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2024-02-04T21:29:19Z
MuktoMona English Writers Corner
https://en.muktomona.com/posts/2023/11-01-random-thoughts
Of Founders Namesakes and Development
2023-12-05T01:45:24Z
<p>Riddle Me This<br />
Riddle Me That</p>
<p>How Did You Become the Head of Your Organization?<br />
Was It Through Merit?<br />
Or Was It Through Birth Right?</p>
<p>Some trace the history of meritocracy to ancient China and Confucianism, while other advocates included both Plato and Aristotle from ancient Greece. While no one can debate the merit of meritocracy, it seems that countries like Bangladesh continue to get lured into the never-ending spiral of nepotism and family-based inheritance of titles and namesakes.</p>
<p>While people in the country can easily identify cash-based bribes as corruption, some would never even think of raising an eye when corruption takes place in the form of nepotism. You may for example see job advertisements seeking Heads of XYZ at organizations with at least 15 years of experience, but would an existing or a prospective employee or even a donor or an investor have the guts to question the HR and Management system for example when a fresh graduate son or daughter of the founder of your organization inherits the title of the 'Head'.</p>
<p>Whether it is daughters, wives or sons of political leaders taking over the seat of the political party, or whether it is NGOs in the country being governed as directors by the sons and daughters and in-laws of the founders, there is no ending to the vicious cycle of the tell-tale. While politics and business may sometimes wrongfully justify their inheritance game as of gaining popularity and retaining family ownership of titles, development organizations on the other hand also continue to run a hypocritic cycle of good governance through running down of titles through blood lineages of the founders like it's their birth right also.</p>
<p>One may ask, if the top is riddled with such hypocrisy in the name of development, how is the bottom layer expected to play through fair game? When the head of the organization questions your qualifications at either recruitment or job performance, who haven't once asked silently at least as to whether the head is qualified enough to judge them or was just handed over the title via a golden spoon of birth right?</p>
<p>Similarly, like the political sphere, private companies as well as non-profits are busy in the name-game also. I personally don't have a problem with anyone naming anything or any institute after anyone for example. But the curious may ofcourse ask what's the point of renaming something old that is already there instead of creating something new as a gift to the people in the founder's name?</p>
<p>It's time to think deeply also. Would you want your legacy to continue in mediocracy, whether in business or non-profit or even politics? Or are you only going to cry the old tale that “Blood is Thicker than Water” and wait out in grave as they water down your fine wine.</p>
<p>Ofcourse, we all want to protect our next of kins, but can they not shine elsewhere where they deserve to shine instead? Or perhaps even outshine you, every step of the way, but through merit and fair game for all.</p>
<hr />
<p>~ Guest Writer: <strong>Simi Chowdhury</strong></p>
MuktoMona English Writers Corner
https://en.muktomona.com/posts/2023/11-01-atheism-pessimistic-worldview
Does New Atheism Come from a Pessimistic Worldview of our Life?
2023-12-02T01:45:24Z
<p>I attended a seminar at our university recently; and there was one speaker came for presentation arguing about how atheism is purely emotional. He brought some examples like one Malaysian best student who became atheist and the reason was mostly due to emotional issue. I had similar view in the past and emotion does matter when I was continuously refused for scholarship that I applied. I can associate this atheism with Marxism. Karl Marx sent a letter to Darwin thinking maybe Karl Marx would get support from Darwin. There is indeed very thread line when it comes to atheism that Richard Dawkins was trying to convince. I remember I sent an essay in Muktomna when BUET student committed suicide and Police Chef in detective branch Harun made a press conference saying Fardin used to read Nietzsche and Camus's works. My essay was declined by Muktomona. Last week when I joined the conference and the speaker was trying to claim that atheism is related to emotional state of us and nothing to do with facts and the speaker claimed how come something came from nothing? That is absurd. My mind was saying that the speaker must be bullshiting or he did not read Lawrence Krauss "A Universe from Nothing”. I thought about Dawkin's "The Blind Watchmaker”. Avijit wrote on this also as I read in Bengali last time.</p>
<p>I clearly realized that atheism that new atheism is talking about is not coming from philosophical pessimism rather there is sufficient reasons for not believing any divine entity. Richard Dawkin's The ‘The God Delusion' obviously a good book to read on this. Each time I think about Cosmic Calendar and I relate with Avijit's claim that God could not waste such enormous matters and energy just to create this tiny planet. Trillion of galaxies are out there and they are abandoned empty and all are created for these humans? Such an especial creature we are? Really? Are you kidding me? I reflect with myself.</p>
<p>Recently Yuval Noah Harari was supporting Israel and I read his book "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind”. He knows that God does not exists and his clan is based on imaginative mind as he described, he still supports Israel. You need to understand what is Arab tribalism looked like in the past. Even if my tribe is wrong, I will still support and die for my clan. This intense emotion is like Charles Dicken's famous novel "Great Expectation” in which Pip, the protagonist uttered, "I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.” That means this support got nothing to do with the atheism that Richard Dawkins was trying to tell to his readers. Richard Dawkin always tries to say that he loves literature and it makes him cry whenever he reads it; but it got nothing to the literature that universe has presented to us with the clear evidences that can be tested empirically.</p>
<p>To cite an example, Let's say Aroj Ali Mutabbar faced difficulties and therefore he became an atheist. Well, maybe that is true to some extent since he saw blind traditions of religion and injustices but when it comes to science, it got nothing to do with emotion rather science provides pure empirical data on the hand that scientists can see in front of their eyes and they can test in time and again till they get confirmed. That's why Darwin and Karl Marx can never go hand in hand and this is the main reason perhaps why Darwin never replied to Karl Marx. Karl Marx promoted ideology based on his subjective experience that society created upon working class whereas Darwin never promoted any ideology rather Darwin just presented his data that he collected over the years; and he was open to confess if he made any mistakes in the research.</p>
