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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

[mukto-mona] Bangladesh is under the threat of religious fundamentalists again



"Bangladesh is under the threat of religious fundamentalists again."

To-day a renowned secular activist writer Salam Azad was refused bail in a Blasphemy case lodged earlier at Bikrampur (Munshiganj) District couple of months before. The particular case is related to a book published six years ago in India named Bhanga Math (Broken Temple) while the writer was in exile.

The book broken temple contains facts about minority suffering in Bangladesh and grabbing of minority land by the majority Muslims. The truth about minority rights is never welcomed hear. The middle class Bangladeshi Muslims are the byproduct of partition and two nation theory. No matter what we say there is not one incident where minority lands were returned to its owner in any time.

Why fundamentalists took so long to react in the case of Salam Azad? All communal subversive activities are always generated from the political power house. If we look at past the great massacres of 1947, 1964 & 1971 where millions were sacrificed in India &Pakistan by the radical aliments with the full support of politicians. Radicalism never flourishes without the support of the government. Since there is a moderate political government in power in Bangladesh the radicals took little more time to react.

After the present political row with the World Bank and Grameen Bank radicalisms in Bangladesh politics has gained strength and will be strengthen further. Salam Azad wanted to protect a minority vested property named as Jadubaur Jamidar Bari located at Bikrampur from the local land grabber. These acts are very sensitive to the vested groups. One mid ranking local political leader from the ruling party has instigated fundamentalists to raise the issue of religion and ransack his village home there. Although there is no Blasphemy law exists in Bangladesh as such the case against Salam Azad don't have any legality in the eye of law.

The objective of the Blasphemy case is to terrorize Salam Azad and minorities vice versa. There are elements within government who will capitalize the issue alongside fundamentalists. In this case all majorities are the beneficiaries of any outcome.

The helpless wreakers have only prayer and good wishes for Salam Azad. Government will choose to remain silent in this issue with majority.

May God help Salam Azad?

S.Karmakar

July 15, 2012



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               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190




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[mukto-mona] Is “Moderate Muslim” an Oxymoron?



NEW ENGLISH REVIEW

Is "Moderate Muslim" an Oxymoron?

Dr. Richard L. Benkin (July 2012)


Is "Moderate Muslim" an Oxymoron? As applied to individuals, absolutely not. Those of us who know individual Muslims will testify to that all day long. Our Muslim friends and colleagues are no different than our other associates, and we find it difficult to hear blanket statements categorizing all Muslims as open or closet jihadis. Condemn all Muslims that way, and you do more to condemn yourself. And that's one of the reasons for all the distortions we encounter: our values make us uncomfortable condemning any religion or large group of people because of their adherence to it. But our existential struggle is not about individuals.

The disingenuous and politically-motivated use of the phrase "moderate Muslim" without regard to reality leads us to make deadly decisions; deadly not just for jihad's immediate victims but ultimately for us as well. Case in point: Bangladesh.

When you start talking about Bangladesh, people start looking at their watches; but Bangladesh is the only nation that ranks among the world's ten most populous and ten most densely populated countries—like cramming every second American into the State of New York. It also has the world's fourth largest Muslim population—more than Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia combined. It is a country poor in significant resources except one: an excess of people who are learning to live with radical Islam. Bangladeshi jihadis have surfaced in Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, and elsewhere. In 2007, I spent a day in the Bangladeshi capital with another: a former Mujhadeen commander who fought in Afghanistan. The nation's current left-center government, the Awami League, which took power from a military-backed caretaker at the end of 2008, defines itself with words like moderate and secular, pretending to stand apart from people like him; and few people bother to check reality.

The UN formally recognized Bangladesh as a "moderate Muslim democracy"; and a recent CNN report began:  "Muslim and moderate. Two words that describe Bangladesh." Bangladeshis play the moderate card every chance they get and trumpet their nation as "a model of religious harmony and tolerance" on their US web site. More to the point, a recent Congressional Research Paper said that Bangladesh is the "partner of choice for the United States in many of the foreign policy priorities of President Obama." But do those words reflect reality?  Who is this country that the Obama Administration has made a "partner of choice"?

In 2009, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told visiting French naval commander Gerard Valin that her government would repeal the nation's anti-minority laws—a rather curious thing to say as she was admitting that this supposedly moderate Muslim-majority country indeed has anti-minority laws. That was three years ago, and the anti-minority laws remain in force. One of them, the Vested Property Act, allows the government to declare Hindu property "vested" on the flimsiest of pretexts and distribute it to the crones of its choice—about 2.5 million acres so far or about 75 percent of all Hindu-owned land. Is that indicative of a moderate Muslim country?

The same Awami League, whose moderate reputation is an article of faith among diplomats and other elites, passed on an opportunity to repeal that law with no fanfare or repercussions immediately on taking power; just as it did when challenged by the Supreme Court in 2011 to re-write several constitutional provisions, including the notorious Eighth Amendment that declares Islam to be the official state religion and provides for its favored treatment. Does that sound like the actions of a moderate Muslim country?

Sources on the ground in South Asia have told me that the Awami League has recently made common cause with the nation's Islamists, agreeing to allow the latter to implement elements of their radical agenda in return for support in the 2014 election, much as it did in advance of the aborted 2007 elections. Since elements in the party recently approached me as well with their concerns about the next election, the cynical deal with Islamists rings true. But press reports about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's recent visit there were effusive with her positive comments and pledges of more aid and cooperation. It seems she had no time to address this disturbing move by her hosts. And if my sources could uncover it, is there much doubt that her sources did, too?

Less than a month after Clinton's departure, a Bangladeshi court issued an arrest warrant against author Salam Azad charging him with blasphemy for a book he published in 2003. All it took was a general allegation, according to the petitioner's attorney. "We told the court that the book contained slanderous remarks against the Prophet Mohammed and Islam. The judge accepted the petition and issued a warrant of arrest." According to the author, a senior official of that supposedly moderate party was behind it. I became "his target once I protested his getting of Hindu property via the Vested Property Act," he said. Azad told me that while he is out on bail, he receives regular death threats over the phone and a faces a public campaign by Islamists calling for him to be hanged. The government has not tried to stop any of that or provide the author with protection.  Nor is Azad the first Bangladeshi writer to face that charge. In the same year Azad published his book, Bangladeshi journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury was arrested for writing about the rise of radical Islam in the country and urging relations with Israel. After an intense 17 month long effort, we won his freedom, but it took the intervention of then Congressman (now Senator) Mark Kirk (R-IL); and though Choudhury remains free, the blasphemy charge remains, too.  Does arresting writers for blasphemy sound like something that happens in a moderate Muslim country?

The deadliest ramification of the moderate label, however, is our continued tolerance for the ethnic cleansing of Hindus in Bangladesh. Hindus used to comprise almost a third of the population, according to East Pakistan's 1951 census. When East Pakistan became Bangladesh in 1971, they were under a fifth; 30 years later less than a tenth; and according to reliable estimates, less than eight percent today. Throughout that time, reports of anti-Hindu atrocities have poured out of Bangladesh; atrocities including murder, rape, religious desecration, land grabs, property destruction, beatings, child abduction, and forced conversion to Islam. (While forced conversion to Islam is not a crime there, Bangladeshis who have converted from Islam have been killed with impunity.) In the first quarter of 2012 alone, there were at least 15 anti-Hindu atrocities. Perpetrators are rarely brought to justice. Refugees from Islamist terror in Bangladesh continue to pour across the border into India; so does jihad, which has now taken hold in that giant's Northeast.

Yet, the Obama administration continues to make us complicit by propping up the fiction of Bangladesh as a moderate Muslim country. This is in line with Obama's 2009 search for "moderate Taliban," and his current insistence on the wonders of partnering with "moderates" in Egypt's Muslim brotherhood. There is a clear pattern here the end of which is not good for any civilized individual.

So, yes, when applied to nations, moderate Muslim is an oxymoron; and we better hope that our political leaders catch on to that soon.



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               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190




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[mukto-mona] Enemy Property/Vested property act (URGENT)



Dear All,
 
Kindly be advised that the recent Gazette released on above issue was delayed either intentionally or wrongly by the opportunists so that the original owner gets very less period to claim the property thru Tribunal.
Initially published fm BG press on April'12 and released 15 days back, not providing ample time, bearing mind of 120 days window period to claim as per earlier Gazette.
This is the strong agenda which was put fwd since Liberation to end DISCRIMINATION.
Trust you will look into this matter and urge various parties to raise this matter so as to fight for their disputed land in time since clear documentatiions(CS/RS/PS/BS) will take time to raise fm the court and proceed to Tribunal. 
Tks yr assistance. 
 
Kindest Regards
Capt Chowdhury
Marine Consulant
 
 
 


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"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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[mukto-mona]



                                     স্বভাব আমার স্বাভাবিক



বাবা মায়ের বোকামির সৌজন্যে এত্ত সুন্দর পৃথিবীতে আসার সৌভাগ্য হয়েছে।জন্মসূত্রে পেয়েছি একজোড়া চোখ,কান,বোঁচা একটা নাক,ফ্রিতে পেয়েছি প্রমাণ সাইজের একটা মস্তিষ্ক,সঙ্গে আনুষঙ্গিক আরও অনেক অনেক কিছু।আমি স্বাভাবিক মানুষ।যে কেও আমাকে নিঃসঙ্কোচে স্বাভাবিক মানুষ হিসেবে মেনে নেবে,মেনে নেয়,এত্তদিন নিয়েছে । শরীরে কিংবা মনে,আমার কোথাও অস্বাভাবিকতার কোন ছায়া নেই।অথচ দিন দুয়েক ধরে চোখ বন্ধ করার সাথে সাথে কই থেকে এক আহাম্মক স্বপ্নে এসে চিৎকার করে বলতেছে "তুই যে স্বাভাবিক,প্রমাণ কর!!!"নে,সামলা ঠ্যালা!!!আমি পিথাগোরাসের উপপাদ্য প্রমাণ করছি,F=ma,E=mc2 প্রমাণ করছি,বাংলাদেশের ষড়ঋতু অসাধারন সুন্দর বাংলা রচনায় এইটাও প্রমাণ করছি অনেকবার,প্রমাণ করতে পারছি কারন বইয়ে এইগুলো খুব সুন্দর করে প্রমাণ করে দেয়া ছিল।আর বলদ আমারে কোন বই না দিয়াই কয় আমি স্বাভাবিক,এইটা প্রমাণ করতে!!!আর গাধা,এটাও জানেনা যে স্বাভাবিকদের কিচ্ছু প্রমাণ করতে হয়না,স্বাভাবিকরা আজন্ম প্রমাণিত।প্রমাণ করবার দায়িত্ব অসাধারণদের,ইরাকে অস্ত্রের খনি প্রমাণ করবার দায়িত্ব ওবাবা(ওবামা)র,দেশের অর্থনৈতিক প্রবৃদ্ধির জন্য শেয়ার বাজার ধ্বসের প্রয়োজন ছিল প্রমাণ করবার দায়িত্ব ধন(!!!)মন্ত্রীর,মাঠে নামবার আগে একটা চোখ টিপ দিলেই(সর্বোচ্চ ১০ মিটার দূরত্ব থেকে!!!) নাকি পাকিস্তানীরা একটা ক্যাচ ফেলে দেয়,ক্যানাডায় নাকি ভিখারি সবচেয়ে কম এইসব প্রমাণের দায়িত্বও তো সিএনএন-বিবিসির দখলে;এত্ত সব যোগ্য মানুষ চারদিকে যখন,তখন প্রমাণ নিয়ে মাথা ঘামাবার কি দরকার আমার!!!আমার দায়িত্ব প্রমাণিত সবকিছু না বুঝেও বোঝার ভান করে মুখস্ত করে(পুরোটা মুখস্ত করতে নাপারলে টুকে নিয়ে) সময়মত উগড়ে দেয়া।

