I wrote the following in March, 2011, just prior to the Woodrow Wilson Center launching of her infamous book, and my report of the Brig. F. B. Ali's testimony was mentioned there by the journalist Arnold Zeitlin.
Raising serious objection to Sarmila Bose's "testimony" on Bangladesh Genocide of 1971.
It is not enough to be simply emotional and object to Sarmila Bose's incredulous insensitivity to crimes against humanity committed in 1971 in Bangladesh. We have to show how easy it is to prove that her so called "study" is methodologically wrong, logically fallacious and her conclusions fatuous and risible.
How risible? Consider her recent most articles extolling the virtues of General Niazi, the butcher of 1971 in the then East Pakistan. I have read personal opinions of one high ranking Officer after another in the Pakistani armed forces of the time expressing disgust at Niazi's anti-Bengali racist attitudes and sadly admitting that Niazi was a disgrace to the uniform he was wearing. This does not point to a "carefully sourced" study, does it? Where did Sarmila Bose cull the information on Niazi's praiseworthy actions in East Pakistan from when Niazi's own account of events admits "errors of judgment"?
Her most outrageous posturing pertains to the case of wide scale rape that was definitely used as an important instrument of war in 1971. Distorting the fact that numerous rehabilitation centers set up all over newly independent Bangladesh which actually extended Govt. and non-governmental help towards the injured women (my mother was in the team of social workers in 1972), she writes:
<< Even if only a fraction of the total number of victims came to these centres, on the basis of their evidence, an estimate could be made of the total number and provide reliable information on who the victims were, who the perpetrators were, and the dates, places and circumstances of sexual violence.>>
She is not interested in the trauma, the misery, the wounded honor, or the shame that would prevent women from parading their story of victimization out in the public. She insists on hard math. The exact head count – the time, date and place –as if rape in a war of aggression is to be treated as any old municipal crime. Even the law does not require these details in a Tribunal dealing with crimes against humanity. What the International Law requires is the establishment of the fact that the crimes were committed in a "widespread and systematic" manner. For that there is plenty of evidence coming from Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report and other witnesses from within the Pakistani armed forces.
I can gather more testimonies if and when necessary. For the moment I have gathered the following from a Pakistani source:
A response by our Brig. FB Ali, to the article sent earlier, is being forwarded to put things in perspective.
Do we really need testimonials from the Assistant Editor of an insignificant Indian paper [referring to Sarmila] to reassure us that our army did OK in EP? Is that our level of self-confidence now?
Why do we need fairy tales and stories about things we all know about, either first- or second-hand?
The fact is that the soldiers and younger officers fought well in EP (as they have done everywhere else). The mid-level officers' performance was a mixed bag, some good, some bad, most average. The senior officers (Brig and above) performed poorly, with some exceptions. Many of the generals behaved terribly, and should have been shot for cowardice and the war crimes that they committed by directing or allowing their troops to commit atrocities against the civilian population.
"Tiger" Niazi was a disgrace to the uniform he unfortunately wore. He was a fraud, a lecher and a coward. When he was GOC 10 Div, it was well known in the garrison (I was there) that his staff car would often be found standing in Heera Mandi at night. As GOC EP he used to go around visiting troops and asking JCOs: How many Bengali women have you raped? When discussing his surrender with the Indian general he kept trying to ingratiate himself with him by telling dirty jokes. These are just a few highlights of this great self-styled Mujahid, who now also has the glowing testimonial of Ms Sarmila Bose.
Brig. FB Ali
Sarmila Bose is a disgrace to the Bangalee race and to civil societies of all times and all places.
--- Farida Majid
To: alapon@yahoogroups.com; forum@thedailystar.net; newsworld24-owner@yahoogroups.com
From: Kraisuddin@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:05:16 +0000
Subject: FW: [Alapon] Sarmila Bose
Would you please accept, if not throw away as the conspiracy theory, that the main responsible party or force for the continuous radicalization of the people and the instruments (political, social, cultural, etc. etc. ...) in Bangladesh is PAKISTAN with the solid plan and operational strategy; and the other cohorts are the middle-eastern oil rich fanatic religious zealots providing the theories and instigation of islamophobic fanaticism and ample finance through Pakistani-ISI to the elders (enemies fighting against the independence of Bangladesh) who were once beaten and defeated about 40 years ago by the (political, fighters, and popular) force of Bangladesh Independence and their subsequently grown cadres in last forty years?