<p>Hence, the new atheism that Richard Dawkins promotes is purely based on science and reason and nothing to do with emotion that the speaker was trying to promote and emphasize in the last seminar.</p>
<p><img src="https://puam-loris.aws.princeton.edu/loris/2012-76.jp2/full/full/0/default.jpg" alt="The Psyché" /></p>
<p>MAKER : Alfred Stevens (Source : The Psyché (My Studio) (2012-76) (<a href="https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/collections/objects/65164">princeton.edu</a>) )</p>
<hr />
<p>~ Guest Writer: <strong>Md Maruf Hasan</strong><br />
<em>PhD candidate, Department of Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion, International Islamic University Malaysia<br />
Master, Department of Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion, International Islamic University Malaysia<br />
Degree in English Language and Literature, International Islamic University Malaysia</em></p>
<p>E-mail: <em>marufenglish021 at gmail dot com</em></p>
MuktoMona English Writers Corner
https://en.muktomona.com/posts/2023/07-16-lgbtq-rights
Homo-sexuality - Where do you set the bar of rights?
2023-07-22T22:45:24Z
<p>More than 20 years ago, when I was studying in the United States between the years 2004-2006, I first became close friends with a group of LGBTQI+ activists on campus. Unfortunately, even in a 'so-called' liberal country like America back then, some couldn't fathom why I had befriended as a best friend the President of their committee, while being a straight heterosexual person myself. I was a young and reckless person myself, but what I didn't like is the fact that once upon a time my homosexual friend had been attacked and beaten up for coming out as he is.</p>
<p>Since then, I have left America. America has also legalized same-sex marriage since the year 2015. I on the other hand, after a hard struggle with personal mental health issues, have come back to my home country, Bangladesh, and settled down forgetting about the struggle of my comrades from the other side. Occasionally though, among all the people I met in America, my referred best friend is one of the fewest people I still keep in touch with online. Unfortunately, we haven't had the chance to meet in the last 17 years.</p>
<p>Few months ago though, the fight hit home hard for me personally. I was working as the Head of Gender at an international non-profit organization working across Asia and Africa, when I was asked to look for a new job. The verbal reason given was that my boss has received multiple complaint calls from our country offices that 'I am promoting transgender rights in Africa, while Africa is not ready to work on transgender rights yet.'</p>
<p>It came as quiet a career shock to me. First of all, because I had not promoted transgender rights in Africa. Secondly because transgender rights is a human rights, and I couldn't fathom why any one in the development sector would go against the principles of human rights and international gender standards.</p>
<p>While I continue to search for a new job though, I at least feel safer at my home than my LGBTQI+ comrades in Africa, whereby recently this year 2023, for example Uganda has passed an anti-homosexuality bill with provisions for up-to death penalty for LGBTQI+ individuals. Such severe pre-existing violations of human rights also continue to exist in African countries such as Sierra Leone and Tanzania, with a penalty up-to life imprisonment for homosexuals.</p>
<p>Surprisingly though, while America felt like a lost country when it came to LGBTQI+ human rights when I lived there more than 20 years ago, in recent times, US President Joe Biden is also one of the fewest foreign governments that have directly threatened Ugandan politicians with visa sanctions for their recent anti-homosexuality bill being a gross violation of human rights.</p>
<p>Some may say laws may not be able to protect you if the people are not aligned with the thought, as was the case of my American friend not too many years ago. But what is more important is that there is a law in place that not only protects people against discrimination and abuse, but also does not proactively violate human rights through state-sponsored homophobia.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.<br />
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.<br />
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~ Martin Niemöller</p>
<hr />
<p>~ Guest Writer: <strong>Mehzabin Ahmed</strong></p>
MuktoMona English Writers Corner
https://en.muktomona.com/posts/2023/07-04-avijit-light-young-learners
Dr Avijit Roy - Light to Young Learners
2023-07-10T01:45:24Z
<p>I am never satisfied with my limited knowledge. I was reading Aroj Ali Matabbor. Sristi Rohosso, Sttor Shondhane and Onuman I finished reading. Not sure why I downloaded the book from Muktomona "Shokhi Valobasa Kare Koi". I took psychology of religion and History and Philosophy of Psychology as audit course this semester. One thing I noticed that lecturer covered all the major theories of psychology in classes till cognitive psychology.</p>
<p>However, teacher seemed to avoid evolutionary psychology in Class with few superficial sentences. I was just checking Muktomona online library and I found something like 'Bibortonio Monobiggan'. Actually, I found this short essay of Avijit on evolutionary psychology before the book " Shokhi Valobasha Kare Koi". I read that first and then I started to read Shokhi Valobasa Kar Koi. This book is the one that I was looking for as I felt when I was reading.</p>
<p>Last one year, I was reading books on psychology but I could not explain things properly that I have experienced. E.g. the feeling of love. I interpreted love differently. First, I tried to relate with Oedipus complex and then serotonin as just chemical reactions then studying all sort of personality disorders but never ever thought from evolutionary perspective. If Avijit did not write this book, it was hard for me to understand when nobody explained in detail like him. I was confused so many issues happened with me and I had no explanation. I was depending of Freud's work. I sent one work based on one book 'Moses and Monotheism'. Muktomna did not publish that work. I sent so many essays actually but I got refused. This teaches me that maybe I have flaws in ideas.</p>
<p>After reading Avijit book, now I realize where I went wrong. The problem is I am yet to comprehend evolutionary psychology. I only now understand if I had not studied other theories I literally would not understand evolutionary psychology. Avijit talked about how genetic determinism and social determinism contribute to our behavior. One example is really striking, the fear of snake. We got this fear from our past ancestor when they hunted in jungle. I find nowhere this unique explanation why am I so cared of snake. Also, the examples of power and politics how men wish for power to gain females. First to last, I see each explanation is very unique.</p>
