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Friday, September 10, 2010

[ALOCHONA] Sentimentalization of religion for political lrgitimacy






Sentimentalization of illegal use of "bismillah" in the Constitution is blasphemous

 

       Sentimentalization of "bismillah"s illegal placement in the Constitution has begun just as I apprehended. 

This is a familiar trick reminiscent of Hitler's campaign rhetoric stoking popular racial and ethnic sentiments

in 1930s Germany. Later the Catholic Church of Austria used religious sentiments to persecute the Jews and

oust them from Vienna, urging the congregation to do so as a national as well as a religious duty.

 

      When I raised the issue of illegality of "bismillah" above the Preamble of the Constitution of Bangladesh

in the internet forums, I got angry responses. Accused of being anti-Islam and a paid servant of Zionist

masters, I was asked sarcastically: "Why "Bismillah" is a problem for you?"

       It is not a problem for me.  'Bismillah' is my constant companion. Besides using it in prayers, I love saying it

at the commencement of any good work, and I love writing it.  Give me a minute or two, and any old pen,

and even without practice, I will write 'bismillah' in Arabic in passable Nashtaliq calligraphic style.

 

      I do have a problem though with a thing called Martial Law. There is no such thing called 'Martial Law' in the

Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.  'Bismillah' should not be put above the Preamble of

the nation's Constitution, a nation that fought a bloody battle for its birth on the principle of secularism,

by an unlawful usurper of civilian power who called himself Chief Martial Law Administrator.

 

      The use of 'bismillah' for such crass political purpose behind the clout of illegal Martial Law by

a Proclamation Order in 1977, thereby betraying the trust of 150 million people should surely count

as the most shocking and egregious blasphemy! It is kufri of the most heinous kind!


 See the Holy Qur'an for a strong interdiction very specifically against an act like this in Sura Hud: 18 --


wa man adhlamu mimman iftara 'ala Allahi kadhiban


"Who is a worse transgressor than him who constructs lies upon Allah's name fraudulently"?

 

 

             Farida Majid




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[ALOCHONA] Repression on Hindus has increased



NIKHIL BANGA SANGHA'S CLAIM

Repression on Hindus has increased
 
Faisal Rahim
 
Repression on the Hindu minority in Bangladesh not only continues unabated but has also increased at a time when the Awami League, which enjoys overwhelming support of Hindu voters, is now in power.
   The Hindus -- alleged the Kolkata-based 'Nikhil Banga Nagorik Sangha' (All Bengal Citizens' Society) -- are now leaving Bangladesh on an average 70 persons per day and local leaders of Awami League have been largely blamed for mounting concerted attacks on their life and property forcing them to leave the country.
   The allegation came in the form of a memorandum to President Zillur Rahman recently by 'Nikhil Banga Nagorik Sangha' seeking his intervention to stop the repression on the minority community people of Bangladesh.
   Secularism questioned
   Presented to Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, a copy of the memorandum has also been sent to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina questioning what kind of secularism is in place in Bangladesh now when intimidation and repression of Hindu minorities are on the rise.
   The leaders of the 'Nikhil Banga Nagorik Sangha' said this is an organization mainly comprised of Hindu migrants from Bangladesh since 1971 and their local supporters are spearheading a movement to protect the basic human rights of the minorities in Bangladesh.
   A national daily in Dhaka recently carried out a detailed report on the memorandum in which the leaders of the organisation have expressed doubts over the government's true intention and sincerity to establish a real secular society in Bangladesh.
   Referring to the government's efforts to bring back secularism of 1972 in the Constitution, the Banga Sangha leaders said they "do not believe that this cover of secularism will bring an end to the project of 'creating Bangladesh a country free from minority population.'
   Pointing to deep-rooted communalism and its various manifestations at different levels in the country's majority Muslim population, the Banga Sangha leaders held the view that even if Bangladesh is declared a Hindu state, repression on the minorities will not come to an end.
   This is because they said there is a lack of sincerity and commitment in the government, political parties and socio-cultural organisations to uproot communalism from society.
   Even the local leaders of Awami League and its party workers from the majority community are failing to get them mentally free from this venomous communal feeling.
   
