Muktomona condemns the killings in Sri Lanka
It is another sad day for humanity. The editorial board of Muktomona condemns the mindless killing of innocent people, Christian or otherwise, in Sri Lanka. We also say the remedy of religious fanaticism is not more religion, especially not the institutional religion, but rather the remedy is the creation of open minds that accept various ways of living that do not harm each other. Let parents allow their children to grow up in an open environment so that they can choose their own path based on knowledge, logic and humanity. Spirituality does not come from blind faith; it comes from in-depth understanding of this universe.
Fourth anniversary of the assassination of Avijit Roy
Avijit Roy (1971-2015) was a voice of reason in an age when people boast of their ignorance and lies are claimed as alternatives to universal truths. A software engineer by profession and a writer by avocation, Avijit Roy was a leading Bangladeshi-American human rights activist, author and a pioneer in Bengali free-thought movement.
Where did it all go so wrong?
"It's a systematic prolonged campaign of hate, threats of violence, and division based on religious identity"
Keynote at 2017 Secular Conference 2017 - Freedom of Expression and Conscience
The notion of freedom changes with time and space. At this moment, our species is standing at a crossroad of history, where individual liberty, freedom of expression, conscience, and belief have become a very important part of our existence. We are demanding equal rights regardless of sex, gender, class, race - you name it. We, the secular community, are demanding freedom for all, which is the greatest demand of our time.
Langadu- a national shame for Bangladesh
The gruesome images of the indigenous people of Langadu upazila, Rangamati fleeing home, carrying whatever belongings they could save, shows that if you happen to be a member of the indigenous community, calling Bangladesh home, your life has not changed even in the slightest since the dark days of our military dictatorship.
Bangladesh Must Stop its Descent into ISIS Hell!
Early steps towards a theocracy: Changes in the Constitution of Bangladesh
Justicia has fallen- What's next?
If anyone wonders, despite recent drastic actions against Islamic militancy, why Bangladesh has been ineffective in curbing Islamic extremism- the removal, or because of it's symbolic significance some may rightfully argue destruction, of Justicia's sculpture from the High Court will certainly provide an objective answer.
An Occidental Islam - Between Culturalist and Reformist Expediencies
In the west, the discourse on Islam has been greatly shaped by contentious debates on the role of the state. The germination of radical ideas among the European-Muslim millennials and recent terrorist attacks across Europe has bolstered the edifice of the populist right-wing ideas, and there is a rising trend in the popularity of the far-right political parties who promulgate such ideas. The current scenario in the Western world is pretty much an evocative picture of the pre-Second World War political turmoil. The shadow of a disintegrated European Union looms on the horizon. Across the Atlantic, Donald Trump rose to power hurling disparaging remarks towards Muslims while promising a Muslim ban and extreme vetting of the Muslim immigrants. In these altercations, the culturalists and the reformists, the two different schools of thought gained prominence offering very different connotations of the Islamic pedigrees and culture in their attempt to dispense with the problem of "Radical Islam."
Remembering the life and legacy of Avijit Roy
A software engineer by profession and a writer by passion Avijit Roy(1972-2015) was a leading Bangladeshi-American human rights activist, author and a pioneer in Bengali free-thought movement. In 2001, Avijit launched a virtual discussion group of freethinkers of mainly Bengali and South Asian descent. This small discussion group would eventually lead to the inception of the first secular humanist website in the Bengali language, called 'Mukto-mona.' The literal English translation of 'Mukto-Mona' is 'Free-thinker.' As an Internet congregation of freethinkers, rationalists, skeptics, atheists & humanists Mukto-Mona gave a platform for the secular ethos of Bangladeshi culture to be reinvigorated. In an interview with a daily newspaper, Avijit described his organization's aspirations by the following lines,