Comments on: My article on Bangladesh in the Arab News http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2005/04/10/my-article-on-bangladesh-in-the-arab-news/ Jane Novak's blog about Yemen Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:17:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Sean http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2005/04/10/my-article-on-bangladesh-in-the-arab-news/comment-page-1/#comment-4072 Sean Thu, 05 May 2005 18:39:54 +0000 /?p=1268#comment-4072 Thanks for adding another sloppy piece of article in the already over crowded anti-Bangladesh propaganda. The sources that you have mentioned are all biased and bear no representation of the real Bangladesh whatsoever. Philip Browning has written an excellent article in the International Herald Tribune about Bangladesh. Few excerpts: "Is Bangladesh a successful low-income democracy or a failing state? A secular Muslim exemplar or a fundamentalist seedbed? A liberal society, or one beset by corruption and political violence? A crucial component of South Asian geopolitics, or a weak and irrelevant adjunct to India? All these descriptions contain elements of truth - except irrelevance. Bangladesh matters not just because it has 130 million people, mostly Muslim, or because it is the most densely populated country on earth, but because its Bengali identity makes it the most homogenous nation on the subcontinent. It is all too easy, however, to overemphasize the dangers of radical Islam here. As in India, there is little history of Islamic violence - more of leftist violence and general political thuggery. The bedrock identity of Bangladesh is being Bengali first, Muslim second. The bottom line is that Bangladesh remains, with some blemishes, a plural, secular, open and democratic nation whose virtues are seldom credited and whose problems stem in part from the electoral arithmetic and financing needs of party politics." Thanks for adding another sloppy piece of article in the already over crowded anti-Bangladesh propaganda. The sources that you have mentioned are all biased and bear no representation of the real Bangladesh whatsoever.

Philip Browning has written an excellent article in the International Herald Tribune about Bangladesh. Few excerpts:

“Is Bangladesh a successful low-income democracy or a failing state? A secular Muslim exemplar or a fundamentalist seedbed? A liberal society, or one beset by corruption and political violence? A crucial component of South Asian geopolitics, or a weak and irrelevant adjunct to India?

All these descriptions contain elements of truth – except irrelevance. Bangladesh matters not just because it has 130 million people, mostly Muslim, or because it is the most densely populated country on earth, but because its Bengali identity makes it the most homogenous nation on the subcontinent.

It is all too easy, however, to overemphasize the dangers of radical Islam here. As in India, there is little history of Islamic violence – more of leftist violence and general political thuggery. The bedrock identity of Bangladesh is being Bengali first, Muslim second.

The bottom line is that Bangladesh remains, with some blemishes, a plural, secular, open and democratic nation whose virtues are seldom credited and whose problems stem in part from the electoral arithmetic and financing needs of party politics.”

]]> By: Jane http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2005/04/10/my-article-on-bangladesh-in-the-arab-news/comment-page-1/#comment-3800 Jane Tue, 19 Apr 2005 23:04:08 +0000 /?p=1268#comment-3800 They're Bangladeshi newspapers and websites plus Amnesty International. They’re Bangladeshi newspapers and websites plus Amnesty International.

]]> By: wamy http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2005/04/10/my-article-on-bangladesh-in-the-arab-news/comment-page-1/#comment-3798 wamy Tue, 19 Apr 2005 19:54:43 +0000 /?p=1268#comment-3798 Thanks, but sorry. I don't trust any of your sources. Thanks, but sorry. I don’t trust any of your sources.

]]> By: Jane http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2005/04/10/my-article-on-bangladesh-in-the-arab-news/comment-page-1/#comment-3797 Jane Tue, 19 Apr 2005 19:32:29 +0000 /?p=1268#comment-3797 I checked it again. This is the whole paragraph: At the same time the JMJB was formed and the JMB headed by Abdur Rahman started working in Dhaka with the same goal to turn the country into an Islamic state. With help from Galib, Rahman's JMB militants used the facilities of some 700 mosques built across the country by the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society. The bank accounts of the society in Pakistan were seized after the 9/11 incident. I checked it again. This is the whole paragraph:

At the same time the JMJB was formed and the JMB headed by Abdur Rahman started working in Dhaka with the same goal to turn the country into an Islamic state. With help from Galib, Rahman’s JMB militants used the facilities of some 700 mosques built across the country by the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society. The bank accounts of the society in Pakistan were seized after the 9/11 incident.

