Main Page «
Front Page «
Metro «
Business «
International «
Sports «
National «
Editorial «
Op-Ed «
Home «
Timeout «
Letters «

Archive «
Launch Supplement «
Special Supplements «

Recently a friend of mine informed me of something which astonished me so much that I ventured to do some research to verify it. And I was furthermore shocked to find out that the information was correct.
   There is a country in this world where the government maintains a list of approved names for newborn babies. The citizens of this country must choose a name from this list. If their desired name is not on the list, they have to make a special application to the government, which may not go in their favour.
   You will be shocked to know that it is that great country Denmark, which will do anything and everything for free speech and freedom of expression. Yes, while this Scandinavian country goes on preaching freedom of expression, when it comes to humiliating Islam and Prophet Mohammad, it does not even allow its citizens to name their children according to their wish. Needless to say there are many trivial reasons provided by the Danish government for such restriction. However, at the end of the day, it is nothing but a restraint on freedom of expression (on a matter that is in fact, quite frivolous).
   If a Dane does not have the right to name his child as he wishes, then it is beyond my reasoning how a Danish newspaper can get away with publishing those disgraceful caricatures of Prophet Mohammad, an action which was undertaken with the full intention of offending Muslims all over the world.
   I generally do not like to state the obvious but that is sheer hypocrisy.
   AC
   Brussels, Belgium
   

Reference 'Hamas respond, but will they deliver Salahuddin Al-Ayubi?' by Yamin Zakaria (February 6).
   Yamin Zakaria is absolutely right about the recent Palestinian election when he writes, 'Jimmy Carter, the former US president, leading a team of 900 foreign observes said, the elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were 'completely honest'. Definitely honest, compared to the standards set by the US, when George Bush 'won' the Florida 2000 election by denying the blacks (Afro-Americans) and all the other coloured folks a vote, as they were poised to vote for the Democrats. The US presidential election in 2000 was basically rigged by the partisan Republicans and will always remain a question mark about George W. Bush's becoming the president of the United States.
   However, winning an election is no guarantee that a political party will not misuse its electoral success. It may be pointed out that the Liberal Party of Canada won massive landslide victories in three elections in 1993, 1997 and 2000 and yet later it was found that the party's Quebec wing was involved in a massive corruption scandal after the 1995 Quebec referendum on separation from Canada. In the referendum, Quebec decided by a minuscule majority to stay with Canada. After the referendum, the then governing Liberal Party funnelled millions of taxpayers' money for partisan purpose in the name of national unity, and no one raised any voice until the Auditor General found the widespread corruption. This led to an inquiry by Justice Gomery who disclosed in detail the government's mismanagement, which ultimately brought down the Liberal government at the 23 January 2006 election.
   This shows that winning an election is pointless if the winning party cannot use its power wisely and for the benefit of the voters. Hamas' electoral victory will be meaningless if it cannot improve the lives of the Palestinian people who live in abject poverty and cannot sustain the conflict for long. The earlier method of sending suicide bombers against Israeli civilians has not worked. It only provoked counterattacks by Israeli forces.
   Hamas is also too weak militarily to defeat the powerful Israeli armed forces. Comparison with Salahuddin Al-Ayubi is pointless. Salahuddin was the powerful Sultan of Egypt and had a powerful army at his command. After defeating Egypt's Fatimid dynasty and assuming power as the Sultan of Egypt, Salahuddin proceeded with an economic and military build-up of Egypt, which was to enable him to launch an effective assault against the Crusaders. Vastly outgunned and dependent on supplies from far away Europe, the Crusaders were unable to stop Salahuddin and most of the Crusaders returned home.
   Unlike Salahuddin, Hamas doesn't have a powerful kingdom to provide it with an economic and military base. In fact, most Palestinians are heavily dependent on outside assistance for their very survival. Most of them are unemployed or underemployed and without financial aid from the United Nations and the European Union, Hamas will find itself in total disarray. Also Salahuddin never used suicide bombers to defeat the Crusaders, he faced them in battle and his vast army outnumbered and outgunned the Crusaders. He was also extremely generous to his enemy. When Richard the Lion-Hearted, King of England, became sick, he sent his personal physician to treat him.
   Obviously, an economically and militarily weak Hamas cannot defeat the Israeli forces in the same way the mighty Sultan of Egypt defeated the Crusaders. It will have to find a non-military solution to the conflict.
   Mahmood Elahi
   Ottawa, Canada

In his letter recently, Akbar Hussain laments the effects of alcohol on a man's thoughts, specifically with regard to lust and other interesting phenomena. I replied to the lustful aspect of his fears, because of course I'm an expert on that subject, as both of my many readers will know.
   Oh, by the way, I'm presuming, from his comments, that Akbar doesn't drink alcohol, so how does he know about the lust that imbibing this precious liquid produces? Have you been a naughty boy, Akbar, or are you just fantasising?
   Well anyway, as you may or may not know, the laws on drinking hours in England have been relaxed recently. Until recently, we were only allowed to drink in a bar or a pub at certain hours. This of course was against the concept of individual freedom and responsibility. In the West we don't like the government or religion to decide these things for us, it's irrelevant and counter-productive.
   When the relaxed hours were proposed, the so-called experts on human behaviour, the religious fanatics and grumpies, and the hypocrites all got together and caused all kinds of trouble. They forecast an increase in the level of alcohol induced violence, already a problem in many British cities, and more general bad behaviour, much in the manner foreign grumpies in Bangladesh, and Akbar in Canada, also predict for humankind in general. In fact, according to his letter, Akbar, unless they bring his remains back to Dhaka, was going to watch all this 'obnoxious behaviour' from his grave in Canada. Don't do that, Akbar, my old friend. Canada's too cold to be miserable in your grave.
   Surprise, surprise! Police reports tell us that at least in the few early months of the new drinking hours, violence is down by at least 20 per cent; much more in some areas! It seems that liberated people, able to make their own decisions, behave responsibly.
   So what can we say about that? Well, one thing we see immediately is that the fanatics and grumpies were dead wrong about alcohol, and about petty restrictions. It looks as though people are in general mature and responsible, and can decide for themselves whether to drink alcohol, how much to drink, and when.
   Great news! I'm going down to the Ministry of Nothing Much To Do as soon as possible, and recommend that bars be established in Gazipur, Narayangonj and Barisal as soon as possible. I phoned to make an appointment, but I was told the minister was, 'away for a drink'. Probably down at the Dhaka club where all the other ministers and responsible people were…
   I'd like to continue, but it's time for me to go down to my local pub, for my medicinal two pints, and to lust after the buxom barmaid. Perhaps Akbar was right…
   Toodlepip and cheers,
   Richard Murphy
   On e-mail

Ekushey Academy, a local Bengali community body in Sydney is going to inaugurate 'International Mother Language Monument' in a park in Ashfield, Sydney. Describing this as a huge success, the organisation is offering the community to join in this event of historical significance. Out of the $40,000 (AUD) projected cost, the government of Bangladesh has already contributed $12,000 (AUD) towards the project and the organisation is seeking community support for the remainder.
   While this is a great initiative and the organisers deserve credit for convincing the local government authority in securing the land for the monument, the achievement should not be blown out of proportion but judged holistically on the basis of its true significance or utility.
   The United Nations has declared 21st February 21 as 'International Mother Language Day' to honour the Bengali martyrs who sacrificed their lives for protecting the mother language. The commemoration of the day is to raise awareness among all member countries for the preservation of mother language and the slogan is particularly significant in this modern day and age when globalisation and cultural assimilation is threatening the very existence of many languages and cultures. So even though the 21st February is chosen as the day to celebrate the mother language day, it is not for the Bengali community alone.
   And in reflection of the true significance of the day, the memorial is to be named 'International Mother Language Memorial' and besides Bengali alphabets, other alphabets will be posted on the face of the monument. This being so, one will wonder why the organisers agreed to bear the full cost of erecting the monument and is seeking financial support from Bengali community and Bangladesh govt only.
   The monument will be a public asset located in a public park to remind people of all background to pay respect to their mother language, protect and nourish it. Therefore, the major funding for the project should have been sought from the govt of Australia who has an obligation to the Day being a multi-cultural country with people of various language backgrounds.
   I believe the organisers would have been more successful by bringing in other communities towards the project and thereby giving the memorial the true significance it deserves.
   Wasim
   Sydney

The latest pictures to find its way to print graphically showing detestable torture of Iraqi prisoners by US troops has received a 'we know' and 'we have taken steps' reaction from an unashamed US administration. The British, somewhat more civilised than the United States, reacted with a show of shame and a firm resolve to deal with the matter, when similar revelations of torture of Iraqis at the hands of the British troops were made public a few weeks ago. With the latest US revelations, it was almost unreal and unbelievable to hear the United Sates reaction suggesting that despite the authenticity of the latest pictures, these should not have been shown by the Australian TV that first publicised the latest pictures of torture! The US Government sharply criticised the latest exposures of torture in the press. What about freedom of the press may I ask?
   The revelations of torture by the US and British troops indeed suggest that the times we are passing through are the most hypocritical times in history of mankind. We have a power, the United States, unlike any in history from the perspective of power and resources and another, the United Kingdom, claiming to be one of the most responsible powers in history together invading a third country far from their borders on pretexts that have been proven to be the lamest excuses and most blatant lies ever used in any war in history between nations. Then we have these two nations, far from acknowledging their misdeeds, naming other nations as 'axis of evil' and themselves resorting to violations of human rights in Iraq that should shame even Saddam Hussein and the likes of him. As if these were not enough, these two powers have in their own countries enacted draconian laws in the name of fighting terrorism that targets minorities and more particularly the Muslims. Today, in both these countries, laws are in place similar to those for which they have, before 9/11, blamed the developing world and tried to shame them.
   Yet because of an international media overwhelmingly biased against the developing and the Muslim world, the image of the developing and the Muslim world appears as one where human rights are not respected; where terrorism thrives; where there is no hope unless they follow the western world like puppets. The latest upheaval concerning the cartoons should underscore for all Muslims that the western civilisation will continue to provoke us to do wrong things and then blame us for those acts although they themselves, in pursuing this war on terrorism, have sunk to depths that we have not yet, most definitely not the overwhelming majority of the Muslim world. Some of the latest tortures shown of US troops violating Iraqis are just too despicable for any human to commit.
   No wonder , despite being the greatest power in history of mankind, the US today, outside its own borders and perhaps in Europe, is considered also as the worst ever in its respect for dignity of other human kind who do not subscribe to the neo-con views of the present occupants of the White House. Any civilised nation would have done what is now being asked by those who feel infuriated by the latest pictures, namely a resignation by the US Defence Secretary which alone could signal that the US is a responsible power.
   Shahjahan Ahmed
   Dhanmondi, Dhaka

