Feedback on Mukto-Mona's Statement
Condemning Death Threats Issued by Jamat-Shibir to Eminent Secularists in Bangladesh

[Link : Condemnation of Jamaat-Shibir's Death Threats to secularists]

 

I am pleased to support your statement in defense of freedom of thought and expression.

Prof. Paul Kurtz
Chairman
Center for Inquiry/Transnational (USA)


You can add my name to the list: Let not the voice of reason die on the lips of those who cherish human rights and oppose the monstrous barbarians who would cut out the tongues of those who speak the truth and truly honor life and liberty.

Stanley H. Barkan,
Poet/Publisher
Cross-Cultural Communications


I sent this out to everyone on my mailing list. Let's hope it will have some decent repercussions.

Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi
Human rights and political activist


I wrote this poem, ACCURSED, in solidarity with Mukto-Mona, Shabdaguchha and other South Asian/Bangladeshi secular organizations condemning death threats issued to eminent secularists in Bangladesh.

 

ACCURSED

accursed that instant
must be

waking up dead

discovering one has
misread

the holy Book

and insufficiently discussed
all that it said

to shed innocent blood

entering the hell
of irreversible

misreckoning

 

Yours truly,

John Dotson

Carmel, CA, USA


Dear all of the list,

I absolutely agree with your statement.

I don't know what Mr. Hasan Azizul Haque, the world renowned writer, a revered litterateur & a Professor of Philosophy at the Rajshahi University actually said in the seminar and whether his saying really against the Islam or not. Mr.Hasan Azizul Haque claimed that he didn't say anything.

I believe & agree with the the point that Everyone has the right to
freedom of opinion & expression.

It shows that the killing of intellectual started in 25th March 1971
continues...DR.G.C.Dev......attempting to killing Shamsur
Rahman,Dr.Humayun Azad,........Dr.Jafor Iqbal, Hasan Azizul haque.... and may be me (Nuruzzaman Manik)for writing this mail.

Rgds,

Nuruzzaman Manik
Freelance Journalist
Dhaka,Bangladesh.

 


Death Threats to Academics and Mr Hannan's Lopsided Argument

I am utterly surprised and distressed to see Mr S.A. Hannan's apologia on behalf of the rascals [Ref. 1 | 2] , ruffians and cold-blooded murderers in the name of Islam at Rajshahi University. I simply cannot believe that any civilized human being can, sort of, condone the death threat to Professor Hasan Azizul Haque of Rajshahi University, as Mr Hannan has done, by arguing that some Rajshahi students and teachers had blasphemed Islam.

Mr Hannan might not be aware that Islam does not sanction death for blasphemy and apostasy. And most importantly, Islam teaches us to respect the law of the land. Hence there is no option for private citizens physically attacking or threatening somebody to kill to "protect Islam".

This is really unfortunate that instead of condemning the death threats on Hasan Azizul Haque, Zafar Iqbal and other Bangladeshi academics by "Islamic thugs" belonging to the proto-fascist Jamaat-i-Islami and similar fascist groups, Mr Hannan has chosen (of course not in the most clever way) to justify the wrath of the "Touheedi Janata" by blaming the victims. I think Mr Hannan should stop writing in public forums on any subject as all the signs of an early senility are evident through his conduct. He should take rest and pray for all of us and our country.

With no malice to Mr Hannan or anybody else.

Warm wishes to all.
Taj Hashmi


Dear Friends: I talked to both the writers, Prof. Hasan Azizul Haque and Prof. Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, last week over the phone. They expressed their deep gratitude to all of you who participated in the protest meeting in Astoria, Queens and who condemned the fundamentalists threat against them through letter campaigns. While I praised his recent article on Prothom-Alo about the danger of the Madrassa education, Dr. Zafar Iqbal said, "Someone has to take the initiative to tell the truth." One the other hand Prof. Hasan Azizul Haque, one of the highly accomplished storytellers in the history of the Bengali literature, mentioned that he has not been going to the University campus for a while. I assured both the writers that we were always with them and we will remain so for whatever it takes.

Sincerely,

Hassanal Abdullah, editor Shabdaguchha


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