The Massacre at a School in a Failed State
Isn't it intriguing that, when Bangladesh is celebrating the victory month, Pakistan is in shock due to the killing of almost 150 people, mostly students, in a military-run school?
THE LAPTOP JIHADI
Mehdi Masroor Biswas, the young Bengali Muslim 'laptop Jihadi' from Kolkata was arrested in Bangalore (India) a couple of days back. Mehdi was working in an MNC there. He comes from a middle class family and has a bachelor degree in electronics. Mekhail Biswas, father of Mehdi, quite reasonably, doubted that it could be a case of 'mistaken identity'. The same reaction we observed from the father of Bangladeshi (Jatrabari, Dhaka) student in US who was arrested as potential terrorist last year. A father cannot think anything bad about his son. No father will first like to accept the fact that his son has advanced stage of 'cancer'. The denial comes naturally. All sensible persons will empathize with Mekhail. But reality is too bitter.
ENIMIES AND FRIENDS FROM WITHIN
I saw a few photographs from UK in electronic medium recently where UK Muslims (apparently non-white) were shouting with banner and placards displaying slogans for imposing Shariah in UK and whole world.
SAD STORY OF WEST BENGAL BENGALIS
I wrote some weeks back in this blog that Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal has fallen in a tight corner situation due to involvement of her party members in the notorious 'Saradha scam'. The Indian central investigating agency CBI has already arrested some of her senior party members. Very recently Mamata made a visit to Delhi ostensibly to attend the 125th birth anniversary function of Jawaharlal Nehru. She attended the function for an hour or so and met BJP leaders like Rajnath Singh (Home Minister), Arun Jaitley (Finance Minister) and L K Advani in her 2 days stay in Delhi. No prize for telling what for did she meet all those BJP leaders.
WILL BANGLADESH SEE, THINK, TALK & DO BEYOND ISLAM?
Bangladesh was not born on the basis of Islam like Pakistan. 'Islam' was not the primary or secondary driving force for the creation of Bangladesh. After more than two decades of linguistic, cultural, socio-economic and political repression by fellow Muslims of West Pakistan, the East Pakistanis understood the futility of Islam as basis for Pakistani nationhood. Bangladesh was born as a secular democratic country.
The Truth Behind Reza Aslan's 'Brilliant' Take Down on Bill Maher
Moderator's note: Reza Aslan is a media celebrity and an Islamic apologist, who obviously feels threatened by the growing Atheist movement in the US and worldwide. One of his recent tweets he wrote, 'I've written about Muslims, Jews, Xtians, Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists. I've never received more venomous threats than I do from Atheists'(see here).
TINDERBOX - THE PAST AND FUTURE OF PAKISTAN
M J Akbar, the well known Indian journalist, has written a book entitled, "Tinderbox – the past and future of Pakistan". It is a scholarly exposition of Pakistan's yesterday which gives hints for its tomorrow. Though no new information is available in the book, except some details about Pakistani terrorist groups and killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, it compels one to revisit and recapitulate the known facts in present context.
What happened to 'freedom of speech?
The chorus of condemnation of the ex-Minister for Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology, Mr Abdul Latif Siddiqui (ALS) for raising some pertinent questions regarding Hajj and its implications are raging not only in Bangladesh but also in all countries of the world where Bangladeshis live. On Sunday, 28 September afternoon local time, Abdul Latif Siddiqui was speaking as a guest speaker at a local Bangladeshi gathering at the Jackson Heights Party Centre, New York. ALS was in New York attending the UN General Assembly Meeting as a member of the delegate (184 member team from Bangladesh) with the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina.