I suddenly recalled LotikaDi (perhaps the events in Egypt triggered my memory). She was the mother of one of my students, and she was Hindu. After the BNP-Jamaat alliance came to power in the election of 2001, a widespread pogrom against the Hindu minority was initiated by the thugs of the parties. Women were raped, houses and people were burned, owners evicted - because the Hindu community tends to vote for the (then) opposition, Awami League.
This lady, a history graduate and a music teacher, had the wisdom to realise that a return to military power would be best for her community - and for the whole society.
I have never ceased to respect her.
Showing posts with label military rule. Show all posts
Showing posts with label military rule. Show all posts
Friday, February 11, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
China and Us
New Age | Newspaper: "China will give scholarship to 100 Bangladeshi students to study in China in 2011
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
I remember how the Soviet Union used to offer scholarships to high-scoring students during the cold war. This, however, is not the Cold War Redux.
Bangladesh has a golden opportunity to move away from the India-America nexus and towards the China-Middle East one. An ambitious and patriotic army officer can save the nation like General Zia did, and, after a coup, snuggle up to China and the Middle East. These countries will have no objections to a coup, and a long military-led period of growth can begin.
It would be foolish of us not to take up this opportunity.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
I remember how the Soviet Union used to offer scholarships to high-scoring students during the cold war. This, however, is not the Cold War Redux.
Bangladesh has a golden opportunity to move away from the India-America nexus and towards the China-Middle East one. An ambitious and patriotic army officer can save the nation like General Zia did, and, after a coup, snuggle up to China and the Middle East. These countries will have no objections to a coup, and a long military-led period of growth can begin.
It would be foolish of us not to take up this opportunity.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Bangladesh Bans Use of National Anthem As a Ringtone
Bangladesh Bans Use of National Anthem As a Ringtone: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
So it's official: the country's religion is Nationalism, not Islam.
You can use suras from the Koran as your answering ring-tone, but not the national anthem.
This goes hand in hand with the recent banning of Islam from the political sphere: anti-Islamism has become rampant after the Awami League came to power.
The courts have judged half of our national history to be illegal: military rule from 1975 to 1990. That is, the benign period of our history is illegitimate, while the malign periods are legitimate.
This is a morality stood on its head: how long can it stand there? Not long.
That military rule should be declared illegal testifies to how far the intelligentsia have deviated from Muslim political history and philosophy, scorning such luminaries as al-Mawardi and al-Ghazali, who defended military autocracy unconditionally. This also explain how a Muslim society can deligitimise the benevolent part of its history, and sacralise the wicked years.
So it's official: the country's religion is Nationalism, not Islam.
You can use suras from the Koran as your answering ring-tone, but not the national anthem.
This goes hand in hand with the recent banning of Islam from the political sphere: anti-Islamism has become rampant after the Awami League came to power.
The courts have judged half of our national history to be illegal: military rule from 1975 to 1990. That is, the benign period of our history is illegitimate, while the malign periods are legitimate.
This is a morality stood on its head: how long can it stand there? Not long.
That military rule should be declared illegal testifies to how far the intelligentsia have deviated from Muslim political history and philosophy, scorning such luminaries as al-Mawardi and al-Ghazali, who defended military autocracy unconditionally. This also explain how a Muslim society can deligitimise the benevolent part of its history, and sacralise the wicked years.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
News - World: 400 alleged bullies arrested
News - World: 400 alleged bullies arrested
It is interesting that whenever civilian rule replaces military rule in Bangladesh, the number of victims - male as well as female - soars.
In 1984, under military rule, there were around 250 rapes; in 1991, our first year of democracy, the figure soared to 900, and today stands at 4-digit numbers.
Under military rule in 2007 and2008, 18 student politicians were murdered; in a single year of democratic rule in 2009, 27 were murdered.
The criminal young students of both the major parties have immunity from the law and set the example for other young men - when ruling party boys get away with rape, why shouldn't other young men try to get away with less?
It is interesting that whenever civilian rule replaces military rule in Bangladesh, the number of victims - male as well as female - soars.
In 1984, under military rule, there were around 250 rapes; in 1991, our first year of democracy, the figure soared to 900, and today stands at 4-digit numbers.
Under military rule in 2007 and2008, 18 student politicians were murdered; in a single year of democratic rule in 2009, 27 were murdered.
The criminal young students of both the major parties have immunity from the law and set the example for other young men - when ruling party boys get away with rape, why shouldn't other young men try to get away with less?
Sunday, August 24, 2008
the sozzled Abul Barkat
Mr. Abul Barkat recently observed that Bangladesh was galloping forward on the economic front when the military intervened like a party pooper (they removed the punch-bowl just when everybody was sozzled and disorderly).
Iraq is galloping away at 7% GDP growth rate (faster than Bangladesh ever did).
Would Mr. Barkat like to live in Iraq – or perhaps visit the two rivers as a tourist? It shouldn't be too expensive: after all, he'll be leaving his family behind and will only require a one-way ticket. (I would have suggested Sudan, but it has very few tourist attractions).
Iraq is galloping away at 7% GDP growth rate (faster than Bangladesh ever did).
Would Mr. Barkat like to live in Iraq – or perhaps visit the two rivers as a tourist? It shouldn't be too expensive: after all, he'll be leaving his family behind and will only require a one-way ticket. (I would have suggested Sudan, but it has very few tourist attractions).
