25.7.14

Protest Egypt's Betrayal of Gaza

Tomorrow there is another demonstration of solidarity in central London for Gaza, new generations of people are being politicised at this great injustice, and I wish them a good, dignified journey, to learn from previous mistakes and contribute effectively.

Remember Tamarrod and Shahbag,  Rabaa and Motijheel
I think protesting at Israel and the British who put them there is important. However as a Musalman, I think folks are wrong and dopey to background the complicity of despicable Egypt and the morons who supported the Tamarod enabled coup there last year that set back progress in so many ways. So many stupid, Tehrir-drunk Egyptians.... who were scared and unable to rise to the civilisational moment and duped. This Gaza genocide is possible because of Tamarod, make no mistake, the demons pulling apart Muslim societies are assisted by our own civilisational suicidal tendancies.

The sheer extent of enfoolment surrounding last year's coup, and rabaa massacres from otherwise decent London people was appallingMy heritage substantially includes a place now known as Bangladesh, and there was a fascistic movement there too called Shahbag. Like Tamarod it had a clear anti-Islamist vibration and represents seculib rage, frustration and subhumanity. These disfiguring developments speak to us of societal work that needs to be done, to banish the false and immobilising dichotomy between Islamist and anti Islamist futures, and to be Creative and critical, creatical about nonsecular, decolonial alternatives.. No body but ourselves can do this.

So many people warned Ikhwan in the build up to their demise, but they wouldn't listen, and could not adapt in time. For this suffered great injustice. However, the world hasn't heard about the Bangladesh tragedy last year, of the governments midnight massacre of unarmed protesters as they slept and prayed. There was no Patrick Galey in Dhaka's Motijheel district transcribing the horror, there were reams of social media video dismissed by evil men like Bengali World Service Editor Sabir Mustafa at the BBC.

Bangladesh's own seculib ragers, not to mention its establishment, succeeded in silencing the cries of the dying, the pain of the wounded and the sad loss of the families. Channel 4's John Snow is reporting bravely from Gaza's hospitals these days, however REMEMBER that Anglo Liberal gaze of the news team wouldn't touch Bangladesh's worst massacre with a barge pole. We didn't and couldn't mobilise ourselves effectively either.

Tomorrows 26th July 2014 Demonstration: A sincere request

Last week 80-100 thousand men women and children marched through London, most of whom were not Palestinian, or Arab. Our grandfathers felt for the Palestinians and its injustice is very clear. There is a false expectation however, amongst many non Arab Muslims that resolution of the Israel problem, would mean something for struggles for justice in Asia and Africa. Some Arab brothers make out like Palestine is an issue of Aqidah, despite the Prophet's non opening of the region. This confuses people who drink learning from sources that delink from their geoancestral roots.

I am yet to see Arabs and Palestinians in the UK, or outside, acting with such gusto in solidarity with the oppressed in Bangladesh, or Kashmir, or Myanmar. During last night's qunoot at regents park mosque, marking the completion of the Qur'anic recitiation in Ramadhan, the oppressed of Palestine featured thrice, but nobody else. 

Far from being against demonstrations, I think we can learn and develop capabilities from each political intervention we make, as a family or as a group of friends. And in this spirit, I would like to make the case for tomorrows protesters to make a detour to the Egyptian Consulate

The Egyptian state recently turned back a Tunisian plane full of medical aid for Gaza, and its state media is applauding Netanyahu. So as you walk from the Israeli embassy to UK parliament, and protest white supremacist imperial policy ( or however you frame it), realise that a special Jamarat awaits your symbolic visitation off the beaten track, like the Makkah clocktower 




24.7.14

Sabir Mustafa's selfie with Sheikh Hasina

The one thing you can rely on from a broad section of deshis, is their vanity.

Below is an exhibit of one of those bits of Facebook ephemera that tell us a story of how sycophancy works among a certain circle of people in Bangladesh. It is a photograph and comment stream from the BBC World Service Bengali Editor Sabir Mustafa with Prime Minister of Bangladesh. It was taken at the London Hilton on Park Lane in the early afternoon of 23rd July 2014, where Hasina is staying with a retinue of 56 people to attend David Cameron's Girl Summit on FGM and early marriage. 

FGM, which is what the papers have made a bit deal about, is not an issue in Bangladesh, but I guess she was required as some  kind of senior ethnic presence, to pose for the camera like a good moderate Muslim woman awaiting a gallant white man to rescue her. Her car was reportedly pelted with shoes leaving Downing Street. 

Its all pretty pathetic really, I would really have liked to have seen a section of decolonial protest register their disapproval of Hasina and her regime in a significant, dignified and  more creative way.  Hasina's Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu was egged some months ago, and it was very meaningful but could have been so much more. This Saturday's demonstration for Palestine passes close by the hotel, and the Tarawih prayers at the Qatari-Mayfair mosque are on the doorstep. 

It is an indictment of the arabcentric and feebleness of deshward activism amongst our generation in the UK, that this illegitimate regime's officials and securocrats, with blood on their hands, can to and fro from Dhaka to London without any hindrance.

Midnight waaz anybody? Maybe next time.

Both Hasina and Mustafa have been instrumental in the manipulation of the fascistic mood and the production of unfreedom in Bangladesh, where a sham government rules and opposition expression and mobilisation remains suppressed and the fear of poverty still immobilises the middle class.

The monument of this period in Bangladesh's near history is the massacre and cover up of unarmed protesters on 5th-6th May 2013. This unfolded under Hasina's watch, by Dhaka Met Police Commissioner Benazir Ahmed's hand and was rendered away by Sabir Mustafa's white privileged pen.

It is interesting that Sabir Mustafa posts a lot about Palestine, but does not see the resemblance between what he and his female selfie partner do and what the Israeli state is up to.  

The ideology and kitsch culture of Jionijom, more so than Climate Change, remains the biggest threat to life, love and civilisation in the space we call Bangladesh.

Here's to growing out of it.