<p>I was wondering the things I learned in 2023, he knew and explained 10 years ago. We are very junior of Avijit when it comes to knowledge. I do not like to be arrogant rather I want to learn. Some complex issues Avijit dealt with very real examples are really amazing. I learned how jealousy works for men. He gave two examples. One is Canadian actress and another is a Bangladeshi Girl who went for higher education and his husband afraid of losing his wife and had physically tortured her. These are real examples that helped me to understand evolutionary psychology in better way.</p>
<p>Also, he gave the example of Newton as an unmarried man and the issue of productive writing after marriage. I was wondering how Dr. Avijit Roy was able to dedicate himself with Muktomana after he was married despite his work in office as well as managing home. Not sure if I can contribute to future generation like Avijit but I really appreciate his hardworking nature and dedication for youth learners.</p>
<p>Last but not least, I noticed he was referring to so many English scholarly books on evolutionary psychology and he referred Richard Dawkin's Selfish Gene to simplify for general Bengali speaking readers. I tried to grasp what is Selfish Gene but it was hard for me to understand. Avijit Roy gave so many examples that made me easy to comprehend. He started from love to female to tranfer our gene, then he talked about altruism about family members then he brought to nationalism how selfish gene works from individual level to national level. It is insane explanations. I was wondering how he could explain such broad issues within one single book. As a teacher, he did it so sincerely without being biased. He just presented scientific research and also criticized Marxism which pretends to be using pure science. I see he did exactly like Richard Dawkins not promoting pseudo-science. This is the uniqueness of his explanation.</p>
<p>Regardless of a readers' personal beliefs, they can read his book freely because he presented his writing based on academic research. I would encourage readers to read Avijit Roy's works if they really wish to seek knowledge sincerely. His works are based on extensive research but he did not let readers fall into trap with complex terms and vocabularies so that it becomes hard for general readers to understand. That is very inimitable character that I can guarantee for new readers.</p>
<hr />
<p>~ Guest Writer: <strong>Md Maruf Hasan</strong><br />
<em>PhD candidate, Department of Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion, International Islamic University Malaysia<br />
Master, Department of Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion, International Islamic University Malaysia<br />
Degree in English Language and Literature, International Islamic University Malaysia</em></p>
<p>E-mail: <em>marufenglish021 at gmail dot com</em></p>
MuktoMona English Writers Corner
https://en.muktomona.com/posts/2022/11-23-avijit-roy-assassins-escape
Bangladesh Government - A Careless Custodian – the escape of Avijit Roy's Assassins
2022-11-24T18:53:24Z
<p>The majority people of Bangladesh accuse the Bangladesh police as the most corrupt government organization compared to other law and enforcement organizations. Freedom of speech is the right for every citizen of a democratic country. Recently the murderers of Avijit Roy fled after they are convicted by court. It is quite surprising that any convicted criminal could escape without any kind of internal assistance. It can be assumed that they could not get away by themselves rather they were helped to run away through internal or external intervention. It just cannot happen otherwise. Also, it seems the news was deliberately downplayed by the Bangladeshi Media.</p>
<p>The price of freedom of speech is death in secular country like Bangladesh. The country is secular, but most citizens have no right to speak if it is related to religion and politics. In both cases, citizens pay the price of speaking out by undergoing brutal torture and sometimes by death. That's exactly happened with most of the Bangladeshi bloggers. Many of them got brutally attacked and killed as we witnessed throughout the last decade.</p>
<p>Religious speakers always speak loudly claiming that they talk for truth and peace but in reality, their wordings are extremely dangerous towards free thinkers or any progressive person. Politicians are often silent because most of the voters seemed to side with these religious hate-mongers, and they are worried about keeping their power.</p>
<p>The question is why cannot the opposers of truth and logic refute and fight with their proofs, analysis and logic. Does a student have the right to ask question to his teacher if he does not understand the answers given by the teacher? If a student asks so by using his own analysis, evidence, and logic, do we have to answer them by killing him? A person born in a particular religion has the right to challenge his religion when he is grown up and it is up to the person whether he would be in this dogma or quit it. If you have read Al-Ghazali's autobiography 'Munkidh Min al-Dalal', in which he mentioned about his skepticism: 'The disease was baffling, and almost lasted almost two months, during which I was skeptic in fact though not in theory nor in outward expression. At length, God cured me of the malady'. When you talk about freedom of expression, early Muslim scholars also asked the credibility of effectiveness of religion. Averroes in his book 'Decisive Treatise' said that if philosophy using reason and careful method cannot contradict revelation if so, religious texts must be interpreted allegorically. The problem in contemporary context, however, allegorical interpretation is not working to remove the contradiction between revelation and science. That's where the problem starts.</p>
<p>Young freethinkers of Bangladesh did extensive research on these religious texts, and they are arguing using all the references, however, the answers to their questions were not intellectual, rather the answers were just physical violence. They asked something that used all the theoretical and empirical resources, but the answers were given not by sharp pencil but by knives, machetes and gun. Freedom of speech is an endangered diamond in Bangladesh.</p>
<p><img src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/mcs/media/images/82926000/jpg/_82926768_027153170-1.jpg" alt="BBC - Avijit Roy" /></p>
<p>Photo Source: <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32701207">BBC</a></p>
<p>Why these criminals were able to run away?</p>