   Some examples
   The Banga Sangha leaders in the memorandum gave some examples of minority repression and forcible occupation by Awami League leaders and their cadres of their property.
   In one case a local Awami League leader expelled 33 Hindu families from over a 300-year old two-storied building located over 22 kathas of land in the old part of Dhaka city.
   The memo said, over 200 party workers, all of them belonging to Awami League, evacuated the house on August 11, 2010 along with forceful occupation of Hindu temples. They fired gunshots and exploded hand bombs to create panic among the inmates to force them to leave the house. Police did not come forward to give them protection, they alleged.
   The Sangh leaders further alleged that more than 100 families were evicted by force from their homes in the old city over the past six months. They lost valuable land and assets to local party leaders and their cadres. Most of the victims are now living in the open air on embankments and roadsides in utter miseries.
   Land grabbers are at large to take forcible possession of land of the minorities and in doing so they are taking cover of influential Awami League (AL) leaders, in addition to police protection and support from local administration.
   The memorandum cited some other examples such as forcible eviction of Hindu temple land at Dhamrai, anout 30km from Dhaka city.
   In another incident, AL leaders at Sylhet did not allow to hold a human chain that the Manipuri Students Council of MC College sought to form on July 17 this year demanding arrest of the killers of a Manipuri student by a Chhatra League leader.
   At Shalla in Sunamganj district, terrorist belonging to the ruling party had attacked the upazila chairman Abani Mohan Das. He was beaten in public on alleged instigation from local ruling party MP, the memorandum said.
   The Banga Sangha leaders blamed Awami League for running the country like other parties in the past; this party has no difference in repressing the minorities.
   Critics say Awami League has always used the minority repression card against BNP and Jamaat but this memorandum showed the ruling party is the biggest repressive party although it claims it is secular and minority-friendly.
   There is yet another dimension of the issue. Some Kolkata- based organizations are using the issue too much to take political advantage no matter it is BNP or Awami League in power.
   They said migration is an emotional issue in the minority population and they are taking it up to join members of their greater families already living in India. Why only speaking about Hindu minority, said a political analysts pointing finger to massive migration of Muslim youths to Western countries, in addition to labour markets in many Gulf countries and other parts of the world.

 


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[ALOCHONA] Time to redraw nation's defence strategy



Time to redraw nation's defence strategy
 
M. Shahidul Islam
 
A number of glaring testimonies of looming military danger make it incumbent upon our defence policy makers to update the nation's war book, or re-write a new one altogether in light of the intensified Indo-Chinese rivalry and the Indian distinctive strategic alliance with the USA.
   The security ambiance of the region plunged deeper into a danger zone lately with reports in the US and the Indian media of Islamabad's handing over of the Gilgit-Baltistan region of the Pakistan-administered Kashmir to China and China's deployment of 11,000 troops in that region.
   Coupled with other recent geopolitical developments, these reports indicate the re-shaping of the regional strategic landscape and of Delhi's dogged determination to challenge Beijing's pre-eminence in regional and global politics, with help from Bangladesh.
   Besides, the intensified Indo-Chinese tension seriously undercuts efforts by people of India, China and Russia for greater regional collaborations; despite the foreign ministers of the three nations slated to meet in Bangalore on October 26-27.
   
   Denial unheeded
   Reacting to the reports that started to make headlines in late August, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Jiang Yu said on September 2, "We believe these attempts of some people to fabricate stories to provoke China-Pakistan or China-India relations are doomed to fail."
   Pakistan too issued similar rebuttal. A Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman, Abdul Basit, strongly denied the news being circulated in the American and Indian media and said on August 31, "The Chinese were working on landslide, flood hit areas and on the destroyed Korakoram Highway with the permission of Pakistani Government."
   All such denials did little, however, to assuage
   
   
   Indian concerns. India's ambassador to China, S. Jaishankar, met with the Chinese vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Zhang Zhijun, on September 3 in Beijing and conveyed New Delhi's concern over the presence of Chinese troops in Gilgit-Baltistan. India also further reinforced its military capability along the 2,521 mile China-India borders.
   
   Historical animosity
   Although a recent New York Time report had linked the Chinese military presence in Kashmir to China's plans to gain a "grip on the strategic area to ensure unfettered road and rail access to the Gulf through Pakistan," the animosity is rooted in historic claims and counter claims made by the two nuclear armed neighbours on each other's territories. The New York Times report said there were two important new developments in Gilgit-Baltistan; a simmering rebellion against the Pakistani rule and the influx of an estimated 7,000 to 11,000 soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the area.
   In reality, these reports are tied with recent Indian war preparation and entrenchment of military capability along mutual borders on which the two nations had fought a brief but bloody war in 1962.
   The border dispute dates back to 1914 when the colonial Britain hosted a conference with the Chinese and the Tibetan governments to demarcate the Tibetan border along the so called McMahon line. China never recognised the McMahon Line and claims 90,000 sq km, nearly all of what India now calls Arunachal Pradesh (about 2000 sq kms), its own territory. Besides, India accuses China of occupying 8,000 sq km of its territory in Kashmir.
   The latest spark also emanated from Delhi's upping the ante on August 26 following Beijing's refusal to grant a visa to Indian army's Northern Command Chief, Lt. Gen. BS Jaswal, to visit Beijing as an Indian military delegation member, saying the officer oversees Jammu and Kashmir which 'is a disputed area.'
   The incident left Delhi snubbed, insulted and injured; more so when Beijing asked to replace Lt. Gen. Jaswal, something India refused to comply and ordered instead a demarche by cancelling a scheduled visit by a Chinese military delegation to India's National Defence College. Delhi also ordered cancellation of another scheduled visit by Indian military officials to China.
   
   Offensive postures
   The ongoing rivalry may end up with another war, according to many analysts. Since 2007, India has been aggressively racing to match China for regional and global power, building and bolstering airstrips and army outposts along the common borders and rebuilding run-down roads and infrastructures. In June 2009, it started building a tunnel to bypass the virtually impassable Rohtang Pass to ensure all-weather access to Ladakh, which abuts the Tibetan Plateau.
   Coupled with recent procurement of huge state-of-the-art military hardware and Delhi's strategic alliance with the USA, these moves kept Beijing busy in shoring up its own deficiencies, tactically and strategically, while Delhi replaced its 'cold start' strategy with an aggressive doctrine to confront both China and Pakistan simultaneously. These bellicose postures are heading toward the outbreak of another major war among the two regional giants.
   Besides defending the sovereignty of the Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi wants to recover the Chinese-administered Aksai Chin, which India claims as part of its territory. Along the Kashmir frontier, north of Ladakh stands the disputed Siachen Glacier, an ice-capped river basin that had provoked both India and Pakistan to claiming and fighting over, almost frequently since the 1980s. Both India and Pakistan maintain military outposts on the 20,000 feet high altitude of the Siachen's glacier- capped ranges.
   
   Bangladesh's concern
   Having lost Tibet to China in 1959, India took over Sikkim's sovereignty in 1975, but the predicament posed by the Siliguri Corridor in West Bengal, with an average width of 21 km to 40 km only, in connecting the north eastern region with the Indian mainland could not be reconciled as yet. That is what makes Bangladesh an integral part of the Indian and the Chinese defence priorities and makes it extremely difficult for Dhaka to maintain either a neutral stance, or align militarily with either of the protagonists.
   It also gives birth to a cliché, if not a strategic doctrine, that "He who controls Bangladesh will control north east India," making Bangladesh susceptible to pre-emptive military invasion by either of the protagonists.
   Geopolitically, China has two major claims over territories that India claims to be its own. The claim in the western sector involves Aksai Chin in the northeastern Ladakh District in Jammu and Kashmir. The eastern sector claim involves the territory belonging to the British era North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) abutting Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar; including the Tibetan-Naga-inhabited Arunachal Pradesh which Delhi has turned into its 24th state on 20th February, 1987.
   These lands were fought over before. During the 1962 Indo-China war, the well-trained and well-armed PLA troops overpowered the ill-equipped Indian troops, who found themselves not properly acclimatized to fight at high altitudes. Following initial setbacks, Indian troops desperately sought to regroup and the Indian army strengthened its defensive positions in the NEFA and Ladakh to repulse possible Chinese attacks through Sikkim and Bhutan.
   The Indian attempt failed and the war reached close to Bangladesh frontiers (then East Pakistan), despite many Indian army units having moved from Calcutta, Bihar, Nagaland, and Punjab to guard the northern frontiers of West Bengal and Assam. The western NEFA witnessed deployment of three Indian brigades while two other brigades were deployed in Sikkim and the West Bengal border with Bhutan. Light Stuart tanks were drawn from the Eastern Command headquarters at Calcutta to bolster such deployments.
   Yet, an unrelenting Chinese onslaught wiped out virtually all Indian resistance in Kameng and, by November 18, the PLA had penetrated close to the outskirts of Tezpur, Assam, a major frontier town within the artillery range from Bangladesh and barely 50 kilometres from the Assam-NEFA border. Sensing Indian helplessness, China declared a unilateral ceasefire on November 21. Beijing also respected the McMahan line and withdrew troops beyond what it regards as 'unaccepted' Line of Actual Control (LoAC).
   
