: [ALOCHONA] Re: DER SPIEGEL: Microfinance Guru under Pressure - Muhammad Yunus Fights to Save His Reputation




 


To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [ALOCHONA] Re: DER SPIEGEL: Microfinance Guru under Pressure - Muhammad Yunus Fights to Save His Reputation
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:58:48 -0500

          This constant whining and hurling insults at intellectuals is very irritating.  What is the reason for calling them "selfish"? They are the ones who unselfishly tax their own brain and do some analytical thinking for the good of the people and country.
 
          Why are you so morally SUPERIOR that you must indulge in making sweeping generalizations against intellectuals?
 
          I am an intellectual.  My father was an intellectual.  My mother was an intellectual (a much-beloved social worker). My grandfather was an intellectual.
 
          My  father, a brilliant engineer, dedicated his life's work towards making the country technologically advanced by his innovative indigenous engineering ideas.  Thousands of men became skilled workers under his direct training and guidance. Today's recruiting agencies and manpower export business owe a lot to my father's efforts. One of the companies he founded constructed the Sangsad Bhaban.  The other company, Bangladesh Consultant Ltd. will create an auxillary program forming a Skilled Labour Training Institute named agter my father next year on the 10th anniversary of his death.  It would not be registered as an NGO.  Yet it would be aimed at helping the Govt. or whoever dealing with exporting better quality manpower from Bangladesh.
 
          Prof. Md. Younus was very keen about adapting one of my father's innovative engineering ideas. The project was about women building by themselves their own pre-stresed concrete homes.  My father lived in a low-cost, small 3-room cottage, that he built with pre-fabricated blocks.  Only an intellectual can live like that!  He spent a lot of his own money on pilot housinga for the Grameen Bank project proposal. I helped him write a Project Narrative re-defining notions of poverty and stressing on the need for good quality housing for the poor at a very low cost.  But in the end Younus reneged his promise of cooperation treacherously.  The project was something my mild-mannered, self-effacing father did as the last thing in his life, and so he was heartbroken. 
 
             In 1992 my father was awarded a gold medal for his life-time achievement by the Engineers' Institure and Khaleda Zia, the PM of the time, handed him the award at a ceremony.  So, please don't hurl insults at him as a BAAAAAAAAAAAList or something.
 
           Only ignorant people shout out insults at intellectuals.  The act of shouting exposes both ignorance and the meanness toward the world.  Talk about being selfish ...
 
 


To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
From: maqsudo@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 03:02:18 +0000
Subject: RE: [ALOCHONA] Re: DER SPIEGEL: Microfinance Guru under Pressure - Muhammad Yunus Fights to Save His Reputation

 
Before prof. yunus introduced ' micro-credit'...how many bank managers allowed ordinary/poor customers to enter into
their banks.

forget about offering them loan, support, training, education.

What alochona-readres and other selfish intellectuals did...for this 50% marginalized population...in need of assistance.??

N O T H I N G.

best wishes.

khoda hafez.







To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
From: Ezajur@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2010 06:50:50 +0000
Subject: [ALOCHONA] Re: DER SPIEGEL: Microfinance Guru under Pressure - Muhammad Yunus Fights to Save His Reputation



Dear Alochok Wazed
Indeed. There is in fact nothing new in this article as it is simply conveying information for its readers - which it should do. It is hardly an investigative piece. I agree with you that the article exaggerates the pressure that is on Grameen. Nevertheless, it is true, Grameen and Dr Yunus are under pressure.
Dr Yunus has built an economic model that is, rightly, subject to challenge. It should be challenged as people's lives depend upon it. And, on the world stage, Dr Yunus and Grameen are meeting such challenges as best they can. Let us look at the challengers listed by Der Spiegel:
1. Pure Donors - fair enough, some would rather give to the poor without repayment, its part of the debate.
2. Anti Globalists - fair enough, thats a debate worth having and Grameen is part of the economic landscape.
3. Those Against Vicious Copycat Lenders - fair enough, Grameen too is against such copycat criminals
All the above are part and parcel of building, defending, improving and correcting an economic model. It is the stuff with which Dr Yunus lives everyday. He needs no wake up call on these matters. His active engagement with these matters does exist and his engagement enhances both himself and the economic model.
Now. Should the economic model fail what is to be said for Dr Yunus? He should be vilified for trying to build a new economic model for the world's poorest - and failing? No. No one will vilify him. Rather, he should be thanked for trying and the lessons learnt from the model's successes and failures would be the cornerstone of some new economic model.
Dr Yunus and Grameen are fine.
Now look at Der Spiegel's fourth challenger to Dr Yunus -
4. Jealousy of fellow Bangladeshis - particularly politicians empowered only by their family name, and more specifically, the jealousy of the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina. BLOODY DISGUSTING!
And, dear Wazed, this is the measure of anyone's approach to Bangladesh - in Der Spiegel's article, is Bangladesh most offended by Dr Yunus or by Sheikh Hasina? If Dr Yunus, then one is blind, wicked or waiting to be pointed in the right direction. If Hasina, then one is in already facing the right direction.
The truth is simple. The truth is clear. There is no escape. It is to be found safe under every rock and perched openly atop every tree. These two ladies are the main obstacle to the redemption of Bangladesh. Those who delay or deny it are living proof that a little education is a dangerous thing.
I admire very much your writing and the positions you take. Let us all,including chagols and fagols like me, join hands and attack those who seek to maintain status quo politics in Bangladesh and prevent the reform and enlightenement of AL and BNP. We cannot fail for the evidence is plain, the case already made and every day brings upon us fresh stupidity and wickedness.  
Our country is beautiful and the best people in our country are humble, poor and gentle. We fight for them. I have no doubt that Mujib and Zia, now blessd for so long by Allah's mercy, would agree with us and not their wife or daughter, nor their cadres, nor their worshippers.
Best wishes
Ezajur Rahman
Kuwait
 
                
   
 
 