<p>We can use common sense in the context of Bangladesh where Muslims are majority. Some Islamic scholars expressed publicly this opinion that these people committed murder in the name of religion, the victims deserved this because they cast aspersion on Islam and the Prophet, so the perpetrators should be released. Unfortunately, the people who killed Avijit Roy never read what he wrote; the father of Avijit Roy said in one interview that those who killed Avijit did not know why they killed him. That means these people are being motived either by misinterpretation of Avijit's writings or by money. That's why the question of funding always comes in.</p>
<p>What will happen if the police cannot catch them?</p>
<p>The answer is this will give the criminals access to kill the current and future freethinkers of Bangladesh. Even worse, they will be able to dictate the direction of education in Bangladesh. Publishers will be afraid to publish books that expound reason and logic, school textbooks will be edited to undermine evolution and other subjects contrary to religious dogmas. Critical thinking will be banned from public discourse. We know that the practice of freedom of thought is necessary for the students. The human development we have witnessed today is just because of this practice.</p>
<p>We hope the Bangladesh Government is taking this incident seriously because this is important for the safety of all critical thinkers. The Government, otherwise, will be fully responsible if blogger killings are repeated in the future. The country can never be progressive if freedom of thought and speech is not practiced within a nation.</p>
<hr />
<p>~ Guest Writer: <strong>Md Maruf Hasan</strong><br />
<em>PhD candidate, Department of Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion, International Islamic University Malaysia<br />
Master, Department of Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion, International Islamic University Malaysia<br />
Degree in English Language and Literature, International Islamic University Malaysia</em></p>
<p>E-mail: <em>marufenglish021 at gmail dot com</em></p>
MuktoMona English Writers Corner
https://en.muktomona.com/posts/2022/11-01-razel-homosexuality
Razel - About Homosexuality in Bangladesh
2022-11-03T01:10:24Z
<p>~ <em>Md Abdul Bachith Razel</em></p>
<p>The words homosexuality, transsexualism, bisexuality, heterosexuality were never coined in the Western world. On the contrary, since the birth of ancient civilization in the history of all parts of the world, Greek, Native American, Chinese, Aztex, Mayan, Egyptian civilization, the life of pagan history, the history of Arab tribes, Persian literature, in the poetic literature of the subcontinent, the prevalence of different aspects of sexuality is seen everywhere. It was not until the 19th century that the powers that be in the Western world, in pursuit of their own political interests, introduced laws and customs to limit human behavior to a limited set of rules, with the aim to subject people to certain ways of life and to constrict and control them.</p>
<p>This can give guarantees to the powerful people to gain political and economic interests. Michel Foucault developed his research in three books on the history of sexuality. In article 37, Bangladesh is part of the decision of the British Empire. India is one of our neighbors that has come out of the influence of this imperialist history and abandoned article 37 of the colonial law. More recently, Taiwan and Bhutan have also legalized consensual homosexuality. It can be noted that pedophilia or sex with children and forced rape are not encouraged and homosexuality cannot be blamed for it. For example, no one in Bangladesh blames heterosexuality for all brutal rape, violence against each other, dowry, cheating in the name of marriage and sexual harassment.</p>
<p>Some people think that those who defend gay rights are also gay. But do those who talk about environmental protection also become plants, rivers, plastics or waste? Those who defend gay rights, talk about their human values, and they don't all have to be gay. Think of the environment backwards, if you are heterosexual and attracted to the opposite sex and this is not recognized by your society and state, you must run away and just because you are hated or rejected or even killed , but what a miserable situation that would be. Heterosexuality is a normal sexual orientation just like homosexuality, bisexuality or transgender and everyone loves the same dream and wants to be accepted. It can only be called selfishness if the rights of the majority are realized or if you don't care about the rights of others then it can be called selfishness and if you don't want the human rights of others to be realized then it can be called oppression. And rights are not about sharing a cake that you want to share with another. On the contrary, the image of equality will emerge in society, at the same time everyone's values will improve, and the attitude of helping others will increase. If we are not all free together, are we really all free?</p>
<p>Those whose question is that homosexuality does not produce children, yes may not participate directly, but nature uses this trick in its need for survival. For example, if a boy is homosexual in a family, he will be more attracted to the opposite sex if a girl is born to his siblings, which will favor the reproduction of the next generation. Thanks to this natural selection, one in ten men is born with a tendency to be homosexual or attracted to the same sex. A 2004 study in Italy found that same-sex households had higher fertility rates among women. Dr. Andrea Camperio Siani's study found that while the average number of children in a heterosexual family is 2.3, the number of children in a homosexual family is 2.6. So he says,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We have finally solved the paradox … the same factor that influence sexual orientation in males promotes higher fecundity in females.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Scientist Deinhammer also says,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The answer is remarkably simple: the same gene that causes men to like men, also causes women to like men, and as a result to have more children.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Not only motherhood, but love is the foundation of a successful marriage. There are many heterosexual and even lesbian couples who have childless or artificial children. We are all familiar with the test tube, the surrogacy system. Science is progressing in this regard day by day. Also, how many children born to heterosexuals grow up without parents on the streets, in disrespectful neglect or in orphanage. Adopting children in this miserable country and caring for them and raising them in the shadow of the family will not benefit society. And when same-sex relationships get social recognition, they do that adoption work.