   The big picture
   There are those who blame the USA for the latest escalation in tension and military preparedness in Asia. They say the US department of defence annual report's claim that 'the pace and scope of China's military modernisation have increased over the past decade' has scared Delhi. The report cautioned that 'extreme secrecy is increasingly difficult to reconcile with China's role in the integrated global economy, which depends on transparency.'
   That is perhaps part of the story. Beijing's quest for access to the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf regions for much needed energy resources lay at the centre of its alliance making in the region, although the Indian story is rooted more in geopolitical quest for land.
   Although other intelligence reports indicate Beijing is constructing over 22 tunnel and a rail link between Pakistan administered Kashmir and China, and further extending the Karakoram Highway that connects China's Muslim predominant Xinjiang province with Pakistan, the tunnel construction is related to a projected gas pipeline from Iran to China that would cross the Karakorams through Gilgit. India, however, fears they could be also used for missiles storage sites.
   They plausibly could, but such Indian fear is grossly misplaced. Given that Beijing has financed the construction of Pakistani naval bases at Gawadar, Pasni and Ormara in Balochistan, such connectivity aims mainly at transporting cargo and oil from the Persian Gulf to eastern China within 48 hours.
   While those could be least of our concerns, Bangladesh must prepare not to get overrun by any of the contending armies of the region in the instance push come to shove. That is why it must devise a full spectrum defence capability of its own as a sovereign nation state of 150 million strong.
 


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[ALOCHONA] India to lay optical cable through Bangladesh



India to lay optical cable through Bangladesh

Agartala, Sept 10 (IBNS): Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), the state-run telecom operator in India will lay optical fiber cable (OFC) through Bangladesh to connect northeast India with the rest of the world, said a top official of the enterprise on Thursday.

Speaking on the sidelines of launching WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) services in Tripura, BSNL General Manager Debkumar Chakraborty said, "BSNL will lay optical fiber from Agartala to Dhaka. Around 12 km optical fiber is needed to connect Agartala and Akhuwra (nearest town in Bangladesh to capital Agartala) telephone exchange."

"We will also be extending our network from Sabroom to Chittagong (in southeast Bangladesh) sea port and then to Ashugang (in eastern Bangladesh) port. Survey works are in progress and as soon as survey is over, cost implication will be calculated and I hope by the present financial year the work really starts," he said.

He added that apart from overcoming the geographical isolation of the Northeast the new project will give relief to the present OFC passing through the hills which often gets disconnected.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar launched the WiMAX service after a cultural programme.

Tripura is second state after Mizoram in the northeastern region to have the service where the Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Sachin Pilot first announced it last July.

According to BSNL, the WiMAX service will help to serve the people better in E-governance and literacy programmes particularly in the remote inaccessible areas of the state where landline broadband service has not been set up.

http://www.indiablooms.com/BusinessDetailsPage/businessDetails100910a.php


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[ALOCHONA] Assam districts join anti-Tipaimukh cry



Assam districts join anti-Tipaimukh cry

Imphal, September 09, 2010: Giving an impetus to the years old anti-Tipaimukh dam movement, people living in the downstream of the proposed dam, particularly inhabitants of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts of Assam have raised strong objection to the controversial project.

The Committee on Peoples and Environment (COPE), constituted by 38 different organisations based in these three districts of Assam, has voiced serious concerns over the Tipaimukh Dam.

Incidentally, people living upstream of the proposed dam in Churachandpur, Tamenglong and Senapati districts of Manipur have been vehemently opposing Tipaimukh Project since the project was conceived.

They have categorically voiced their concerns of the likely impacts of the proposed dam such as inundation of large tracts of human settlement areas by backwater formed by the dam, ecological imbalance, disappearance of rare flora and fauna and uprooting hundreds of families from their sources of livelihood.

Already, people of Bangladesh have been protesting against the proposed dam.

Now the people of Barak Valley, Assam have joined the anti-Tipaimukh movement.

They put forth their apprehensions that the proposed dam would affect 38 lakh people of Barak valley.

Tipaimukh Dam would cause water shortage for human consumption as well as agriculture in Barak valley.

It would also upset ecological balance besides leading to contamination of rivers in the downstream.