I was born in a very religious family. all my ancestors, as I know, were very religious. I have never heard from anyone ever telling anything close to any minute radicalizations that we see in Bangladesh to day. Religion was always for peace and tranquility. Any loss of properties or lives for any reasons of religion was beyond comprehension up to our lives. However, we are the silent witness of this radical change in the society of Bangladesh. Of course, Pakistan and the middle eastern countries are and were always hell as far as the radicalization. Bangladesh is still lot better than them; and that is the crux of the problem, to evolve this issue, in the first place.
Pakistan's defeat in the December of 1971 did not stop its hunger for annexing Bangladesh agian whenever and whatever way possible. Pakistan's Government is basically ISI, and the formal Government is just a ditto. From early on, ISI heavily capitalized on their resources in hand; fundamentalism lover Pakistani people, love for military culture, islam as the instrument, muslims of the world as the financiers, and middle easter oil fortune; all aided and abated to foster and perpetuate islamic radicalization whatever way and wherever possible.
Early on several Bangladeshi Mir Zafors were hired by the Pakistan (with the help of ISI and other means) to wipe out the Bangladeshi politicians who led the independence. They managed to kill all top leaders at homes and in the jails. The other sold out traitors to Pakistan took the political power of bangladesh in their hands, brought back all the islamic zealots who directly or indirectly fought actively against the independence of Bangladesh and killed or raped hundreds and thousands of Bangladeshis, changed the constitution, and gradually pushed the country towards radicalization. When the leader from this soil for this mission, Ziaur Rahman, could not do do too much of it in too little time, ISI killed him too, giving power to more radical one, Ershad. From his time, the radicalization started growing very quickly. Thousands were sent as mujahids to Afghanistan who took trainings, fought, and came back to Bangladesh as the vateran. They are working underground and successfully demonstrated their power by exploding bombs in all cities bof Bangladesh at one time. Heavy funding is continuously coming from the middle-east through ISI in setting up thousands of madrasas to formally teach radicalizations even to the youngsters. They are growing by age and the number is increasing astronomically.
Pakistan created similar madrasas inside pakistan as well as in afghanistan and with the radical education and training created TALABANs. Talaban means madrasa student. Pakistan made these Talabans ultimately to carry all dangerous weapons and turn into military like radical armed forces and ultimately captured the political power of Afghanistan who then brought to them all the middle eastern culprits who started hatching there the international growth of terrorism, who carried a number of worldwide terrorist attacks, including 911.
Do you not think that Pakistan will, by hook or by crook, be able to materialize in doing the same; with the help of ISI, the Bangladeshi Mir Jafors (the all time enemy of the independence of Bangladesh), Afghani-Talaban like Bangladeshi radicalized Madrasa Students, Wahhabis, Salafis, and the Middle-Eastern cheap oil money; all together will ponder the independence of Bangladesh; and once again the ever lasted Pakistani dream of annexing Bangladesh (similar to annexing Kuwait with Iraq by Saddam Hussain) will make happen?
I am worried a lot with this grim fear. Are you not?
Thanks and appreciate to share.
Best Regards,
Rais
To: khabor@yahoogroups.com; alapon@yahoogroups.com; alaponmanagement@yahoo.com; Diagnose@yahoogroups.com; chottala@yahoogroups.com; gmclean@cehd.tamu.edu; sganguly@indiana.edu; azeitlin@hotmail.com; lawrence.lifschultz@gmail.com; kms_alam@yahoo.com; nan2benrg@yahoo.co.in; mygaume@hotmail.com
From: abman1971@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:46:24 +0600
Subject: [Alapon] Sarmila Bose
Regards and warm wishes.
Abdul Mannan
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