 

স্বাভাবিক মানুষরা আমার মতই ধামাধরা হয়ে বেঁচে থাকে নাকি আমি স্বাভাবিক মানুষদের মত ধামা ধরে বেঁচে আছি বুঝতে পারিনা।তবে আমি যে স্বাভাবিকভাবেই বেঁচে আছি তা আমার প্রতিদিনের কাজ কর্মে খুবই স্পষ্ট।কিন্তু অনেকেই আছে যারা আমার পাশাপাশি এত্ত কাছে থেকেও আমার চেয়ে আলাদা ভাবে বেঁচে আছে,বেঁচে থাকে।মাঝে মাঝেই ভাবি ওদেরকে কি স্বাভাবিক বলা যায়???এইত আমার বন্ধু অনিকেত এর কথাই বলি।বাবা মায়ের একমাত্র ছেলে,বাবা সরকারি চাকরি থেকে অবসর নিয়েছে বছর চারেক হল।ঢাকায় আলিশান তিনটে বাড়ি,রাস্তা কাঁপানো সুন্দর গাড়িটা(এখনকার) এই চাকরি করে কি করে হল এই বিষয়টা জানার আগ্রহ আমার ভীষণ তবে সময়ে অসময়ে অনিকেতের গাড়িতে করে এইখানে সেইখানে ঘুরতে যাওয়ার সময় কেন যেন (হয়ত আমি স্বাভাবিক বলেই) এইসব প্রশ্ন মাথায় আসেইনা।

 

আরেক বড়লোক বন্ধু রাসেল কে সবাই পছন্দ করে,একবাক্যে তাকে হিরো বলে মেনে নেয়,সবাই মেনে নিলে আমারই বা তা মেনে নিতে সমস্যা কি!!!রাসেল এয়ারকন্ডিশনড রুমে শুয়ে সমাজতন্ত্র নিয়ে ভাবে,রাসেলের গলা ফাটিয়ে চে গুয়েভেরাকে নিয়ে উচ্চবাচ্চ করে আলোচনা-সমালোচনায় তার জ্ঞানের পরিধির ব্যাপারে সবাই সম্যক ধারণা পায়,আমিও পাই।আমি চে নামের লোকটার ছবি দেখেছি,জানি না বিশেষ কিছুই,কিন্তু উনি এয়ারকন্ডিশনড রুমে থেকে,দামী গাড়ি চড়ে সমাজতন্ত্র তৈরি করেছিলেন কিনা আমার জানা নেই । তবে রাসেলের বক্তব্য আর চোখে মুখে (সমাজতান্ত্রিক!) উল্লাস দেখে চারপাশের সবাইকে রাসেলের প্রশংসায় অষ্টমুখ হতে দেখে আমিও নিমেষেই মুখে একটা বেশ গদগদ ভাব নিয়ে আসি,বিদ্রোহী হবার প্রয়োজন পাইনা(অভ্যাস ও নাই)।

 

আরেক বন্ধু শাওন বিশাল সাহিত্যিক।সাহিত্যচর্চার মত জটিল বিষয়ে তার ভয়াবহ দক্ষতা।'চর্চা' শব্দটির ব্যবহার শাওনের ক্ষেত্রে কিছুটা ব্যাতিক্রম।সাহিত্যচর্চার মানে শাওনের ক্ষেত্রে শুধুই সাহিত্যরচনা,অন্যের সাহিত্য পাঠ করে সময় নষ্ট করবার মত সময় তার হাতে নেই।অনেক আগে কিছু কিছু সাহিত্য সে পড়েছে,কথায় কাব্যে সেগুলোর কথাই ঘুড়িয়ে ফিরিয়ে আনে।সাহিত্যিক শাওন এবং তার সাহিত্যের ভাব দেখে মনে হয়,একটা পাঞ্জাবী পড়ে সুন্দর করে কথা বলার সময় প্রতি লাইনে লাইনে সাহিত্য শব্দটা একবার উচ্চারণ করার ঠিক কায়দাটা জানতে পারলেই সাহিত্যিক হওয়া যায়;তবে হবু সাহিত্যিক ভাইরা,আপনাদের বলি সাহিত্যের ইংরেজ বানানটাও জেনে রাখা জরুরী(ইংরেজ ভালো না জানলে আজকাল আবার সুন্দরী মেয়েদের কাছে ভালো বাংলা সাহিত্যিক হওয়া যায়না)।