]]> By: Jane http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2005/04/10/my-article-on-bangladesh-in-the-arab-news/comment-page-1/#comment-3796 Jane Tue, 19 Apr 2005 19:19:51 +0000 /?p=1268#comment-3796 I am often sorry that the newspapers dont publish my references with the articles so people can go back to the original sources. The souce for the 700 mosques reference was a Bangladeshi newspaper, the Daily Star, but you can see it all below: Works Cited: BNP Involvement: http://www.bangladesh-web.com/news/view.php?hidDate=2005-03-11&hidType=POL&hidRecord=0000000000000000037084 2001 Bangladesh election: http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/freeworld/2004/countryratings/bangladesh.htm 700 mosques: http://thedailystar.net/2005/02/24/d5022401011.htm US Treasury Sec Paul Oneil http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/1/10/55655.shtml Amnesty International: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA130012005?open&of=ENG-BGD Kibria bombing: http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/jan/28/28012005ts.htm#A1 Chowdry: http://www.albd.org/news/2005/02/24/24_1.htm Ban on JMJB: http://thedailystar.net/2005/02/24/d5022401011.htm HUJI: http://www.saag.org/%5Cpapers13%5Cpaper1274.html I am often sorry that the newspapers dont publish my references with the articles so people can go back to the original sources. The souce for the 700 mosques reference was a Bangladeshi newspaper, the Daily Star, but you can see it all below:

Works Cited:

BNP Involvement: http://www.bangladesh-web.com/news/view.php?hidDate=2005-03-11&hidType=POL&hidRecord=0000000000000000037084

2001 Bangladesh election: http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/freeworld/2004/countryratings/bangladesh.htm

700 mosques: http://thedailystar.net/2005/02/24/d5022401011.htm

US Treasury Sec Paul Oneil http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/1/10/55655.shtml

Amnesty International: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA130012005?open&of=ENG-BGD

Kibria bombing: http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/jan/28/28012005ts.htm#A1

Chowdry: http://www.albd.org/news/2005/02/24/24_1.htm

Ban on JMJB: http://thedailystar.net/2005/02/24/d5022401011.htm

HUJI: http://www.saag.org/%5Cpapers13%5Cpaper1274.html

]]> By: wamy http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2005/04/10/my-article-on-bangladesh-in-the-arab-news/comment-page-1/#comment-3795 wamy Tue, 19 Apr 2005 19:15:13 +0000 /?p=1268#comment-3795 Jane, I don't trust your government officials and their press briefings. Therefore, I won't make any judgment based on information provided by them. And therefore, you need to provide evidences of how the mentioned organisation provided money to the mentioned numbers of mosques to perform what illegal acts. I want you to come to this country and find out for yourself what those mosques have done with the money you are talking about and then verify the information provided by your officials. Only then I'll appreciate your efforts. Don't you think it is fictitious to write about some country 8,000 miles away from home and without knowing how the air smells there? Jane, I don’t trust your government officials and their press briefings. Therefore, I won’t make any judgment based on information provided by them. And therefore, you need to provide evidences of how the mentioned organisation provided money to the mentioned numbers of mosques to perform what illegal acts. I want you to come to this country and find out for yourself what those mosques have done with the money you are talking about and then verify the information provided by your officials. Only then I’ll appreciate your efforts.

Don’t you think it is fictitious to write about some country 8,000 miles away from home and without knowing how the air smells there?

]]> By: Jane http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2005/04/10/my-article-on-bangladesh-in-the-arab-news/comment-page-1/#comment-3656 Jane Wed, 13 Apr 2005 22:08:50 +0000 /?p=1268#comment-3656 Well Tom thanks very much. That was my goal. Well Tom thanks very much. That was my goal.

]]> By: The Redhunter http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2005/04/10/my-article-on-bangladesh-in-the-arab-news/comment-page-1/#comment-3653 The Redhunter Wed, 13 Apr 2005 21:58:04 +0000 /?p=1268#comment-3653 Well, I certainly learned something about a country usually ignored (by me as well, I admit) Thanks, Jane Well, I certainly learned something about a country usually ignored (by me as well, I admit) Thanks, Jane

]]> By: Jane http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2005/04/10/my-article-on-bangladesh-in-the-arab-news/comment-page-1/#comment-3592 Jane Tue, 12 Apr 2005 01:09:59 +0000 /?p=1268#comment-3592 Its a great Muslim democracy, with a steady transition of power, dynamic, and forward looking. But there's a lot of different forces enabling the jihadiis and none of them are acting in the best interest of Bangladesh. Its a great Muslim democracy, with a steady transition of power, dynamic, and forward looking. But there’s a lot of different forces enabling the jihadiis and none of them are acting in the best interest of Bangladesh.

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