--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, Wazed Khondkar <wkkhondkar@...> wrote:
>
> This is hardly exposing anything new that we do not already know. Let me see now, this is published in an anglo-saxon news paper/magazine so it must be worthy of reading and it must have credibility.
>
> This report suggests that Dr. Yunus is under massive pressure - oh really - don't tell me, let me guess, Dr. Yunus has a got Swiss bank account with huge fund diverted from the Grameen bank. His family members are all multi-millionaires living in Swiss chalets just like many corrupt criminals, drug dealers, contract killers and dictators from all over the world.
>
> Grameen bank as a business model is not perfect but at least it tried to help the people of Bangladesh long before it become fashionable in the western media or (dare I say) with our politicians. I remember when I was in Bangladesh few years ago, my sister tried to open an account with the HSBC and she was asked to deposit a minimum of 1 lakh taka if she wished to open an account.
>
> Even in the UK there are millions of people who do not have bank accounts because the banks do not consider them credit worthy and they can not afford the cost of banking. As the division between rich and the poor getting wider there is an underclass of people who are prayed on by loan sharks, which is completely unregulated.
>
> News on the BBC website reported that Dr. Yunus has been exonerated.
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11947902
>
> If our politicians were looking after the interest of Bangladesh then we would not have to go to foreign donors with our begging bowl for few Euro and Kroner. It appears they are more interested in maintaining their family legacy than helping the people of Bangladesh to stand on their own feet.
>
>
> --- On Wed, 15/12/10, Robin Khundkar rkhundkar@... wrote:
>
> From: Robin Khundkar rkhundkar@...
> Subject: [ALOCHONA] DER SPIEGEL: Microfinance Guru under Pressure - Muhammad Yunus Fights to Save His Reputation
> To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Wednesday, 15 December, 2010, 20:25
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 12/14/2010 05:15 PM
>
> Microfinance Guru under Pressure
>
> Muhammad Yunus Fights to Save His Reputation
>
> By Hasnain Kazim in Dhaka, Bangladesh
>
> DER SPIEGEL
>
> http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,734650,00.html
>
>
>
> Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus is under pressure after critics accused him of misusing development aid. The father of microfinance told SPIEGEL ONLINE the allegations are "a total fabrication."
>
>
>
> Muhammad Yunus looks tired. The headlines are obviously taking their toll. "No," he says, "these allegations are not true." In recent days, it's a denial he has had to repeat often -- to friends, to colleagues and probably even to himself.
>
>
>
> As the press conference gets underway at the headquarters of his Grameen Bank, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the hall is packed, with some journalists forced to stand in the hallway outside. Reporters had even been waiting for him at Dhaka airport when Yunus arrived from Paris, where he had met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy to discuss Yunus's favorite topics: globalization, its social consequences and possibilities for combating poverty.
>
>
>
> Now Yunus must once again face the distressing allegations and plead his innocence.
>
>
>
> Massive Pressure
>
> In 2006, Yunus and the Grameen Bank ("rural bank") were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Since then, Yunus has become something approaching a national icon in Bangladesh. But now he is under massive pressure: In late November, the Norwegian television station NRK aired a documentary produced by Danish journalist Tom Heinemann in which Yunus was accused of accounting irregularities. According to the program entitled "Fanget I Mikrogjeld" ("Caught in Microcredit"), Yunus's bank funneled money earmarked for development purposes into other Yunus-led projects without the knowledge of donors from Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United States.
>
>
>
> In 1996, Yunus founded the subsidiary Grameen Kalyan ("rural well-being") to finance social aid projects and the construction of apartment buildings. According to Heinemann's research, Yunus at the time transferred some $100 million (€74.5 million) from Grameen Bank to Grameen Kalyan. The money had been intended for microloans, small sums of money that the impoverished could use to purchase a cow, seeds or a cell phone so that they could produce milk, raise crops or open up their own phone kiosk.
>
>
>
> A year later, in 1997, the Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka caught wind of the transfer. According to the documentary, then-Ambassador Hans Fredrik Lehne criticized Grameen Bank not only for passing on the funds to Grameen Kalyan in contravention of the stipulations attached, but also for then borrowing the money back. The bank, as a result, suddenly owed its own subsidiary a huge sum of money. In December 1997, Lehne noted that Yunus's explanation that "tax reasons" were to blame for the transaction was "neither illuminating nor particularly credible." As a non-profit entity, after all, the Grameen Bank had no tax obligations.
>
>
>
> 'A Total Fabrication'
>
> Yunus told SPIEGEL ONLINE that the accusations against him are "a total fabrication and baseless." According to Yunus, Ambassador Lehne confronted him with his objections at the time, and he had answered Lehne in a letter dated Jan. 8, 1998. In the letter, a copy of which Yunus showed to SPIEGEL ONLINE, Yunus explained that the money transfer had been made to establish the subsidiary as a sort of control body for the bank. In this way, Yunus hoped, bank executives would be forced to have more "financial discipline" because they would become accountable to Grameen Kalyan.
>
>
>
> The matter seemed to have been settled. According to the Norwegian government, its part of the funds -- 170 million kroner, or roughly $30 million -- was transferred back to Grameen Bank in May 1998. Other donors did not complain about the original transfer. Even so, Yunus told SPIEGEL ONLINE that the complete $100 million total was wired back to Grameen Bank so as to avoid any further criticism.