Homosexuality is of two types, one is behavioral and the other is congenital, which is called biological hard fact. Behavioral homosexuals change their sexual behavior depending on the environment. This example can be observed among male fishermen. But those born with homosexual characteristics do not change. In October 2016, a research team led by Dr Watts from the University of Essex noticed changes in finger height due to hormonal and female hormonal differences in the baby during the womb, which also affects their sexuality later in life. Dr Watts said,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Research suggests that our sexuality is determined in the womb and is dependent on the amount of male hormone we are exposed to or the way our individual bodies react to that hormone, with those exposed to higher levels of testosterone being more likely to be bisexual or homosexual.… Because of the link between hormone levels and difference in finger lengths, looking at someone's hands could provide a clue to their sexuality.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Therefore, the height of the fingers of homosexual men and women differs in certain aspects from that of heterosexuals.
You can read more about this research in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.</p>
<p>In our conservative society, which lacks education in sexual awareness, homosexuals lead a melancholy life of suppressing sexuality where the emphasis is on human values. No one wants to choose a life of harsh oppression. The lives of those 10-15% of homosexuals in our population are going through this difficult period due to the ignorant hatred of the majority of heterosexuals. Because, in our society, we grow up unknowingly learning ignorance, division, aggressive thinking and hatred from birth. For some heterosexuals, homosexuality may seem impossible, perhaps. Because he thinks about himself but no one tells him to be gay so he doesn't have to think about himself. Heterosexual sex is or should be consensual, just as homosexual sex is or should be consensual.</p>
<hr />
<p>~ Guest Writer: <strong>Md Abdul Bachith Razel</strong><br />
<em>Volunteer</em><br />
<em>(Aiming to prevent the isolation and suicide of young LGBT+ people, aged 14 to 25, victims of homophobia or transphobia and in a situation of family breakdown)</em></p>
MuktoMona English Writers Corner
https://en.muktomona.com/posts/2022/09-12-happy-birthday-avijit-roy
Happy Birthday Avijit Roy
2022-09-12T09:00:00Z
<p><strong>Happy Birthday Avijit Roy</strong></p>
<p><img src="https://en.muktomona.com/images/dup/Avijit_bday_2022.jpg" alt=""></p>
<p>We remember you. You live in the mind of every living muktomona in this world!</p>
MuktoMona English Writers Corner
https://en.muktomona.com/posts/2022/06-03-religious-politics-india
Nupur Sharma - A very familiar face of religious politics in india
2022-09-11T10:53:24Z
<p>A derogatory statement from India has recently come into spotlight in the international media as a hot potato of the world ,and Nupur Sharma, BJP Parliament member of India, claimed on her tweet that the context was during TV debate Mahadev, Hindu deity, was being disrespected and insulted. In that context, she responded using derogatory statement. Each party uses religious sentiments at the end of the day to win in the debate.</p>
<p>This was not serious until few countries in middle east raise the concern and asked for boycott of Indian products. There are two consequences that we need to take into consideration. The first is economy and the second is racism.</p>
<p>Obviously as a whole it will have impact on the economy of India in general. Let's analyze the stakeholders who will be victimized by banning of Indian products. Apart from Hindu, there are Muslims, Sikhs, Buddha, Christian, Jews and so many other religious groups of people who are involved with businesses outside of India.</p>
<p>According to one internet source, "India's arable land area of 159.7 million hectares (394.6 million acres) is the second largest in the world. Its gross irrigated crop area of 82.6 million hectares (215.6 million acres) is the largest in the world."</p>
<p>General people of India cultivate crops and send the materials to different countries. At the end of the day all these stakeholders need to suffer the problem and they had no involvement whatsoever over the statement. Obviously, Indian government is trying to take initiative already since they got international pressure over the issue.</p>
<p>Then, the racism issue would always raise upon general workers who are not much concerned about this kind of issue at all. Workers are mostly concerned with how to keep their family happy and debt free. That's all they think about. They are no way involved with national politics or no time to watch this kind of discussion. Out of nowhere they would face racism for what they do not have any idea.</p>