তবে শাওন যাই লিখুক মেয়েরা আর আমার মেয়েলি ছেলে বন্ধুরা (যারা শাওন ছাড়া আর কারো সাহিত্য কখনো পড়ছে বলে আমার মনে হয়না)'চরম হইসে,জোস হইসে' বলে চারপাশ মাথায় তুলে।আমিও আমার স্বভাবসিদ্ধ স্বাভাবিকতার গুণে ওদের সাথে সায় দেই,কখনও কখনও তাল ঠিক রেখে সবার সাথে পাল্লা দিতে গিয়ে শাওনকে প্রকাশ্যে রবীন্দ্রনাথ এর উপরে তুলে নিয়ে যাই(আমি কি ওদের কাছে হেরে যেতে পারি???)

 

এরপর পরিচয় করিয়ে দেই আমার জননেতা বন্ধু শুভকে । বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় জীবনের প্রথম দিকে পরিচয়,সারাদিন পার্টি করত,বিরোধী দলে ছিল জন্য কিছুদিন ক্যাম্পাসে ওকে না দেখলেই হাসপাতালে গিয়ে দেখে আসতাম কতটা গুরুতর অবস্থা।ভালই লাগত আমার ওকে,অবাক হতাম,মানুষকেই যখন আজকাল মানুষ বেশিক্ষন সহ্য করতে পারেনা সেখানে একটা রাজনৈতিক দলের জন্য এত্ত ত্যাগ তিতিক্ষা কি করে সম্ভব!!!আজ সরকার বদলের সঙ্গে সঙ্গে শুভও বদলে গেছে,নেতাদের সাথে মিটিং মিছিল,এখান সেখান থেকে ভাগের জিনিস টুকা(চাঁদা!!!),ছোট নেতাদের কন্ট্রোল করা;এত্ত এত্ত ব্যস্ততার মধ্যেও সময় করে প্রতিদিন কাউকে না কাউকে নিজ হাতে হাসপাতালে পাঠায়,মাঝে মাঝেই সিগারেট ফুঁকতে ফুঁকতে আমাদের সাথে বন্ধুসুলভ বাক্য বিনিময় করে ।মাঝে মাঝেই ওর সাথে ক্যান্টিনে বিনামূল্যে খেয়ে আমিও সবার মত প্রতিদিন মানুষ পিটানো বন্ধুর গুণগান করে ফিরে চলে আসি(গর্বের সঙ্গে)।

 

আমার বুদ্ধিজীবী বন্ধু সোহাগ,হ্যা বুদ্ধিজীবী শব্দটি সোহাগের জন্য যথার্থ,আমাদের বুদ্ধিজীবীদের মতই তাকে কখনও স্রোতের উল্টোদিকে দেখিনি।যখন তখন ভুরি ভুরি মিথ্যা কথা বলে চারপাশের মানুষকে যা তা(যা সে নিজেও বোঝেনা!!) বোঝাতে একেবারে ওস্তাদ ।মাঝে মাঝেই আবার নিজের মস্তিষ্কের ভার বোঝাতে ভেকধারী সুশীল হয়ে কোন জাতীয় ইস্যু নিয়ে বুদ্ধিজীবীদের মত স্রোতের অনুকূলে চমৎকার এক একটা মন্তব্য করে ফেসবুকে,বেশ ভালই লাইক পড়ে।বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় এ ঢুকেই সোহাগ আবার অনেক চ্যারিটি শুরু করেছে(সামাজিক দায়বদ্ধতা থেকে!!!)।

ফেসবুকে ওর সমাজসেবার("রাস্তার ছেলেদের পেটভরে খাওয়ানো উৎসব") ছবিগুলো বেশ বড়সড় রকমের হিট,সোহাগও তাই(ইদানীং ফেসবুকে ঢুকলেই অনেক ফ্রেন্ড রিকোয়েস্টও আসে!!!)।

প্রত্যেকবার চ্যারিটির পর বন্ধু আমাকে নিয়ে কেএফসি তে খেতে যায়,কি আর করবে!সারাদিন ঐ নোংরা হাভাতে টোকাই দের সাথে থেকে কিচ্ছুই মুখে তুলতে পারেনা বেচারা(ওইসব ছোটলোকদের পাশে কয়েক ঘণ্টা হাসিমুখে ক্যামেরার সামনে হাসিমুখে বসে থাকে,এইটাই যথেষ্ট নয়কি???)

 

নিজেকে নিয়ে বলব???নিজেকে নিয়ে বলবার তো আমার কিছুই নাই,যা বলার তা তো বলেই দিয়েছি এক কথায় "আমি স্বাভাবিক মানুষ" দিনে আট দশঘন্টা ঘুমাই, উঠতি কৈশোরের স্বপ্নগুলো (হাজার লাখ সবুজ স্বপ্ন) মধ্য যৌবনে পৌঁছোবার আগেই জলাঞ্জলি দিয়ে এখন কোনভাবে বাপ চাচার খাতিরে কোথাও একটা মাথা গুঁজবার চাকরিই আমার স্বপ্ন(স্বপ্নই যখন এই তখন নিশ্চয় বুঝতে পারছেন বাস্তবতা আমার কোথায়!!!)।

