Sarah Belal. “Being an activist in Pakistan is hard but when I men Malala my work seemed validated”. Published in Dawn, Pakistan. 30 March 2018.

1. From the perspective of Sarah Belal, Director of the Justice Project Pakistan, this blog describes what it was like for a group of activists to meet Malala. These twenty activists were all female human rights protectors were invited to meet with her. This is impressive because while all the activists had known about each other through their common works, they had never gotten the chance to be in the same room together. Each was beyond excited to meet someone whom they consider their hero and a pathfinder in an uncommon profession.

2. While this article is mainly about what is was like to meet Malala, underneath it seems like so much more. For these activists, most days are taxing and paved with difficulty. Meeting someone who has impacted the world you’re working in is important and Malala is a hero to these women. The struggle as female rights’ activist in countries like Pakistan is immense. With the need to break stereotypes surrounding the word ‘woman’ and the constant frustration of a government and people forcing inequality on women, there is nothing more vital than these activists. The best way for collective action to not only be formed, but almost more importantly, maintained, is hope. Hope is exactly what these activists got in meeting Malala.

3. https://www.dawn.com/news/1398502/being-an-activist-in-pakistan-is-hard-but-when-i-met-malala-my-work-seemed-validated

 

I found one blog posted on Prothomalo by Bangladeshi Shaykh Muhammad, titled “The freedom and the worship of the soul in Islam”.

To summarize, this blog discusses from a Bangladeshi Muslim’s point of view what exactly freedom means to a follower of Islam. Muhammad discusses the importance of freedom and to be weary of “evil” which will attempt to deceive man into forfeiting freedom. Muhammad uses a wealth of direct quotes from the Qur’an to support every thing he has to say.

Though it was quite apparent that this blog was poorly translated by the website, I believe I was able to extract a number of interesting specifics from this blog and, with preexisting knowledge of the region and the country of Bangladesh, analyze it for hidden meanings. I realized as I was reading, that a large portion of the blog was in fact direct transcriptions from the Qur’an. However, these transcriptions appeared to be carefully picked and utilized by Muhammad in a clever way to put forth, what I found to be a very strong message about protecting individual freedoms.

Taken at face value, the blog is a very pleasant, even uplifting piece seemingly directed at Muslims in Bangladesh, which details what their faith has offered to them. And yet, the blog is littered with powerful dialogue from the Qur’an discussing in a degree of detail, the protection of personal rights and the rights of others in the face of evil. One of the opening lines to this blog by Muhammad caught my attention right away, “the development of human beings, such as independence is needed, so the soul also needs freedom.” Muhammad appears to be stating that without freedom one cannot grow as a human being, let alone, grow in their spirituality. This, I believe, is exceptionally powerful and strategic as it is placed in the forefront of the blog and challenges practices of Islam (roughly 90% of Bangladesh) to evaluate whether or not they have this freedom Muhammad is refrencing.

After reading the blog I am poised to see it as more than just a call for Muslims in Bangladesh to attribute their freedoms to Islam, but rather as a call to all groups within the nation to be bold in protecting their freedoms from any group, since “people are free from all kinds of servants of the Lord.” I wondered if Muhammad was implying the government at this part in the blog.

The idea of Muhammad attempting to deliver his message to people of every background is something, I believe to be extremely significant in showing that his overarching message within this blog might not be to promote Islam. As he writes,”the freedom of the people, Arabs, non-Arabs, rich and poor have taken shelter in Islam.” including everyone in his message.

 

Blog:

http://www.prothomalo.com/opinion/article/1460036/%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A7%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%93-%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%A4

This blog is run by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board and is on their official website. The EDB is a state run organization under the Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade. As the name would suggest, the EDB concerns itself with Sri Lanka’s exporting industries. The blog has been around since 2013 and still is updated regularly with articles on many different topics. These topics range from economic politics, stories on exporting businesses, conferences and events sponsored by the EDB, and the general state of Sri Lankan exports. The site appears well designed and easy to use. The content appears to be articles that have been pulled from other sources. Most, if not all, of these articles appear to be positive and celebratory. Surprisingly, there is no option to leave comments on the blog posts. There is an option to follow the EDB on social media, but there is no social media embedded in the site.

