Cry for me, oh Bangladesh.

[Jamali]

I read in dismay, the collective voices of our muslim fraternity in support of OBL and his goons. I see in disbelief the protest rallies in support of the most notorious terrorist of modern times, Mr. Osama Bin Laden. I watch in dismay as he is hailed as the champion crusader of Islam.

From where did we all learn to be so crippled in our belief and blind in faith? What has gone wrong with my countrymen who were at the receiving end of terror for most part of their short history? How exactly did we hit the pit, the bottom. When did we become the perpetrators of violence in our own might?

It's high time that we introspect our religious beliefs, their interpretations and weed out all that spells danger to peaceful co-existence with humanity. it's high time we realise how our rigid faith is tearing into the fabric of our nation and society in general.

Shias and Ahmadiyas are as much our brothers as Sunnis. And so are Christians and Hindus. If this small concept is too difficult to rationalise with our holy scriptures, then i seriously believe that reforms are long overdue for us. Lets reform our religious texts before they become a curse to humanity. We won't need those books if we are no longer there. Black and white are not the only shades in life, and there is a vast region of gray in it. Let that gray not mean differently to a terrorist and differently to the peaceful practitioner of the religion.

Also, mere shouts of "ours is a peaceful, tolerant and compassionate religion" won't help. We have to stand up and condemn with all our voices every act of violence that is directed in the name of our religion. There should be no room for ambiguity here. Salman Rushdie and Taslima Nusreen are as free to voice their opinions, howsover blasphemous they may appear, as you and me. And Maulana Mubarak ali giving the call for Azaan is equally free to contest their allegations and prove them wrong. We don't need to declare a fatwa for their head.

If this forum represents the Bangladesh that my parents here in US talk so fondly about, i am more than disgusted. Cos, all i can see is an unending stream of bigots, full of their hate-agendas and reeking of intolerance. The myth is shattered. The fierce love for the country that my parents proclaimed to be a bastion of "Bangla Culture" has taken a beating.

More surprising is the fact that most participants are from UK. If years of stay in a democratic and liberal country like UK has only made the people more fanatical and bigoted, then UK govt. would do itself a favour by kicking out this next generation terrorists and send them packing to fight among themselves in the rapidly crumbling nation. It should monitor this forum and get ready for some royal ass-kicking.

And most horrible and disgusting is the news of ethnic cleansing of minorities from our country. History seems to be unfolding, only that Pakistani Army has been replaced by our own Jamatis, and this time, the suffererers will be minorities, especially the poor hindus. I fail to understand. How come you have more compassion for some unrelated people in some far away coutry like afghanistan, than for your own brothers who stood by you in your fight for independence, who shared your language, culture, tradition and values? Why do i read news that carries reports of minorities being persecuted, raped, killed and progressively driven out of their country? And why are we discussing afghanistan and talibans instead of razakars who have come back to haunt us? Where is our national conscience and outrage? When did we throw ourself in the chasm of disgrace?

Something has seriously gone wrong with our moral and national ethos.

Cry for me, oh Bangladesh.

[Hemast]

Dear Jamali,
I share your feelings and concern - though I hail from India. You really have been brave in `pouring' your heart out - your world view which I share too ! The world is once again witness to the age old conflict between a `collective' against `individual freedom'. I think mankind is undergoing an evolutionary process - in a political sense - towards fathoming that great concept called `Individual freedom' popularly known as `human rights'. Allow people sometime before they learn. Don't despair, friend !

[SNOOP_KUTHA]

*SNIFF SNIFF*

THAT WAS 2 EMOTIONAL...