<p>The dirty politics using religion is still ongoing in 21st century. A 15-year English medium school boy from a Hindu aristocrat family once said to me "This religion is just cultural garbage which I do not believe". The problem is that there are 1000 religions in the world and everyone claims to have monopoly of truth and as we learned from science and reason, the credibility of these religious beliefs is not out of the topic. BJP members have tendency to use religious sentiments for last few decades. Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee straightforward told in media that "If it happened in Bengal, I would put her in jail". The issue is very clear. Stop doing politics by the name of religion and young generation do understand the tricks used by these politicians. E.g. Donald Trump, who took oath putting hand on Bible, is promoting white supremacy and he is taking into consideration the national interest first over humanity. These politicians know well that the religions they hold has no monopoly of truth to certain extent as they have read religious scriptures as well as equipped with contemporary secular materialistic knowledge. Despite they use the religion just to hold into power because using religious sentiments it is easy to convince and make fool to mass people. Mass people only asks question of the credibility of these leaders when they get clear evidence of corruption. Otherwise, they do not bother with politics apart from election time. Obviously Indian ordinary people do understand these political agendas, yet they are just silent and try to avoid the issue since this is long time heritage of dirty politics. How do we solve the problem of politics by the name of religion then?</p>
<p>In fact, this problem needs to be solved by upcoming younger generation because we can no longer put our trust to these old hypocrites' leaders who time and again use religion into politics. We need society based on truth, humanity, reasoning and science. Sadhguru recently gave the hint,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Only if the younger generation does things that the parents never imagined possible, can a society evolve.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<p>~ Guest Writer: <strong>Md Maruf Hasan</strong><br />
<em>PhD candidate, Department of Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion, International Islamic University Malaysia<br />
E-mail: marufenglish021 at gmail dot com</em></p>
MuktoMona English Writers Corner
https://en.muktomona.com/posts/2021/11-01-atrocities-on-hindus-in-bangladesh-and-the-fraudulent-and-irresponsible-statement-by-the-foreign-minister-of-the-country-a-k-abdul-momen
Atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh
2021-11-01T20:53:24Z
<h3 id="atrocities-on-hindus-in-bangladesh-and-the-fraudulent-and-irresponsible-statement-by-the-foreign-minister-of-the-country-a.k.abdul-momen">Atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh and the Fraudulent and Irresponsible Statement by the Foreign Minister of the Country, A. K. Abdul Momen</h3>
<p>After more than two weeks of barbaric atrocities on nonviolent and innocent Hindus by Muslim mobs in many parts of Bangladesh, the foreign minister of the country, A. K. Abdul Momen, has issued a statement in his <a href="https://mofa.portal.gov.bd/site/page/6758ab52-c643-43fa-b76e-4eb99fcf5b47">ministry's website</a>.</p>
<p>The statement is full of falsehood and downplaying of the atrocities on a religious minority community, obviously with two aims:</p>
<ol>
<li>to deceive the community of civilized nations and,</li>
<li>to encourage the domestic Islamic fanatics by signaling that the impunity that they have historically enjoyed remains in full force.</li>
</ol>
<p>I was actually acquainted with Momen about three decades back in the greater Boston area, USA. He had a PhD degree and was teaching at a college in that area. I was teaching at Northeastern University at that time. However, I do not remember much about him, due to my limited interactions with him.</p>
<p>The first and obvious question about his statement on the recent brutal atrocities on a nonviolent minority population of his country would be, why the talk from the foreign minister? The horrific incidents did not involve any foreign country or any foreign criminal or victim. The obvious answer to the question would be that he wanted to control the damage to the image of his government/nation. But, obviously, he either did not understand or did not want to acknowledge that lying is not the way to make a good image of whatever one focuses on - an individual, a family, a community, a government or a nation. A good image actually needs good thoughts and deeds.</p>
<p>Now let us see what Momen actually said. Without going into what I know through personal communications and through social media, let us assume that what Momen said were the facts and talk about them.</p>
<p>Momen said, "Contrary to all the ongoing propaganda, only 6 people died during recent violence of which 4 were Muslims, killed during the encounters with law enforcing authorities, and 2 were Hindus, one of whom had normal death and another when he jumped in a pond. None was raped and not a single Mandir was destroyed."</p>
<p>How dishonest and disgusting for a PhD degree holding former college professor! To Momen, 6 people being dead does not matter much! But by civilized standards, it does; the deaths of even the Muslim mob members are regrettable - the religiously brainwashed mentally sick criminals needed psychological treatments with factual and logical thoughts, not death. How idiotic that he talked about one 'normal death'. Since when a normal death of an ordinary citizen is a matter of news and attention by a government minister? How idiotic that he talked about one 'jumped in a pond'!! Did that person willingly jump in the pond for committing suicide? Was he not too scared of the barbaric mob? Again, I have argued here with the assumption that Momen's statements are factual – which in reality are far from the total facts.</p>
<p>Momen talked about the government taking immediate action and arresting the perpetrators! How many thousand did his government arrest? Why are such arrests, including the numbers, not in the newspapers in Bangladesh? Talking about actions against the barbaric acts by Muslim criminals, why is there never news in the news media about the actual punishments for similar criminals in Ramu (September 2012), Nasirnagar (October 2016), Shalla (March 2021), and in many more places in Bangladesh during governments led by Momen's party, Awami League? Of course, because no significant punishment was given to such criminals. Momen's words mean nothing but disgraceful deception.</p>