Friday, August 15, 2008
my morally challenged elders (2)
One of my relatives (a perfect jerk) scolded me in no uncertain terms when I expressed my fervent hope that the military would take over the country (this was just before 1/11).
According to this minion of the west: "The army is for external defence, and it has no business running a country".
Well, I though to myself, none of your daughters have been raped by student politicians...if they had...!
Where did this British-period, America-inspired, Europe-indoctrinated retard get these ideas from?
Now, the bugger claims to be a devout Muslim, and he doesn't know the first thing about Muslim history - or Muslim literature.
Sheikh Sa'adi says: "A sultan rules by means of his troops."
Al-Ghazzali said: "Sixty years of tyranny are better than an hour of civil strife."
Al-Mawardi said: "An evil-doing and barbarous sultan, so long as he is supported by military force, so that he can only with difficulty be deposed and that the attempt to depose him would create unendurable civil strife, must of necessity be left in possession and obedience must be rendered to him, exactly as obedience is required to be rendered to those who are placed in command."
These people – our ancestors – lived and thrived under, and sanctioned, complete autocracy. My devout relation had never even heard the expression 'zel Allah' – the shadow of Allah, the Muslim world's expression for a ruler.
He is the shadow of Allah because he stands between order and chaos, which is Satanic.
This freak, with whom I am unfortunately related by blood, hasn't noticed that Muslims have a history, too – a far more benign and greater history than the white masters he bends before ("The white race is the cancer in human history," observed Susan Sontag http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Sontag).
The military is only for external defence? Jeez!
Western civilisation since the Dark Ages has never had powerful kings because they couldn't raise taxes without the consent of parliament – a creature that was born in the stinking cesspool of the medieval world. (And this explains why the king and queen of Spain had to conquer the New World and enslave its inhabitants for gold and silver to fight their European wars – so that they could bypass parliament!)
WE – the Muslim world – NEVER had a Dark Age; WE have NEVER had any foul-smelling, nauseating, stomach-turning beast called 'parliament'.
Of course, I could never - much as I would have loved to! – tell mon oncle to shove democracy up his backside, to stay loyal to the west where he lives and to stop – stop! – exporting his masters' ideas here (the moron had the vapours when his son married a Hindu girl who refused to convert to Islam – he nearly went off his rocker, the modern, westernised bugger!)
But I never said all that – why not?
Because he is my murubbi, my elder – and, in our culture, you mustn't argue with an elder. He can tell me off, but I must remain silent.
That's our culture.
It is a non-democratic culture.
It is a culture of frigging obedience.
He knows it, I know it.
And yet he wants democracy, equality, argumentativeness (then why get the bends when your son marries a Hindu who won't convert to Islam!), the tearing off of pubic hair, freedom of expression, blasphemy, pornography....
Maybe I should give him a dose of his own democratic medicine and tell him to kiss my (equal) ass.
According to this minion of the west: "The army is for external defence, and it has no business running a country".
Well, I though to myself, none of your daughters have been raped by student politicians...if they had...!
Where did this British-period, America-inspired, Europe-indoctrinated retard get these ideas from?
Now, the bugger claims to be a devout Muslim, and he doesn't know the first thing about Muslim history - or Muslim literature.
Sheikh Sa'adi says: "A sultan rules by means of his troops."
Al-Ghazzali said: "Sixty years of tyranny are better than an hour of civil strife."
Al-Mawardi said: "An evil-doing and barbarous sultan, so long as he is supported by military force, so that he can only with difficulty be deposed and that the attempt to depose him would create unendurable civil strife, must of necessity be left in possession and obedience must be rendered to him, exactly as obedience is required to be rendered to those who are placed in command."
These people – our ancestors – lived and thrived under, and sanctioned, complete autocracy. My devout relation had never even heard the expression 'zel Allah' – the shadow of Allah, the Muslim world's expression for a ruler.
He is the shadow of Allah because he stands between order and chaos, which is Satanic.
This freak, with whom I am unfortunately related by blood, hasn't noticed that Muslims have a history, too – a far more benign and greater history than the white masters he bends before ("The white race is the cancer in human history," observed Susan Sontag http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Sontag).
The military is only for external defence? Jeez!
Western civilisation since the Dark Ages has never had powerful kings because they couldn't raise taxes without the consent of parliament – a creature that was born in the stinking cesspool of the medieval world. (And this explains why the king and queen of Spain had to conquer the New World and enslave its inhabitants for gold and silver to fight their European wars – so that they could bypass parliament!)
WE – the Muslim world – NEVER had a Dark Age; WE have NEVER had any foul-smelling, nauseating, stomach-turning beast called 'parliament'.
Of course, I could never - much as I would have loved to! – tell mon oncle to shove democracy up his backside, to stay loyal to the west where he lives and to stop – stop! – exporting his masters' ideas here (the moron had the vapours when his son married a Hindu girl who refused to convert to Islam – he nearly went off his rocker, the modern, westernised bugger!)
But I never said all that – why not?
Because he is my murubbi, my elder – and, in our culture, you mustn't argue with an elder. He can tell me off, but I must remain silent.
That's our culture.
It is a non-democratic culture.
It is a culture of frigging obedience.
He knows it, I know it.
And yet he wants democracy, equality, argumentativeness (then why get the bends when your son marries a Hindu who won't convert to Islam!), the tearing off of pubic hair, freedom of expression, blasphemy, pornography....
Maybe I should give him a dose of his own democratic medicine and tell him to kiss my (equal) ass.
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