>
>
>
> In the wake of the documentary, Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim ordered his ministry to take another look at the episode. In the 12-page report it produced, the Norwegians concluded that the matter should be closed. "According to the report," Solheim said, according to a statement on the report on the Norwegian Foreign Ministry website, "there is no indication that Norwegian funds have been used for unintended purposes, or that Grameen Bank has engaged in corrupt practices or embezzled funds."
>
>
>
> Still, the criticism continues. The media is fond of destroying that which they previously praised. And Yunus has no shortage of enemies.
>
>
>
> Folk-Hero Status
>
> Upon winning the Nobel Prize, Yunus assumed folk-hero status in Bangladesh. At last, one of their own numbered among the greats, someone from this country, which otherwise only gets attention in association with poverty, natural disasters and cheap textiles. Now, the entire world was shown a different Bangladesh.
>
>
>
> "It was a great moment for the whole nation," Yunus says. "It was a sudden explosion of pride and joy for every Bangladeshi. All Bangladeshis felt as if each of them (had) received the Nobel Peace Prize." From that moment on, people fawned over Yunus and watched his every move. "Previously, if we screamed, people didn't listen," Yunus told SPIEGEL ONLINE in 2006. "Now, if we whisper, the whole world will hear."
>
>
>
> What made Yunus famous was his idea to offer tiny loans to the poor so that they could start their own businesses and, in doing so, escape poverty. The story goes like this: In 1940, Yunus was born in the port city of Chittagong to a jeweler and a goldsmith. He went on to study economics, earn a Ph.D. and work as a professor in Tennessee, before returning home to head the economics department at Chittagong University.
>
>
>
> In 1976, while on an outing with students, he met a group of women who wove bamboo furniture for a living. They said that they had to pay such high interest rates on the money they borrowed to buy bamboo that they didn't profit from their labors. Yunus made a loan of $27 dollars out of his own pocket at a low interest rate -- and, in doing so, broke the vicious debt cycle. The idea of microfinance was born.
>
>
>
> A Man with Many Critics
>
> Yunus has told the story of how a student project led to the Grameen Bank hundreds of times. Indeed, since co-winning the Nobel Prize, the bank has grown into a formidable empire. Yunus is proud of everything that has been achieved. On display at the bank's headquarters in Dhaka are photos of Yunus meeting with prominent individuals from around the world: Yunus with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Yunus with Bill Clinton, Yunus with Hillary Clinton, Yunus with the Swedish royal couple.
>
>
>
> This outward display of Yunus's debut on the stage of the world's most powerful stands in stark contrast to his otherwise reserved and unassuming appearance, to the Yunus who always shows up in public wearing simple knee-length robes and baggy pants.
>
>
>
> Still, the man has many critics. For example, there are the advocates of more classic development aid, who dislike Yunus for his outspoken and strict opposition to merely handing out money. And then there are the critics of globalization, who don't like Yunus because he claims that no recent developments have helped mankind more than globalization. Likewise, there are those in his own country who envy Yunus for having attained hero status through his own efforts, unlike those politicians in Bangladesh who owe their power to their influential family ties.
>
>
>
> Take Sheikh Hasina, for example, the prime minister of Bangladesh, who has made little effort to conceal her antipathy toward Yunus. In 2007, when Bangladesh was ruled by a transitional government, Yunus showed his own political ambitions by founding a new party. It wasn't long before he retreated from the intrigue-ridden world of politics -- but not before making a few enemies that have lasted until today. For example, after the recent accusation surfaced against Yunus, Hasina stated publicly that Yunus's efforts to grant micro loans was nothing more than "sucking blood from the poor in the name of poverty alleviation."
>
>
>
> Microfinance Sector in Disrepute
>
> Many of Yunus's enemies are taking advantage of the criticism surrounding the financial transaction to attack him. The microfinance sector has already fallen into disrepute, particularly in India, where numerous Grameen Bank imitators are trying to make large profits and eventually go public. By charging horrendous interest rates, they have driven people to suicide who couldn't make payments on their micro loans and were pressured by debt collectors.
>
>
>
> In blogs and newspaper articles, Yunus is labeled a "bloodsucker of the poor" in mocking imitation of his autobiography entitled "Banker to the Poor." Grameen Bank admits that it charges an interest rate of 20 percent on loans, though that is still much lower than average commercial banks in South Asia, and considerably less that the outrageous rates of private moneylenders.
>
>
>
> One bank employee justifies the interest rate by saying it is important to bear in mind that the large number of micro loans, some of which are smaller than $100, give rise to "significant administrative costs." Moreover, he adds, the bank does not check the creditworthiness of its clients, who are almost exclusively women, and it even refrains from charging interest in cases of exceptional hardship. "All profits flow right back into the company," he says, explaining that borrowers own 95 percent of the bank's shares, while the government owns the other 5 percent.
>
>
>
> These days, Yunus regrets having ever worked with any support funding. He says it was a mistake to have accepted funds from donors as part of the bank's start-up financing. Already in 1995, Grameen Bank decided to no longer accept any donations or borrow any more money, choosing to finance itself through its own efforts instead.
>
>
>
> But that was apparently still too late: As it happens, it is the very last tranche of the money that the company received as development aid that is causing Yunus all these problems.
>







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