Given that it is a blog run by a state organization, is the blog under pressure to produce only positive content? Perhaps the blog’s sole purpose is to make the EDB look good, for fear that they could lose funding, be replaced, or shut down entirely if they don’t achieve desired results. The lack of negative stories on the state of Sri Lankan exports seems suspicious, unless the Sri Lankan export sector is doing extremely well. They could easily cherry pick articles from news sites, articles on export related successes. This may also be the reason why there is no ability to leave comments, the EDB does not want negative news to reach their blog. Maybe a private interest group would run the blog differently, but maybe they wouldn’t. I guess I can’t really blame them though, their goal is to foster and encourage exports, but the lack of negativity is definitely worth noting. Another thing to note is that this blog is essentially e-governance on behalf of the EDB. While it’s certainly not sophisticated, it nevertheless could have information that is useful for those in Sri Lanka’s exporting industries. If I ran a company that exported goods from Sri Lanka, I would probably visit the blog to keep track of events and news.

Blog

 

 

The blog titled ‘Some opposition organizations are slamming Tatmadaw by all means to tarnish prestige image’ by Win Htut, a writer for the Burmese Eleven Media Group, wrote about the Myanmar Armed Forced Day parade, and the multiple protests the occurred on the day of the parade. Myanmar had a past of terrible military regimes that consistently punished its citizens. However, in recent years there have been open elections in order to elect the new democratic leaders of the country. Despite these free elections, there are still hard feelings towards the military throughout the country. The oppositions position was made known especially on Armed Forces Day. The military, called Tatmadaw, has worked to improve their image to the public. The goal of these protests, according to Win Htut, were to place distrust between the Tatmadaw and the citizens, and to rid the Tatmadaw of unity. However, according to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the protests created better unity among the Tatmadaw. Win Htut went on to provide more quotes from Senior General Min Aung Hlaing describing the unity and prestige of the Tatmadaw.

Win Htut did not have a clear opinion regarding the protests and the words of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, however, the Senior General was obviously incredibly biased towards the Tatmadaw. My question is: Despite the improvement of the Tatmadaw and their demeanor, why is there still some skepticism towards the military?

http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/politics/13639

Nastikya.com

অনাগত পুত্রের প্রতি

The opening at the top of the Nastikya.com blog reads thusly: “avoid this website if your beliefs and feelings are too sensitive. Where knowledge is limited, where the argument is free. The liberation is impossible.” Now although certainly a bit was lost in translation as the blog is entirely written in the language of Bangladesh, the phrase’s meaning shines through: knowledge will not be suppressed, and that the truth and facts are more valuable than gold. It is provocative in the sense that, as the lyrical master Jay Z was known to say, “it gets the people going.”, certainly the people in the Bengali government who are not big fans of Blogger Asif Mohiuddin, the Bengali blogger who runs nastikya. Although much is lost in translation as I mentioned before, three articles really caught my eye.

 

অনাগত পুত্রের প্রতি

The first is a letter to “the unborn son.” In it Mohuiddin discusses his dream to his child, his sorry at the evils of the world, yet also outlines the strong moral man or woman the child will grow into, how he will not take his luck to be born a human for granted, nor if he should be born a man will he treat women as less than himself. He says that “we are bringing you into a world that the world is destroyed by the people of the world.” I can only imagine by the content in the rest of the paragraph, which is a feel good “we all are the world’s biosphere” one spirit type of deal, that he is fore warning his son: treat others, every being as you wish to be treated. Clearly this blogger feels that these things, these values are lackin in Bengali society today, and certainly in the government as he goes onto outline that the fair treatment of all “women, third party human beings, rights of homosexuals, tribal minorities” is not an option, it is a demand of those who would call themselves people of moral character. He ends with a solemn warning that ,  “religion, nationalism, racism, sexism, these are barbaric and clever tricks of some old times.” Must be avoided, and also acknowledges that “you have a very big responsibility on your shoulders. To take the world forward, to keep it alive.” Clearly, from this article, we might glean that Mohuiddin has dedicated his life to changing the world for the better, and expects his son (or daughter) to carry the torch.

