Danish Cartoon. Corrected.

Just read a fascinating comment in this week's Tigerweekly. In an article on South Park's take on Scientology and Islam, the author commented that both religions should learn from the Jews. I totally agree with the author.

It has been said in the article that the Jews "invited a Holocaust cartoon contest". The satire of the Jews has long been part of modern-day legend. It is all but easy to joke about one's misfortune. Much more so when jokes are about a religion.

I agree with the author. "The Danish cartoonist would have made a much stronger point had he drawn Muhammad as the innocent victim of a suicide bomber’s attack." Couldn't agree more.

It is a known fact that to all Muslims that the terrorists are all but following the Prophet's (sm) words by carrying out violence. I validate suicide-attacks as a valid means of fighting for freedom. Everything is fair in love and war. If it is indeed a war, then everyone has the right to use any weapon. If George W. Bush can unilaterally ignore Geneva Convention, the suicide bombers can ignore basic conventions of war, too. Is the war justified? That's an entirely different debate. Is it an act of Jihad? Is it Islamic? I don't think so. It is the Prophet (sm) and his words that are being attacked. By none other than followers of the religion he preached.

'Greatest Problem of Bangladesh is...'

... no, it is not population. Not corruption. Not lack of resources, either. It is the lack of equivalency with western education systems.

My evaluations may and will surprise many. Bangladesh is the only country in the world that holds over 1,000 people per square-kilometer. There are almost 150 million people living in this 144,000 square-kilometers piece of land. The country has been ranked the most corrupt nation in the world for five years in a row by Transparency International. Forests are reduced to only 10% of the land, mere 20-30 years' reserve of natural gas remains, and all other resources depleted, what can be a worse problem? It is a country deeply divided in terms of political ideologies, infiltrated by fanatics, and submerged in bureaucracy.

I would still suggest that only an equivalency is the only "fix" for the problem - both in long and short terms.

Education systems of Bangladesh have some equivalency after the completion of every major stage, i.e., SSC, HSC, Bachelors, Masters. However, these are full of various kinds of inconsistencies. We claim that our systems are "completely equivalent" on the basis of two things: a) we now have semester system instead of annual, b) we grade in scale of 4.0 instead of 100 for each subject per year.

This complacency is so deep among the people in position that no one bothers to analyze further. The "grading scale" may be same everywhere (= 'out of 4.0'), but the "grading standard" isn't. Yet another major problem unsolved and ignored.

This installment of the blog is just to shed light and draw attention over the matter. Signing off with the promise to be a bit different than most and come up with some "real solutions" to many of the issues related to education reform in Bangladesh.

'Minority Report :: Cultural Aliens'

My days here in the US have tought me the significance and hardship of the life of a 'minority'. Painful as it is, it has served me well. My erratic passions have reduced, my compassions have deepened.

What is the worst part of living the life of a minority? What is the very deprivation that defines it? What are the thoughts that border it?

My experiences lead me to believe that the worst part of a minority life is cultural alienhood.

I know more about Halloween from my second grade textbook than from my two years in America. I know of Christmas because that's the time when Kevin McCallister was left behind by his family. I know of Thanksgiving as "Mardi Gras of Fall" and of Margi Gras as "the other Spring Break". Fourth of July is an online sale day, Martin Luther King Day is "the first extended weekend". After all, I never dressed up in the October nights, never felt the Christman snow with my hands, had only a Bengali version of Thanksgiving, never bothered driving up to Bourbon Street (which happens to be an hour's drive only) on Fat Tuesday, didn't know which way to look to see the Fourth of July fireworks, and never stopped to appreciate how much MLK has civilized America.

St. Patrick's Day was no different. Another day came and passed. I only knew of it from the green beads on the streets. There may have been something else a few days back. I saw more cars in the parking lot than usual, saw more couples wrapped around each other, heard some more noise than usual. I have been living the life of a minority long enough to understand that this is my time to stay home and keep tight.

I have been in the majority for a long time, too. I know the surprise I would feel if I were reading this account. I know the usual reply, too. It is just that the true meaning of "I wish I could explain why it's tough!" now. Is it a fault of the majority for not reaching out? Is it the fault of my timid heart? Is it about living abroad, alone?