Although this has stirred up deep emotions amongst us Muslims, we need also to look at it rationally. What would have happened if these were not demeaning caricatures of the prophet (SM), but say pictures of the prophet drawn to glorify him? For instance there is a beautiful manuscript in Turkey completed in 1324, which shows the prophet re-dedicating the Black Stone at the Kabba by a devout Muslim living in Mecca at the time.
   The pictorial representation of something with a 'soul' is not forbidden by any verse of the holy Quran, but is followed under the authority of Hadith compiled many centuries after the prophet's death. Yet when the Muslim empire was expanding and the Muslims were supremely confident of themselves, they did not take any sub diary scripture too literally and many medieval Turkish and Persian manuscripts depicted the prophet(SM).
   Similar treatment to arts, poetry, music, etc. were highly patronised in the Indian Muslim Courts although the scholarly opinion on Hadith was generally against such culture.
   Since the fall of the great Muslim empires we seem to have lost our self-confidence, our admiration for natural scientific learning and our openness to new ideas and are falling back more and more on Hadith, Tafsir and other subsidiary scriptures in which only the Ulema (but not the Ummah) excel, for comfort. With moderate learning anyone can read and understand (translation) the Quran and a small edition can be carried around by all. However, not so with the almost infinite and amorphous amount of Hadith and Tafsir so that this is the special preaching ground of the Ulema, where an ordinary Muslim cannot check proper sources and circumstances of the preaching material. On many issues even the Ulema is divided.
   The prophet (SM) was a most rational person although he received revelations from Allah. He had to defend his faith by organising his forces and fight his own battles (and almost lost his life) like any other mortal. He was subjected to poisoning in which he suffered for many years and subsequently succumbed. There were no miracles in his life except that of the revelations. He was aware of other sources of knowledge besides what he knew and advised followers 'to go to China if necessary to seek it!' There are many verses in the Quran to the effect of the prophet's humanness and mortality. However, soon after the prophet's death the scholars of the conquered nations (not the Arabs themselves to whom religion was a creed of action and way of life rather than a theological subject of study and scholarship) in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Persia, Egypt, and other countries started hagiographic writing about the prophet to give him miraculous powers etc. These were the exaggeration by devotees (like virgin birth in Christianity, etc.), which the Quran strictly forbade. These so-called scholars also wrote down a lot of Hadith to fill the scholarly gap in Islamic scripture following the practices of Christianity, Judaism, Zorosterianism, Buddhism and other ancient religions of conquered nations. The Islamic missionaries and Ulema of course used these myths en masse to awe the simpleminded from other religions and convert them, but in the long run this is likely to be of great disservice to Islam as a faith based on rationality, education and knowledge and human action
   Islam is now spreading in the West by virtue of its rationality and simplicity (and not by any connotation of its imperial or mythological past). The Quran as the primary scripture is coming more into central focus for the western-educated people, (as against subsidiary scriptures), and early Islam's tradition of Ijtihad (or independent thinking, based only on the Quran, and no other subsidiary scripture), prevails in the west although it is considered 'blasphemous' in the countries where the traditional Ulema prevail and must maintain their hold on the people.
   A Canadian Muslim woman, Irshad Manji who has called for a return of the early Islamic tradition of Ijtihad has been denounced by Mullahs as an 'apostate' and has received death threats. It is essential in these troubled times to maintain the supreme theme of rationality in Islam against either provocation, or for emotions fed on exaggerated glorification or hagiography
   Shafi Ahmed
   London, UK

Nowadays, I do not feel encouraged to write anything about our present state of politics. My view is that our political parties are neither democratic nor do they understand democracy. All parties talk about democracy and popular vote before election but when one party wins the losing party always complains about fraud and mischief and starts movement in the street to bring down the legitimate government from day one.
   People's verdicts have been denied, ignored and insulted categorically by both major political parties over and over again. The people of Bangladesh should find new alternatives to the two ruling dynasties. Otherwise they will have to travel a long way in the small intestine of greed, corruption and incompetency like 'Euclid's insects'.
   Ayub Khan
   Ottawa, Canada