<p>Momen talked about compensation to the victims by his government! There is a saying in Bangla, "vikshar dorkar nai, kutta thekao" (do not need the alms, restrain the dog). The disgrace of a minster obviously could not comprehend the pain and trauma of the victims! Compensation is nothing to the victims when there is no guarantee that such atrocities on them would not be repeated in the country. Even if the present places of atrocities were fortified, which is unlikely, there is no basis to think that such atrocities would not happen again soon at some other places in the country.</p>
<p>The minister talked about the image of his government! In international politics, world powers play games with corrupt and deplorable nations, even when they have no respect for such nations. They know what Bangladesh is, even when they do not take punitive actions against that country. Lying is not how good images can be made; good images are made through good thoughts and deeds.</p>
<p>Momen talked about his government supporting religious activities (Puja Mondop) of Hindus in Bangladesh! <a href="ttps://www.thedailystar.net/bangladesh/news/hindu-bouddha-christian-oikya-parishad-discontented-over-poor-allocation-fund-proposed-budget-2101109">Here are a couple of facts</a>; The Religious Affairs Ministry of Bangladesh has an allocation of Tk 290.08 crore for religious minorities in its most recent budget. The same budget has a total of Tk 15,054.03 crore allocated (Annual Development Program, ADP) for all religious groups, including Muslims. So, the non-Muslims of the country get just 1.9%, while they represent about 10% of the population! They are deprived of 81% of their fair share!</p>
<p>Momen talked about the Quran being placed near the feet of a deity sparking outrage in the country - meaning too many Muslims with too much of Islamic sentiments would be too angered over the matter! Obviously, no Hindu in his right mind could have done that, as they are fully aware of the excessive Islamic sentiments in the country, which have been behind the Muslim mobs making their life hell in their homeland of centuries. Indeed, no Hindu did it; it was done by a Muslim.</p>
<p>But who are behind the excessive Islamic sentiments in the country? It surely includes Momen's party that claims to be secular (blatantly false) but uses 'allahu akbar' as its motto, keeps Islam as the state religion, and promotes and protects Islam in many different ways, including with financing Islamic activities through APD and with laws to punish people who criticize Islam or its inventor, Mohammad.</p>
<p>It is an utter disgrace that too many people in Bangladesh with high academic qualifications, cannot apply their human intelligence, knowledge and rational thinking on religions. Instead, they keep promoting the absurdities, injustices, and hatreds of religions, making the lives of too many innocent people miserable! Bangladesh not only does not need protection and promotion of Islam; it also does not need supporting non-Muslim religious activities. It needs humanity. It needs applications of human intelligence. It needs common senses of good and bad, of right and wrong, of justice and injustice and of compassion and cruelty, for all its citizens to be worthy human beings - to live and let others live with human dignity, rights, peace and prosperity.</p>
MuktoMona English Writers Corner
https://en.muktomona.com/posts/2021/10-24-who-were-behind-the-recent-heinous-atrocities-on-hindus-in-bangladesh
Who Were Behind the Recent Heinous Atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh?
2021-10-24T12:51:12Z
<p>Over the last eleven days, Hindus of Bangladesh in many parts of the country have been living under extreme fear and agony. They are also scared to talk about what and who are responsible for the barbaric atrocities upon their community in the country.</p>
<p>How did the latest episodes of the atrocities on innocent Hindus start? A copy of the principal Islamic religious book of Quran was found on the lap of the idol of the Hindu deity Hanuman in front of a Durga Puja venue in Cumilla in the early morning of October 13, 2021. That was interpreted as an insult on that book not only by the Islamic fanatic citizens of Bangladesh, but also by the police officer who went there after the incident was reported to the police! The Hindus there got scared of what might follow as atrocities on them by senseless Muslim mobs.</p>
<p>What followed in Bangladesh were not widely reported in the significant newspapers there, as the news media there have a history of self-censoring of news on atrocities on religions minorities by Muslim mobs in the country.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58999047">As per a BBC news report on October 22, 2021</a>, "within hours of the rumor spreading on social media, hundreds of Muslim fundamentalists went on a rampage targeting Hindu religious pavilions in Comilla. Soon, the violence spread to other parts of Bangladesh. Temples were desecrated and hundreds of houses and businesses of the Hindu minority torched. Seven people, including two Hindus, were killed and many more injured in days of violence. Police opened fire and used tear gas in several places to contain the raging mob."</p>
<p>The other parts of Bangladesh included Chandpur, where 4 Muslim criminals were killed by police firing on the mobs, according to a <a href="https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/police-mob-clash-chandpur-death-toll-now-4-2198306?fbclid=IwAR0kOzPZJnYYf--XRkeyqPMU3Dybr1DjNUMdBCbiax5N87F-mm72uD611NY">Daily Star (Bangladesh) report on October 14, 2021</a>. That report did not talk about the number or names of the innocent Hindu victims!</p>