কখনও ঘুম থেকে উঠে সকাল দেখে মুগ্ধ হই,কখনও সব কাজ ফেলে ঘাসের উপর শুয়ে ঘণ্টার পর ঘণ্টা নীল আকাশের দিকে তাকিয়ে আজেবাজে অনেক কিছুই ভাবি;লোকাল বাসে উঠে মাঝে মাঝে একদিন দুইদিন বাসে যাবার সময় মেয়েদের দেখে দাড়িয়ে পড়ে নিজের সিটে বসতে দেই আবার ওড়না একটু উঠে গেলেই আড়চোখে অবলাদের প্রতি আমার কর্তব্যকর্ম নিয়মিত পালন করি।

স্বাভাবিক মানুষের মতই কোন বিষয়েই আমার নিজের কোন ভাষ্য নেই,নিজের মনোভাব প্রকাশ করবার ইচ্ছা,ক্ষমতা,অভ্যাস

নেই।অনিকেত,রাসেল,শুভ,শাওন,সোহাগ দের মত চারপাশের অসংখ্য ভেকধারীদের দেখে অন্যদের মত আমিও হাততালি দেই,শব্দ করে উৎসাহ দেই ওদের,আমার চারপাশের অন্যান্য স্বাভাবিক মানুষদের মত আমারও খারাপকে খারাপ বলবার সামর্থ্য নেই,হবেও না কোনদিন(এই ব্যাপারে আমি আশাবাদী নই একেবারে নিঃসন্দেহ)।

 

চারপাশের হাজার হাজার স্বাভাবিক মানুষ অনেক কিছুই শেখে,কিন্তু মস্তিষ্কের ব্যবহার কখনও শেখেনা ।আমিও শিখিনি,কখনও শিখতেও চাইনি।আমি অন্যদের মুখের বুলি আওড়াই,অন্যদের ভেবে ঠিক করে রাখা জিনিস মাথায় ঢুকিয়ে বসে থাকি,অন্যরা কতদূর পথ নির্বিঘ্নে গেছে দেখে নিরাপদে সেটুকু পথ নিশ্চিন্তে পাড়ি জমাতে চাই,মন্ত্রির ছোট ভাইয়ের ভাড়া করে পোষা পিএস যখন ঠিক করে দেশের মানুষ কিভাবে বাঁচবে,আমি মেনে নেই।পরদিন সংবাদপত্রে বিখ্যাত সাংবাদিকএর কলামে সরকারের মন্ত্রির স্বৈরাচারী সিদ্ধান্তের প্রতিবাদ পড়ে আমি সরকারবিরোধী হয়ে পড়ি,সবার কথা শুনে তাল মেলাতে মিনিটে মিনিটে আবুইল্যা বলে মানুষকে গালি দেই।মুক্তিযোদ্ধা বাবার মতই গোলাম আযম কে ঘেন্না করি আবার যখন লালনের ভাস্কর্য ভেঙ্গে ফেলা হয় তখন ক্ষোভ চেপে কিছুই হয়নি এমন ভাব দেখিয়ে সবার মত আমিও রাস্তা পাড় হয়ে হেঁটে যাই । আমি স্বাভাবিক।আমার বিবেক থাকতে নেই,আত্মসম্মান থাকতে নেই,প্রতিবাদ করবার শক্তি কিংবা ইচ্ছা থাকতে নেই।আমি ভাবিনা,কোন কিছু আমাকে ভাবায় না । ভাববার লোকেরা যখন ভেবে ভেবে কিছু বলে আমি মেনে নেই ।নিজের স্বার্থের প্রয়োজনে চোখ বন্ধ করে খুনির সাথে হাত মেলাতে আমার অসুবিধা হয়না।এত্ত দামি নিজের জীবনটাকে বাঁচিয়ে রাখাই আমার জীবনের একমাত্র উদ্দেশ্য(হইলোই না হয় তেলাপোকার মত,তাতে কি!!!)।

একদিন নিজামিরা এই দেশটার রাষ্ট্রপতি,প্রধানমন্ত্রী হয়ে গেলেও আমি হাসি হাসি মুখ করে ঠিক মেনে নেব,তবু বেঁচে থাকব।সৎ হয়ে বেঁচে থাকা অসম্ভব(হয়ত),আত্মহত্যা কাপুরুষতা(আমার মত মানুষের কাছেও!!!),তাই স্বাভাবিক মানুষের ভিড়ে মাথা নিচু করে স্বাভাবিক মানুষের খোলস পড়ে বেঁচে থাকব আমি-সকালে,সন্ধ্যায়,রাতে---ভুলেও একবার এই খোলস ছাড়বার উপায় আমৃত্যু আমার নেই...আমাদের নেই......

 

                                                                      

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Re: [mukto-mona] Let us not criticize religions, criticize religion-peddling



1. I think the word "custom" (as has been suggested by Farida Majid) is pretty close as the synonym of the word "sanskar". For example, in the context of religion, "saptapadee" (the bride and the groom together walk seven steps so that the actual conjugal life become long and happy)  as a religious ritual is a significant part of Hindu wedding. This custom or sanskar has no scientific basis but the purpose is goodness. One can cite hundreds of examples.  
2. "They ignore the fact that here I'm talking endlessly about 'people' -- human beings, communities and places/locations where people live and work. There can be NO religion -- no matter how powerful a God -- without people."----Farida Majid. This great but courageous utterance by Farida Majid ("Sabar uporey manush sotyo, tahar upore nai"---Chandidas) is prone to be treated as blasphemous by shallow believers. It has been said by our great poets like Rabindranath and Nazrul neither of whom was a nonbeliever. Nazrul's "audacious" call to Genghis, Mahmud, and Kalapahar to demolish the places of worship where man is ignored obviously angered the mullahs. Let me take a quote even from Jasimuddin's "Sojan badiyar ghat" in which an 80-year old religious Manir Munshi says: "ei masjid iter ganthuni, Allah hethay korey na baas, ihar mayay mathay koriya bohiya anibe sarbonash." He said this when a bloody clash between the Muslims and Hindus was imminent. I wrote an article (published in Ogrobeej thanks to Shoumyo Dasgupta) on "Sojan badiyar ghat". I interpreted Jasimuddin in the following way: Jasimuddin has emphasized that man is "way above the few brick pillars". Man is there, that is why there is God. Without man, the the place of worship is nothing but a meaningless structure.   
     