 

পরিপ্রেক্ষিত, প্রেক্ষাপট এবং অন্যান্য

Another article, he discusses the ins and out of war crimes and genocides, outlines what they are truly defined as. He then goes on to add in what is racism, and uses that to jump into the Rohingya crisis. He goes into how Muslims ought not be persecuting the Rohingya peoples, and goes on to site a multitude of Koranic verses which make clear that the treatment of the Rohingya is in fact, unfair warfare. All thisis done in an almost socratic method of him presenting neutral facts and definitions, and then connecting those facts and definitions logically pattern, so that the reader essentially answers their own questions in their head. A lot of suppositions and then logic and fact based resolutions which show that the treatment of the Rohingya people’s is in fact, unjust and unwarranted.

 

 

 

https://www.nastikya.com/archives/5791

ইসলাম এবং আমার অবিশ্বাস (পর্ব দুই)

The final pair of articles which I read are a two part series on “islam and my disbelief”. Here he discusses how it is taboo to question one’s religion, however that even so religion must be questioned if justice and truth are to be practiced within them. He warns against blind pride in one’s own religion, which may blind one to the beauty of others’ beliefs, and bring with it arrogance and prejudice. These warning are purveyed through discussions of holes in Islam, things that do not line up. The idea is to get the reader to consider the possibility that others religions may not be so evil or wicked, ” . If a person thinks that the sun’s orbit is centered on the earth, then he will be able to see the journey from the sun till the time of the sun.”

The undertone throughout all Mohuiddin’s posts is one of rational thought over hysterical action, and of acceptance over blind pride based prejudice. All beings are equal on this earth, and all deserving of fair treatment. I believe Mohuiddin hopes to change the hearts of the people, soften them if you will, so that the future of Bangladesh will be one of tolerance and acceptance, as it’s government evolves and casts aside it’s current trappings of an unequal third world.

Since all of you had to do an encryption blog, I though you may find this interesting that Winnie the Pooh memes are getting banned on social media after China announces Xi Jinping may stay in power for life.

 

 

Holi is a Hindu festival that marks the end of winter that usually occurs in March on the last full moon day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month. Also known as the “festival of colors,” Holi is primarily observed in South Asia but has spread across the world in celebration of love and the changing of the seasons. Rooted in Hindu mythology, Holi also celebrates the triumph of good over evil — symbolism that correlates with the passing of winter.

As per ancient mythology, there is a legend of King Hiranyakashipu with who Holi is associated. Hiranyakashipu was a king in ancient India who was like a demon and whose younger brother was killed by Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu turned away from Vishnu and started considering himself  God. However, is son, named Prahalad, remained a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. That made the King so furious that he decided to kill his own son. He asked his sister ‘Holika’, who was – as a fire demon – immune to fire, to sit on a pyre of fire with Prahalad in her lap. Their plan was to burn Prahalad. But their plan did not go through as Prahalad who was reciting the name of Lord Vishnu throughout was safe, but Holika got burnt to ashes. The defeat of Holika signifies the burning of all that is bad. Because of this, in some states of India like Bihar , a pyre in the form of bonfire is lit on the day before Holi day to remember the death of evil.

While the celebration itself is based on a Hindu legend, the throwing of colored powder originated in the period of Lord Krishna, who is a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu . It is believed that Lord Krishna used to celebrate holi with colors and hence popularized the same.Each color carries a meaning. Red symbolizes love and fertility; yellow is the color of turmeric, a powder native to India and used as a natural remedy; blue represents the Hindu God Krishna; and green is for new beginnings.

Holi is not a one day festival as celebrated in most of the states in India, but it is celebrated for three days.

Day 1 – On full moon day (Holi Purnima) colored powder and water are arranged in small brass pots on a thali. The celebration begins with the eldest male member who sprinkles color on the members of his family.

Day 2- This is also known as ‘Puno’. On this day Holika’s images are burnt and people even light bonfires to remember the story of Holika and Prahalad. Mothers with their babies take five rounds of the bon- fire in a clockwise direction to seek the blessing of the God of fire.