<p>The other parts of the country also included Cox's Bazar, Chandpur, Chattogram, Chapainawabganj and Moulvibazar, <a href="https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2021/10/14/police-detain-9-over-attacks-on-puja-venues-hindu-homes-in-coxs-bazar?fbclid=IwAR1wYhq45-FXEV4NQy_dSS7dBdsD0ZzpSO_RPrOVgQ0cOBbH_leLJlJIS2c">according to a bdnews24.com report on October 14, 2021</a>. Again, the number and names of innocent Hindu victims were not reported. These places are located in the east, north and central parts of Bangladesh.</p>
<p>Also, according to the same BBC news report, nearly a week after the violence began, dozens of Hindu houses were torched in northern Bangladesh after another social media post alleged that Hindus defamed an Islamic holy place, the government had to deploy security forces in 22 districts to control the riots, and Muslim leaders called for harsh punishments against those who defame Islam.</p>
<p>The atrocities in northern Bangladesh were reported by the <a href="https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/shall-we-leave-then-2201341?fbclid=IwAR075s4K8mng-wzPlRyxr8NPyxxlu8FXkANW3vnlzDVvTb4pc8aaPt7b32k">Daily Star (Bangladesh) on October 18, 2021</a>. According to that report, miscreants (Muslim mobs) set fire to 25 houses and shops owned by poor, innocent and nonviolent Hindus. A total of 66 families were affected by the incident, according to a government agency.</p>
<p>The atrocities by Muslim mobs in Bangladesh also included Chaumuhani, Noakhali, in the central part of Bangladesh. There, two Hindus were killed while Muslim mobs attacked, vandalized, and looted Hindu temples, households, and businesses. This was reported by the Dhaka <a href="https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2021/10/16/hindu-man-found-dead-in-pond-next-to-temple-in-noakhali">Tribune on October 16, 2021</a>.</p>
<p>Based upon news media reports, the atrocities on Hindus by Muslim mobs were widespread in Bangladesh.</p>
<p>Recent social media reports also included several rapes as well; and they cannot be ruled out just because the self-censoring mainstream newspapers did not report them.</p>
<p>All the violence, vandalism, torching of properties, hurting people, raping women and girls, and murdering people were done as one-sided atrocities by Muslim mobs upon innocent Hindus. While insulting a book is not a crime in any civilized nation, the crime by Bangladeshi standards, of putting the Quran on the lap of a Hanuman idol, was not done and could not have been done by a believing Hindu. The reality is that the Quran has at least 20 verses that admonish idolatry. The lap is a place for affection, and Quran surely is not a lovable book to an idolator. No believing Hindu would put that book on the lap of the idol of his/her revered monkey. Indeed, it was not done by a Hindu; it was done by a Muslim, obviously to outrage the Muslims who are incapable of rational thinking.</p>
<p>Strangely, from all the atrocities, the popular demand in Bangladesh has been to find and punish the people who placed the Quran on Hanuman's lap, a lot more so than to punish the Muslim mob criminals! The idea is that placing the Quran there caused too many Muslims to go crazy. Even the mainstream newspaper, Dhaka Tribune, had the <a href="https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2021/10/22/iqbal-the-man-behind-the-quran-incident-brought-to-comilla">following news headline</a> two days back</a>,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Iqbal Hossain, key suspect in anti-Hindu violence, brought to Comilla!</p>
</blockquote>
<p><em>Comilla is an old spelling of the name of the present district of Cumilla in Bangladesh.</em></p>
<p>But was it really the Quran on Hanuman's lap that turned too many Muslims crazy? If they had common sense, could they have gone insane for that? If they did not have too much of Islamic sentiments, could they have done what they did? My answers to all three questions are "No".</p>
<p>Iqbal Hossain and his accomplices played a bad prank; they wanted to provoke the Islamic sentimental fools of Bangladesh. They did not commit vandalism, arson, looting, hurting people, raping, murdering, any kind of crimes that the mobs did. They also did not make the would-be criminals excessively Islamic sentimental. They were not the real culprits behind the atrocities.</p>
<p>So, who were the real culprits behind the recent heinous crimes by Muslim mobs on innocent and nonviolent Hindus in Bangladesh? My answer to the question is, anyone who put too much of Islamic sentiments in the heads of the majority population of the country.</p>
<p>Who are the people that put too much of Islamic sentiments in the heads of the Muslim pollution of Bangladesh? Here are a few answers that I can think of. The intellectuals and politicians who promote and protect Islam in Bangladesh. The secular-claiming political party that uses 'Allahu Akbar' as their motto and keeps Islam as the state religion. The secular-claiming prime minister who wants to build more than 500 model mosques in the country. The PhD degree-holding science professor at Dhaka University who uses burqa to show off her Islamic faith. The expatriate scientist living in the West who sends money to Bangladesh to build mosques and madrasas over promoting factual and logical thinking.</p>
<p>For not only respecting non-Muslims, but also to bring the Muslims to modernity, promotion and protection of Islam must end in Bangladesh and everywhere else in the world.</p>
MuktoMona English Writers Corner