From: Farida Majid <farida_majid@hotmail.com>
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 9:29 AM
Subject: RE: [mukto-mona] Let us not criticize religions, criticize religion-peddling
 
           All the discussion about religion by the so-called atheists (both deshi and bideshi) swirl around God, His existence and blind faith.  I really cannot be bothered to be so God-obssessed as the atheists are.  They ignore the fact that  here I'm talking endlessly about 'people' -- human beings, communities and places/locations where people live and work.  There can be NO religion -- no matter how powerful a God -- without people.  Buddhang sharanang gacchaami -- sanghang sharang gacchaami, etc. There must be a SANGHA. Call it a Umma, if you like. In the Qur'an Allah is always addressing human beings with practical, worldly advice: O you believing men and women ----        Subimal has used a nice quote and comments : "Dharma is a shuva sanskar". This "sanskar" (can we trnslate it into "superstition"? Probably not.) is the result of religious beliefs of thousands of years of our forefathers.             The word 'sanskar' is very interesting in this context.  It has many meanings. It means 'custom' in one sense, and that meaning does not have to be limited to 'religious beliefs' only. Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Bouddhas of Bengal share many customs that belong to the locale. We have to add a negative -- ku-sanskar -- in order to mean 'superstition'. Sanskar also means 'correction' or revision or edifying.  Thus we have a 2nd sangskaran of a published book.  So, to me, the word 'sanskar' connotes both customs or long tradition, and one that keeps changing as society changes.                        "Dharma is a shuva sanskar" is a very apt statement. It relies -- not on 'blind faith' ( I don't know what that oft repeated phrase means), but on society's faith on religions to mean good and give right guidance to mankind.  Religion-peddlers manage to exploit a handful of faithfuls within a particular faith, but worse, they exploit the whole society's faith on the goodness of religions.       On the word sanskar. again, the great grammarian Panini of Afghanistan in 500 BC organized and created a written language out of what he was hearing around him and the hymns that were being sung in rituals.  He called this bhasha Sanskrita or "that which has been edified'.                             Farida Majid
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.comFrom: subimal@yahoo.comDate: Tue, 17 Jul 2012 05:41:47 -0700Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Let us not criticize religions, criticize religion-peddling  
Yours may be one of some possible explanations. I still remember what Bani Basu, a novelist from West Bengal and wife of a Buddhist scholar, has written in the introduction of her "semi-historical" novel "Maitrya Jatak": "Dharma is a shuva sanskar". This "sanskar" (can we trnslate it into "superstition"? Probably not.) is the result of religious beliefs of thosands of years of our forefathers. To this has been added the strong religious environment the atheist is living in. It's foundation in our subconscious mind is so splod that even a "confirmed" atheist fails to escape it completely. And this manifests itself in an atheist's love for devotional or spiritual songs of  Rabindranath and others.  
 
From: Shah Deeldar <shahdeeldar@yahoo.com>
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 1:55 PM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Let us not criticize religions, criticize religion-peddling
 
"Is it not fascinating that even the educated and culturally advanced atheists and skeptics love devotional songs written by our great lyricists? Why is it so? "

Very interesting observation!
Here is my two cents:
No matter how much we know about the nature and its laws, it will still be a mystery for us for many millions years to come. We will never be able to attain the absolute knowledge that we might need to predict a future incident like a plane crash in the sky or say, us facing certain deaths on certain dates. That insecurity might be a factor why we still do not mind to sing the hallelujah hymn to yield that undefined mysterious power to a greater power than ours own? 
-SD   
 
"All great truths begin as blasphemies." GBS
From: subimal chakrabarty <subimal@yahoo.com>
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2012 10:46 AM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Let us not criticize religions, criticize religion-peddling
 
1.Use of drug has been an integral part of the culture of many secretive and semi-secretive cults. The "sati" had sometimes to be drugged to persuade her to walk onto the burning pyre of her dead husband. I have seen smoking of "ganja" by people (male) of all ages during the religious event called "trinather mela". In urban religious practices of Hinduism, this (smoking ganja) has been greatly marginalized or probably has vanished. Many Hindu sadhus cannot do without it. Drug opens spiritual window for the truth seeker. In my young life I have seen disciples (fans) sitting around the master (male or female) to get engaged in profound spiritual talks while smoking ganja.  
2. There has always been uses of the religion by the exploiters as the opiate of the masses. But it has other uses too. Think about a typical Indian Hindu mother with little education and who was born 80 years ago. Religion has taught her to completely devote herself to the service of her husband. This is exploitative part. On the other hand religion gives her God or gods and goddesses to be worshiped for piety and spiritual and mystical experiences and pleasure as well. Also observance of religious rituals is a part of her daily routine. Obviously fear factor is a motive force behind her religious behavior. But what about the 100-year old educated and highly religious father who sees same one God in every god and goddess and who has no belief in hell or heaven or in piety? Yes, at the times of hardships and distress he prays and tears roll down his cheeks while he is praying. Here religion provides him with a drug free comfort. Here I see a great utility of religion in the personal life of a believer. When he is in total despair, he completely submits himself to God.   
3. There is hardly any one who chose his own religion. He already has it by default and it is now his duty to practice it believing that it is a great thing and he should be proud of it. While practicing it and knowing more and more about it questions may however arise in his inquiring mind. 
4. Being proud of one's own religion and considering the same as the best one is typical of the educated and socially and politically conscious class. Common toiling and economically struggling people do not have time to engage in such a luxury. Even he has hardly any time to observe all the recommended rituals. 
5. Is it not fascinating that even the educated and culturally advanced atheists and skeptics love devotional songs written by our great lyricists? Why is it so?                        
 