Day 3- This day is known as ‘Parva’ and this is the last and final day of Holi celebrations. On this day colored powder and water is poured on each other.The deities of Radha and Krishna are worshipped and smeared with colors.

(Sources: www.mapsofindia.com; www.quora.com)

Here is a link with impressions from the 2018 celebrations:

http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/holi-2018-live-updates-celebrations-india-world-5083455/?#liveblogstart

I implore you, the reader, to entertain this story so that you may understand the grave situation with which we are currently presented.  The tiger population of Sri Lanka is suffering.  Persecuted by poachers, they have been removed from and denied their land so that they may no longer exist peacefully in the region they consider home.  These creatures serve as a national symbol for Sri Lanka, with their vibrant colors and passionate nature.  The poachers have cruelly sought out and eradicated as much of the indigenous tiger population as their ability would allow, and have considered these naturally docile animals no more than an infestation:  a surface nuisance.  Just like the rest of us, Sri Lanka is the home for these tigers and it is and has been as much their land as much as the rest of ours.  I call on the population of Sri Lanka to consider the poachers’ oppression of this fragile species as an attack not only on this endangered species but an attack on the identity and well-being of our state.  I pose you the question:  what next?  If these unpoliced poachers are not held accountable for these unjust and immoral actions, what is to stop them from moving on to the next species?  They will continue to dilute the national identity, starting with our tiger population.  I ask that you all look to these poachers in Colombo, stand up for what is right, and save not only our tiger population, but the future of Sri Lanka.  Thank you all.

 

Help Received: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Wikipedia page for contextual information on the conflict

Fellow bloggers and social media users of Pakistan, are you concerned about your presence online? Do you feel that you could be persecuted for speaking freely on the internet? Are you frustrated that access to the internet is limited and censored? Well your concerns are justified. We cannot speak freely on the internet without fear of being scooped off the street and disappearing forever. In order to avoid this, I offer to you, free of charge, general instruction on how to properly conduct yourself online. I propose multiple meetings to discuss blogging and social media freedom. Like many other societal issues that have occurred throughout history around the world, the most effective pathway to change is through simple coordination. Meetings will occur every weekend for a month leading up to election day. Myself and my group of acquaintances are all skilled in computer science and we would like to educate fellow bloggers. Not to worry, there is no blasphemy here. We are all proper Muslims and Pakistani citizens. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. I will be making follow up posts to provide further information regarding the educational meetings that will take place, please spread the word to all concerned citizens.

Additionally, if I am to disappear, I have been abducted by government agents. My colleagues will still conduct the meetings, and they will be especially important if this is to occur. Have a blessed day and I will see you soon.

Help Received: https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2016/pakistan

Campbell Wood

The Situation of the Burmese Family

Situation: an old father imposes a rule upon his adopted family preventing their knowledge and understanding of familial matters, claiming it was in the best interests of the family if they did not know everything, in the best interests of the collective. The old foreign father leaves the family, and the new stepfather leaves the same rule in place.

However, nowadays the family’s situation is changing, and the rest of the neighborhood knows that the family would be better off if all the family members were informed and understood how the family worked. But, the new stepfather is very controlling and scared to allow the family to flourish, and increasingly applies the archaic rule to diminish and belittle the rest of the family.

This situation, as we can all tell, cannot continue, especially since the supposedly prudent, judicial, and independent mother cannot bring herself to impose her will against the excesses of the stepfather. In order for things to change, one or two things must happen. The neighborhood has to use their influence to change the stepfather’s ways, or the mother must free herself from the restrictive bonds of her relationship with the stepfather.

It is time for the Burmese family to reconsider the nature of how their family works and to use all means to change the old rules of the father that remain. Though the stepfather may claim that the family is threatened by these changes, this is wholeheartedly false and positive change will illustrate that. Burmese brothers and sisters, it is time to change the roles of the parents in this family.

Help received: Freedom House Country Report for Myanmar, other blog encryption posts for some inspiration, Microsoft Word grammar and spelling check.

Levi C. Harmon