Or is there something else? My mom knew about St. Patrick's Day. She celebrated it by working a 12-hours shift. So did many others. It is, then, just a matter of class? I don't remember seeing Americans below a certain level of affluence, either.

'How to Lose a God in Three Months'

It has been particularly painful for me watch. It has been unsettling, unnerving, and disgusting. I'm not overly religious, but I know Islam well enough to understand with certainty that my religion is being hijacked by zealots.

A part of living abroad pertains to cultural interchange. I take particular pride in describing my country and explaining my religion. My country hasn't let me down, it's people have. My religion hasn't let me down, it's followers have. I have seen a sweeping dream of 'Bangladesh' made bleak in 35 years. I am seeing a great religion being reduced to obscenety in 1400 years.

Times have been difficult for Muslims living in foreign countries. Life can't be fun when one is blamed by both parties of a useless, unproductive fight. I don't side with the zealots who crash and burn over cartoons. I don't side with the political scoundrels who bend all rules to promote provocative journalism, either.

I believe that the Muslims have missed a golden opportunity to prove the depth and breadth of their religion by protesting violently against the Danish cartoons. We had been humiliated, harrassed, violated, demonized, and blacklisted following 9/11. God gave us another chance. We failed again. We knew it was a trap. We knew it was unnecessary provocation. We knew that Islam is weakened by violence and aggression, not satire. We knew our faiths weren't shaken a bit by mere cartoons. We knew the cartoons were not even remotely close to the appearance of Prophet Mohammed (sm). We knew that patience and forgiveness would serve us better than violence. Still we rioted and torched. Is it still a 'mistake' on the part of the Muslims? I guess not. I blame the Muslims for finally engaging in the widescale violence and terrorism that we've been long blamed for.

The western media and administrations have been just as bad. News about the incident was never fair or complete. I have read and watched every report on CNN/BBC. No one mentioned that this was initiated by a nationally awarded book that defiled Islam. No one mentioned that there was a nationally campaigned contest to get cartoons for the book's cover. No one mentioned that defiling Prophet Mohammed (sm) was a specification of the newspaper and the author (despite knowing than images or idols of Prophet Mohammed (sm) are considered blasphemy in Islam and there exists no such imitations in the Muslim world). No one mentioned that Muslims in Denmark initially responded with mild 'statements' saying that it was something wrong on the part of the newspaper to do so. No one mentioned that the cartoons were re-published just to create a bit more buzz. No one mentioned than Denmark is moving towards legally ostracizing Muslims. No one mentioned that the religious and racial right-wing was a patron of the newspaper's activities. Yet all the pre-determined conclusions were fired away when the bow finally broke. Muslims are fanatics, uncultured, unsocial, and impatient.

The fire finally broke out. Like every fire, it burned all else. Like every fire, it didn't spare its ignitors house. We have lost both reason and religion in the process. It proved to the west that Muslims still needs some lessons in patience and progress. It proved to the east that the west lives behind a cloud of deceit and hypocrisy. Has the world been any better since then? Certainly not.

The west has embarked on a crusade on cleriks. As much as I despise their zealotry, I would argue in their favor that "down with England!" can't be 'religious provocation' if Jyllands-Posten's activities weren't. At the same time, the east has pathetically failed to grasp the futility of rioting over a cartoon. If a western girl has to cover her head in a Muslim country, a Muslim can be expected to be tolerant of a cartoon in the west, too. Hijaab (head-scarf) is just as much a part of the Muslim society as good humor is in the west.

The east has done even worse. They have unearthed a long-forgotten case of conversion. A person being sentenced to death sixteen years after his conversion in a country that has constitutional ban against such judgement and a big chunk of the population is openly supporting so. If only these people went this far in the proper direction, they'd be in the fifth millenium in stead of the first! It took only three months to lose God again.

I knew I would express my opinions regarding these matters, but I also knew that I would wait until emotion gives way to logic. My thoughts have reassured me that there's a God (/Allah/...) up there. Still looking down. Lost and dejected.