From: Kamal Das <kamalctgu@gmail.com>
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2012 8:21 PM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Let us not criticize religions, criticize religion-peddling
 
"it is a mere drug free comfort for our mind!"  In reality, the psychedelic drugs had a great role in the development and propagation of religions.
On Sat, Jul 14, 2012 at 7:49 PM, Shah Deeldar <shahdeeldar@yahoo.com> wrote:
 
"Religion is one such belief also. But, it brings some sort of pride in people."
I call it the last resort to belong to a huge cult. I would rather look at it from a Freudian angle. It is far easier to become a religious man than a true knowledge gatherer. It brings pride to people who have nothing else to proud of! Why would a criminal be interested in converting to born again in something after five consecutive murders? What would be a better choice for him/her? Learning more about how celestial objects are faithfully orbiting around other stars and planets? Or, take a new religious attire and demand respect from others? No doubt, the later sounds far easier! Look, my words are harsh but that is what I feel about religions. If anybody thinks that the God being on their side, I say, keep dreaming on brothers and sisters. To me, it is a mere drug free comfort for our mind! No more and no less! -SD  

"All great truths begin as blasphemies." GBS
Sent: Friday, July 13, 2012 8:15 PM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Let us not criticize religions, criticize religion-peddling
 
People believe in many things; not all those beliefs are revealed to others. We all have our own prejudices/superstitions. Exposing one's prejudices is like exposing one's 'stupidities.' As a result, people rarely talk about them. How do you express that you believe in something that does not exist? Is it a sign of smartness or what?
Religion is one such belief also. But, it brings some sort of pride in people. So  they feel the need to show their religiosity to others in their religious attires and/or appearances to stir up otherwise nonexistent resentment and hatred. There is no end in sight to end these types of cultural disturbance in our societies.
 
Jiten Roy --- On Fri, 7/13/12, Shah Deeldar <shahdeeldar@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Shah Deeldar <shahdeeldar@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Let us not criticize religions, criticize religion-peddling
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Friday, July 13, 2012, 9:53 AM

 
How you feel about your own faith and belief is not anybody's concern unless you impose your values and standard on others. To me, it is more important to see whether a belief takes people to the dark ages or enlightenment of a verifiable truth. I can tolerate your belief but may not respect your belief. If you are a free thinker, that should be totally OK with you as I would follow the same rule.
-SD 
 
"All great truths begin as blasphemies." GBS
From: qar <qrahman@netscape.net>
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 9:18 AM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Let us not criticize religions, criticize religion-peddling
 
If religious people can keep their religion private and stop boasting about their religion being the best, there would not any problem.
>>>>>>>> I agree. Actually arrogance is bad for all people. It eats up best qualities from our personalities. However, if you ask me about my faith and how I feel about it, you should be able to tolerate my "Opinion" on MY faith matters. I have seen people have some preconceived notions about religious people and often go with it. Having tolerance and rejecting/reducing arrogance are "Best practices" for any peaceful communities. No matter if you want to view it from religious point of view or secular point of view. Shalom!
-----Original Message----- From: Shah Deeldar <shahdeeldar@yahoo.com> To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tue, Jul 10, 2012 6:47 am Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Let us not criticize religions, criticize religion-peddling
 
Only thing I can add here is that the people, who are truly spiritual and never stop asking questions about our origin and our relation to the universe should not have any problem with little critic.  If religious people can keep their religion private and stop boasting about their religion being the best, there would not any problem. But. that is not happening in practice and hence, they do deserve critic now and then. Any belief should be challenged now and then before it gets transformed as an universal truth. The next thing you will find that people will be demanding the religiously adjusted science in the public schools. Who would want that? How would reach to the next frontier with such compromised science?
-SD
 
"All great truths begin as blasphemies." GBS
From: Jiten Roy <jnrsr53@yahoo.com>
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, July 3, 2012 9:32 PM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Let us not criticize religions, criticize religion-peddling
 
I have thought about the question also - as to why people get offended by the criticism of their religions; why can't they leave it to God.  This is what I found.
People are interested in religion not only for the eternal rewards, but - also they are also interested in the brand name of the clan. Religion is no different from other commercial commodity. It needs to be sold for continued expansion, and criticism is not good for the business, and also for the reputation of the clan.  As a result, people cannot wait for God's punishment.
Now, the tolerance level of criticism varies from followers to followers. Some followers may care more about eternal rewards than expansionism. They will have more tolerance to criticism. Some followers could be totally indifferent of criticism. It's a matter of priority.
Having said that, I have to recognize that, while protecting the brand name is discouraged in some religions, it is mandatory in others. 
Jiten Roy --- On Tue, 7/3/12, Sukhamaya Bain <subain1@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Sukhamaya Bain <subain1@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Let us not criticize religions, criticize religion-peddling
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Tuesday, July 3, 2012, 4:36 PM

 
Along with making a little correction in my post below, let me put forth my thoughts on one of the terms that I have used.
                                                                                                                   
Abusing Religion:
 
From time to time, many religious people accuse non-religious people and people of other religions of abusing their religion. Example: if someone were to open up the Bible and criticize something in it, he/she would be accused by some Christians of abusing their religion. I said "some" (as opposed to "many") for Christians, because I believe this group has progressed significantly for a lot of them to ignore such criticisms.
 
