Don’t be scared Iconus. We must make it our job to challenge political and religious inconsistencies. It’s when we do this that we truly liberate ourselves.

Regarding Hizb ut-Tahrir — as we all know, the fund are flowing in from UK… these were the people leading the resistance to the Danish Cartoon controversy.

People — let ‘s not confuse Jamaat and HuT. They are very different, though they may be united in their demand for the establishment of Sharia. If you visit http://www.khalafat.org you will notice that these people (HuT) are almost leftist in their zealous anti-West and anti-Capitalistic and anti-Emperialistic stance — something only the progressives of the world do — with their apparent progressive ideas, they have infiltrated private universities and have the attention of many a young and vibrant minds. Unlike HuT, Jamaat has never been able to establish itself as a progressive force — though the effort is there. with Jamaat providing the umbrella support, other Islamicists are mushrooming all over the place — but with governmental patronage of the past and present and possibly the future, these mushrooms will grow into mohirooes and consume all… I’m scared.

Then again, something in this works as an inspiration. Something tells me keep on working to expose these people or to make them ineffective at least on the political front. This is why I think the demand for banning religion-based parties from elections is a timely one (though I am certain that nothing would come of it… CEC’s speech in Chittagong made it amply clear).

Today’s Daily Star reports that the Khatib of Baitul Mukarram, Maulana Abu Kalam Azad another accused razakar were awarded the Gandhi Prize for 2007 along with 18 others by a an outfit called Mahatma Gandhi Research Council at a function presided over by a former Chief Advisor Habibur Rahman. No reason was given as to why these 20 luminaries were deserving of the award. Habibur Rahman made the usual platitudinal comments about Gandhiji. An insult to the memory of one of the most gentle and selfless man who lived in recent years.

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=6469

Free Arifur Rahman immediately.

I recall, when Tasneem bhai was arrested, I tried to post on one of the Bangladeshi group blogs the fact that for every Tasneem arrested a thousand more Tasneems will be born. For some reason, I didn’t see that blog allow my post.

I will repeat to whomever is reading this. For every Arifur and for every Tasneem, for every creative and artistic person that you arrest, silence, murder, you’ll see a thousand more individuals taking up the struggle.

Guns are limited by the bullets, but the mind with its imagination has no limitations.

Have a hard look at the face of Arifur. Do you really think you can stifle his satirizing mind?

1. We demand the arrests of Mahfuz Anam (Publisher of Daily Protom Alo and Weekly 2000), Motiur Rahman (Editor of Protom Alo), and Golam Murtaza (Editor of Weekly 2000).
2. We demand the suspension of the licenses of the two publications immediately.
3. We demand the re-establishment of the Sharia