Highlighting all these concerns, the COPE submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Okram Ibobi today.

Later speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club here today, COPE secretary general Pijush Kanti Das said that construction Tipaimukh Dam would seriously affect the livelihood of 38 lakh people of Barak Valley.

Pointing out that the North East region is located in a highly seismic zone, Kanti Das highlighted the possibility of washing out many human settlement areas of Barak Valley in case Tipaimukh Dam gives away or breaks down in the event of an earthquake.

The decision to go ahead with Tipaimukh Project need a thorough review, he asserted.

Taking part in the press meet, COPE organising secretary S Herajit Singh said that the two lakhs Meitei population of Barak Valley are entirely dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.

If the Tipaimukh Dam is constructed, these farmers would face serious problems on account of water shortage for agriculture as river water would be blocked by Tipaimukh Dam.

He further appealed to all the people of Manipur to stand united and firm against Tipaimukh Project.

http://www.e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=8..100910.sep10


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[ALOCHONA] Heartsong Church Welcomes Memphis Islamic Center



 
In a message dated 9/9/2010 7:41:01 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, giollab@aol.com writes:
 
This may give you hope.

Linda Nicola
 
==========================================================

Heartsong Church Memphis Islamic Center
 

 If only Pastor Terry Jones, the firebrand behind "International Burn a Koran Day," were going to Graceland. A small detour could lead him to the doorstep of fellow Pastor Steve Stone.

When Stone read in the newspaper that a new Memphis Islamic Center was coming to town, he scrambled to make a sign and took to the street.

"Heartsong Church welcomes Memphis Islamic Center to the neighborhood."

This sign hasn't received much attention since it went up a year and a half ago!!!!

 
====================================================
Response from Omar Huda
 
It does give me hope, Linda, as it must all of us! Thanks for sharing.
 
Actually, I am one of the founders of the Granada Hills (Ca)  Mosque back in early 90's. We have two churches in our block, Catholic and Baptist. We share their parking lots on Fridays - and tomorrow morning for Eid prayers. We also have a Synagogue in the block.
 
All of them supported us. After 911, people from the Churches came in and slept in our mosque - to protect it! People from the Synagogue came the next Friday to show us solidarity. But we kept finding resistance at the City Hall. Unknown people from outside our area continued their opposition and held it up for over two years!
 
Only recently, 200 people from the Tea Party Nation came with there dogs (as way of disrespect)  to protest building mosque at Temacula, CA. More than 600 stood their ground to oppose the bullies. Most of the 600 were local non-Muslim neighbors.
 
What was going on? Politics from outside from those who want all of us to remain afraid, very afraid of each other.
 
This is America. Bad at the fringe. Good inside. There is a lot that many Muslim societies around the world can learn from this when they deny freedom of worship to other religions, and even to minority sects from within Islam! Saudi Arabia and Pakistan come to mind.
 
When Newt Gingrich and Terry Jones say, they will let us build mosques when they can build churches in Saudi Arabia, I say this: So much better to build churches than military bases; for every military base you remove, go build 50 churches! I will even contrinute!
 
As to the references of "Quran Burning" by the crackpot (and ignorant) pastor  Jones, it did not bother me at all! Lots of Qurans have been burnt. The Book and the Mesage persists!
 
Mongols ravaged Baghdad in the 14th century and literally kicked the Abbasid Calif to death. They razed hundreds of thousands of books on Science, Astrology, Chemistry, and of course Quran! They did not know what was inside them. Nor does Pastor Jones and those who egg him on! Later, of course, the Mongol victors converted to Islam, and wen to on to create great Muslim empires in Persia, Central Asia and India! A rare example in history of the victor accepting the religion of the vanquished!
 
Baghdad again! In the eve of Iraq invasion, one of the first targets of the US Air Force was a Quram Museum. It contained a thousand years old Quran manuscripts.
 
Last year in Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim country, fanatic Muslims burnt a minority sect Ahmedya mosque, and along with it, dozens of Quran. In Pakistan this  continues to be a common story for years, not only on Ahmedya, but also Shia mosques. Only a few months ago a Sufi Mazaar was bombed to rubbles. They all contain volumes of Quraan!
 

And now, let us pray,

Differently, yet together,

Before there is no earth, no life,

No chance for peace.

Mattie Stepanek, from her poem on 911

FOR OUR WORLD

 
 
Eid Mubarak and best wishes,
Omar Huda
From City of Angels
 


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