However, let us try some logic. What can be more abuse for God (Allah, Bhagaban, whatever else in other lanugages) than the so-called believers to think that He is not almighty, and that He needs help from them? What can be more doubting of God's power than thinking that He needs humans to fight for Him (or for His religion) in this world?
 
The way I see it, if someone actually insulted God or His messenger, a true believer could feel pity for the insulter. Because, according to the belief, the insult was against the most powerful, and the insulter might have invited big trouble for himself/herself in the form of punishment from God. If God knew best, the believer would have no business prescribing a punishment for the insulter. The most civilized and caring action for the believer would be to pray to God to change the insulter's mind, the power of which God certainly has according to his/her true belief.
 
The bottom line is, if religion was really for believing in the almighty God (Allah, Bhagaban, whatever else in other lanugages), as opposed to forming/maintaining/expanding a clan, there should be no reason for humans to fight, or to hate, for maintaining or promoting it.
 
Sukhamaya Bain
 
=================================================
From: Sukhamaya Bain <subain1@yahoo.com>
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 1, 2012 9:32 AM
Subject: [mukto-mona] Let us not criticize religions, criticize religion-peddling
 
Indeed, I believe most of us in this forum are opposed to religion-peddling, as Ms. Majid wrote. As I wrote before, there is no point in opening up religious books for criticism, even when that might look scholarly.
 
I am opposed to the use, misuse and abuse of religions, all of which have caused a lot of division, hatred and injustice in the world. While I do not follow any religion, I am not unwilling to do something just because if was found in a religious book. In other words, I am perfectly OK to implement in my life anything that is good in the Koran, for example.
 
To me, all religious books are part of my history. None of them are "my religion" or "someone else's religion." I am open to follow anything good in any book. I have no animosity toward any religion. For me, no religion needs to have cadres of defenders.
 
However, I am certainly for discarding anything bad in any book. And I am unwilling to dig for contexts by which a seemingly bad teaching can be interpreted to be OK or good. Nor do I have time for overly-brainwashed 'scholars', who try to sustain and promote nonsense in what they think is 'their religion'.
 
The bottom line is, we should fight division, hatred and injustice that are promoted via use, misuse and abuse or religions.
 
Sukhamaya Bain
 
====================================
From: subimal chakrabarty <subimal@yahoo.com>
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2012 7:35 PM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Voice of the People
 
There is a gray area between religion itself and the way it is used by vested interest groups. In a God fearing society it is unproductive and sometimes catastrophic to bluntly criticize a religion. It antagonizes common people and the reactionary forces get an excuse to pull them on their own side. But can a society really progress without pointing out the weaknesses in a religion? Obviously, No. But if we do so, religious feelings of the believers cannot but be hurt. It is a dilemma indeed. When Dipa Mehta shows in her film "Water" the quote from Gandhi and Manusanhita side by side, the Hindutvabadis do not like it. But we come to know that Gandhi did not endorse all of sage Manu's sacred pronouncements.
 
======================================
From: Farida Majid <farida_majid@hotmail.com>
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2012 8:55 AM
Subject: RE: [mukto-mona] Voice of the People
 
                  Do we all agree, on this one point, that we are all opposed to religion-peddling? I fervently hope that the answer is: YES.                 If so, then it is our solemn duty to understand the matter of 'religion-peddling'.                          In this business of religion -peddling it is the 'peddling' part that should command our attention.  And that requires certain in-depth and close attention to politics. Religion is a very powerful cultural artifice, and since both politics and religion deal with a community of people, there has been a mix of the two from time immemorial.  But we are constantly talking about religion-related  social symptoms, and mis-diagnosing them as 'religion'.  Why? There are several reasons.  One, mental laziness.  It takes a lot more patience and astute observation to do a political analysis. It needs historical information.              Throughout the 16th century in Europe , for instance, the Catholic Church was fighting an intense political battle with the breaking up of the Church.  The execution of the Nolan Magus and poet, Giordano Bruno, who was not a scientist or mathematician like Nicholas Copernicus, and the persecution of astronomer Galileo, a couple of decades later are indicative of the Church's political authority under severe pressure.  It is silly to cite this as the paradigmatic 'science v. religion' struggle.  It is a singular historical event within the context of Europe .               Both Dawkins and Hitchens are being totally dishonest in their discussions against religion. Dawkins is addressing the Creationists exclusively, and Hitchens's arguments apply to the Jehadists only.  Neither has the courage and intelligence of Karen Armstrong who discards the construction of the binary opposition of 'science v. religion' and refuses any hierarchical positioning of the two branches of knowledge.               Two, critiquing religion is a mask for communalism.  More on that later.                               Farida Majid
 
==============================


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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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